Formula to milk -- mix gradually, or just switch?

The ped gave us the OK to switch from formula to milk, but it seems so abrupt to just switch on them all of a sudden. They love their bottles, and I hate to think how upset they will be when they suddenly don't taste the same! Is there any benefit to gradually mixing formula with milk (changing the ratio a bit every day until it's all milk), or is it better to just get it over with all at once? (Or is this one of those things that's harder on the parent than on the child?)

 

The ped gave us the OK to switch from formula to milk, but it seems so abrupt to just switch on them all of a sudden. They love their bottles, and I hate to think how upset they will be when they suddenly don't taste the same! Is there any benefit to gradually mixing formula with milk (changing the ratio a bit every day until it's all milk), or is it better to just get it over with all at once? (Or is this one of those things that's harder on the parent than on the child?)

 

I slowly switched voer over the coarse fo 10 days. I would not switch all the sudden.

 

I did the switch slowly when I was down to the last two cans of formula. I did it as 3/4 formula, 1/4 milk, then 1/2 & 1/2, then 1/4 & 3/4, and stayed at that until the formula was all used up. I think it took about 3 weeks maybe? They were fine with the transition.

 

I switched one bottle every couple of days starting with their morning bottle.

 

We also did the gradual change. One benefit is that is gets them used to drinking cold milk right from the fridge. I replaced one oz of their room temp formula with one oz of cold milk every 2 days until they were just drinking milk. They didn't even notice.

 

We went from warm formula in bottles one day to cold milk in sippies the next, and they never looked back.

 

I did same as "Snittens" above. 3/4 formula 1/4 milk, then 1/2 and 1/2 then 1/4 formula and3/4 milk, over a few weeks.

amanda

 

I just switched one bottle a day to milk (I think it was breakfast) for a few days to make sure no reactions. Then I would only give them milk in the sippy cups to transfer them to the sippies. I had a friend whose little one would only take her milk in a bottle, so I was pretty persistent in trying to convert to sippies with the milk.

 

We switched gradually - one ounce at a time. I think it took about 2 weeks to completely change over. My girls had absolutely no problems with the switch.

 

We switched over gradually.

 

My Ped gave us the ok when i was almost out of formula, so I mixed the formula half and half with the milk till it was gone, and then went straight to milk. We never had any problems. But my girls didn't take warm bottles at all. They had been taking cold formula straight from the fridge since about 8 months. They just drank it better, and it sat better in Brookes Stomach. She would puke even slightly warmed formula up.

 

We switched over from formula in a bottle to milk in cups and they didnt have a problem.. They are still getting formula a few tims a day but other then that its milk and water.

 

Thanks for the input everybody! Update: DH wanted to switch all at once, and he makes the formula, so they got 100% milk in their bottles this morning, and they didn't even seem to notice. The formula pitcher is now back in the cabinet!

We did warm the milk up to the same temp as the formula. But they always take it sort of cool, we just nuke it a bit to take the chill off. I guess we'll gradually cool it off until it's straight from the fridge.

Now I just have to wean myself off those last two bottles (first thing in the morning, and right after daycare) -- I think I'm going to miss them more than the girls will.