https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 12 Apr 2026 14:45:39 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909983 Tue, 11 Feb 2020 14:21:04 +0000 BadgerMom 2909983@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@agold: Thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909982 Tue, 11 Feb 2020 13:53:00 +0000 agold 2909982@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BadgerMom: I always do unsweetened But Ripple is a hot commodity in my neighborhood so if I have to, I will pick up "regular" if the unsweetened is out. I never do the vanilla option. When I go for a pea milk run.. I buy every single one that I can at the store. 8 or more at a time, even. Bolthouse also makes pea milk that is very similar. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909969 Tue, 11 Feb 2020 11:29:18 +0000 jennlin821 2909969@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BadgerMom: We eventually moved our whole family on to using Ripple so I by the plain so that it is interchangable in recipes. Can't make mashed potatoes with vanilla milk :grin: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909967 Tue, 11 Feb 2020 11:13:00 +0000 BadgerMom 2909967@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennlin821: From what I can tell, it looks like the "Unsweetened Original" and the "Unsweetened Vanilla" contain zero sugar, but the "Original" and the "Vanilla" do contain sugar. Knowing cows milk contains sugars, I'm not looking to avoid sugar all together, but like you said, I don't want to give her essentially a milk shake. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909962 Tue, 11 Feb 2020 10:34:49 +0000 jennlin821 2909962@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BadgerMom: We started with the Unsweetened Original Ripple. Now that DD is older (3) I don't care as much about the sugar, so sometimes I get the Original - it usually depends on what is in stock!<br /> I would not get the vanilla for your child - no need to feed into a sweet tooth :). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909959 Tue, 11 Feb 2020 10:13:19 +0000 BadgerMom 2909959@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennlin821: @agold: Which Ripple do you use. We’re not sure if DD has a mild dairy intolerance or not so I’d rather not bombard her system with cows milk but I wasn’t sure whether to pick the regular unsweetened or vanilla unsweetened variety of Ripple. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909954 Tue, 11 Feb 2020 09:19:02 +0000 jhd 2909954@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: my almost two year old just started asking for milk this past week when we tried it in a thermos. Apparently he likes it really cold. He’s never cared about it before now. Like you we just do other dairy and plenty of water. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909950 Tue, 11 Feb 2020 01:40:06 +0000 bhbee 2909950@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jhd: agree - neither of my older kids would take cow milk while nursing, even past age 1. Oldest learned to like it about 6 months after weaning (so just had water and other dairy in between and never drank that much). Middle still won’t touch cow milk at 5!<br /> I hope the whole transition back to work goes smoothly! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909949 Mon, 10 Feb 2020 23:48:51 +0000 jhd 2909949@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSRS: +1 to this. I think it would be much more beneficial to make sure LO is comfortable taking as much solid food as possible and work on learning to drink water in whatever kind of cup you prefer. Not to say don’t do milk, just don’t stress if he doesn’t like it right away! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909943 Mon, 10 Feb 2020 21:24:33 +0000 Mama Bird 2909943@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At that age I was giving DD a little formula in a sippy to go with her meals. Around 11 months I started mixing in more and more cow milk. The only thing is, we had to make sure she's not having cow milk with every meal - it can be constipating, so you need to offer water or other fluids too.</p> <p>Oh, and I always warm up the milk if we're home. It just tastes better that way. Especially, for some reason, if it's warmed on the stove and not microwaved (not sure what's up with that, but there's a definite difference!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909939 Mon, 10 Feb 2020 20:46:43 +0000 ALV91711 2909939@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS1 started a bit of cows milk at that age. I gave it to him in a sippy cold with an afternoon snack. He had no problems. </p> <p>DS2 is 17 months and hates cow milk. Warm/cold it doesn’t matter. He will take a sip and throw the cup. He is still nursing. At daycare he drinks water and I send yogurt:cheese or both for his snack. </p> <p>I would try it but not stress too much. If you are still nursing and they are staying hydrated in the day you should be fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909925 Mon, 10 Feb 2020 18:11:16 +0000 agold 2909925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I second the suggestion for plant based milk. I also use Ripple or Bolthouse pea milk. I would not put a child under the age of one on cows milk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909917 Mon, 10 Feb 2020 16:03:08 +0000 Sams Mom 2909917@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I switched my son 100% to whole cows milk at 10 1/2 months when he self weaned. I have it to him warmed in a bottle for a couple weeks, then he lost interest, so I put it in a miracle 360° cup and never looked back. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909916 Mon, 10 Feb 2020 15:45:08 +0000 jennlin821 2909916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PurplePumps: <a href="https://www.forksoverknives.com/7-ways-milk-and-dairy-products-are-making-you-sick/#gs.wlka3t" rel="nofollow">https://www.forksoverknives.com/7-ways-milk-and-dairy-products-are-making-you-sick/#gs.wlka3t</a></p> <p>Here is a good article that summarizes this issues succinctly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909915 Mon, 10 Feb 2020 14:46:29 +0000 crazydoglady 2909915@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>U.S. guidelines are to wait until 12 months, but I pretty much started mixing bm and cwm gradually between 11 and 12 months (so that I could talk about a possible allergy at their 1 year appt.) It went something like this:<br /> Week 1: 75% bm, 25% wcm<br /> Week 2: 50% bm, 50% wcm<br /> Week 3: 25%bm, 75% wcm<br /> Week 4: 100% wcm</p> <p>Just be warned that their diapers can be really gnarly for a while after switching. Like so much mushy gross poop multiple times a day. It doesn't necessarily indicate an allergy. My daughter had that for 2-3 weeks until her body got used to it.<br /> Some people do recommend goat's milk since it's closer in composition to bm. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909914 Mon, 10 Feb 2020 14:40:15 +0000 MrsSCB 2909914@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With my first, I started mixing with breastmilk for daycare bottles between 11 and 12 months. Then switched to sippies with just whole milk. I never warmed it, and he didn’t care. It was a pretty easy transition! After one, he’d have milk a couple times a day. AAP recommends two servings a day, totaling 16 to 24 oz. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909910 Mon, 10 Feb 2020 14:26:42 +0000 PurplePumps 2909910@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennlin821: what's wrong with cow milk? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909908 Mon, 10 Feb 2020 14:11:03 +0000 MrsSRS 2909908@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd work on switching to mostly solids plus water during the hours you know you'll be working. And some milk, cold and in a sippy, if you like. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909892 Mon, 10 Feb 2020 11:10:34 +0000 jennlin821 2909892@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started by adding plant-milk to her breastmilk bottles. If the bottle was 4oz, I started with 3oz breastmilk and 1oz Ripple. Then after a week or two, I just kept upping the Ripple and lowering the breastmilk, till it was 100% plant milk. I kept the bottle and warmth that same. </p> <p>As a side note, I would encourage you to not use cows milk. I would either use a plant-milk or just wean without adding in cows milk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909889 Mon, 10 Feb 2020 10:57:37 +0000 graceandjoy 2909889@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My first weaned from breastmilk at @ 9 months, so I weaned formula at exactly 12 months and just changed to warmed cows milk in straw cup cold turkey style. She transitioned no problem and had her AM/PM milk till probably at least 3. </p> <p>My 2nd did not care for cows milk at all and just nurses till 2.5. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-cows-milk-1#post-2909888 Mon, 10 Feb 2020 10:36:45 +0000 Umbreon 2909888@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I go back to work in less than 2 months. My doctor said it's okay for baby to drink cow's milk when I'm at work. I will continue to breastfeed when I'm home. She said there is no problem offering it now, he would be able digest it. But obviously breastfeeding is more beneficial at this point for nutrition. </p> <p>Baby is just over 10 months old. When should I start offering cow's milk to get him used to it? How much should I offer? Do I offer it cold? Do I warm it up?</p> <p>I go back to work at the beginning of April.</p> <p>Thanks! </p>