https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 14 Apr 2026 05:09:55 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665779 Thu, 15 Dec 2016 12:41:09 +0000 caterw 2665779@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsog: I did the same- started slightly before 1 year and mixed breast milk and WCM. I also increased DD's solids so she was meeting her calorie needs. My daughter took the WCM just fine but I also know some kids who were sensitive to it at first. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665498 Wed, 14 Dec 2016 18:23:28 +0000 Charm54 2665498@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>9 months which is the rec here in Canada </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665396 Wed, 14 Dec 2016 14:46:41 +0000 littlebug 2665396@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BabyTsMom: That's what I was thinking about doing - starting with 1:4 ratio and hopefully keeping that going as long as I can. </p> <p>@Mrsbells: It wouldn't be a substitute, just a supplement. She'd still continue getting breastmilk in her bottles, plus breastfeeding first thing in the morning and at bedtime, and breastfeeding on the weekends or whenever I'm with her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665389 Wed, 14 Dec 2016 14:37:25 +0000 Mama Bird 2665389@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Around 11 months. That's when I ran out of my milk stash, and E wasn't a big fan of formula. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665372 Wed, 14 Dec 2016 14:13:54 +0000 Mrsbells 2665372@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlebug: we supplemented with formula and then introduced almond milk once she turned 1. cows milk or any equivalent isnt a substitute for formula/breastmilk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665300 Wed, 14 Dec 2016 11:43:04 +0000 snowjewelz 2665300@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We switched at 12 months and she rarely has issues! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665160 Wed, 14 Dec 2016 06:27:54 +0000 brownepiano 2665160@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ds1 loved nursing strikes and at 10 months started another one so I just switched then. He didn't have a bad reaction though and was already eating a lot of food. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665157 Wed, 14 Dec 2016 06:23:04 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2665157@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Up here they say nine months.<br /> DD2 had it around ten months when she weaned. DD3 has gotten some because her big sisters share.<br /> We haven't had any tummy troubles. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665141 Wed, 14 Dec 2016 00:41:56 +0000 BabyTsMom 2665141@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Around 11 months I started mixing formula with WCM, starting with about 1/4 WCM to 3/4 formula. I gradually increased the WCM and by 12-13 months it was all WCM. </p> <p>I think starting at 11 months is totally fine. I would skip the formula. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665128 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 23:59:21 +0000 LilSprinkles 2665128@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>After DS turned a year and I burned through the leftover breast milk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665112 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 23:21:35 +0000 Woolly Mammoth 2665112@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a rule follower, so when my first LO was that age I probably would have done formula for the last month before his birthday. </p> <p>However, the recommendation in Canada is that you can start small amounts (I think it's under 500 ml) of whole milk at nine months. Knowing that, I would probably go straight to whole milk for my next baby if I was in your situation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665097 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 21:57:43 +0000 FannyMae 2665097@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've just given DD cows milk at almost 13 months, she has been breastfed up until this point. *edit* sorry forgot to add - i've given her basically one drink per day, after lunch rather than as a replacement. </p> <p>that kelly mom article is pretty good! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665096 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 21:55:49 +0000 Portboston 2665096@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started supplementing around 11 months. Mixed WCM with frozen breast milk because I developed thrush in one breast. We ended up transitioning to goats milk after 1 because he couldn't do all cows milk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665090 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 21:29:54 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2665090@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You can start at 9 months with WCM, as per the guidelines in Canada. We started around 11 months with DS. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665085 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 21:25:15 +0000 MrsSRS 2665085@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it depends on how you plan to transition. One of my children was eating enough solids by 11 months, and drinking enough water, that the milk was just a good place to get the required amounts of fat in the diet so swapping nursing for cow's milk would have been fine. My other child still got the bulk of nutrition from nursing at 11 months, so swapping that for cow's milk would have been insufficient. Does that make sense? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665057 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 19:55:28 +0000 peachykeen 2665057@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did half whole milk, half breastmilk at 11.5 months and DD did fine. I would be hesitant to start before 11 months, but as long as it's 50% or less I wouldn't worry about 11 months. DD always ate solids very well so we weren't too concerned about missing nutrition. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665045 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 19:39:58 +0000 DesertDreams88 2665045@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm basically in the same boat over here at 10.5 months, and did some googling and found this very interesting...<br /> <a href="http://kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/milk-supplements/" rel="nofollow">http://kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/milk-supplements/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2665043 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 19:39:00 +0000 Mrs. Goose 2665043@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>11 months we added it in because I had dropped down to just mostly morning and evening breastfeeding. She was already eating yoghurt and cheese for months before that though and I never saw any negative digestive changes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2664990 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 17:20:43 +0000 PawPrints 2664990@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I waited until after she turned 1, but I think you should be fine to go ahead. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2664979 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 17:11:51 +0000 dolphin 2664979@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>11 months is fine. We did that with DD1. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2664976 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 17:10:28 +0000 kiddosc 2664976@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm in the exact same boat. A is EBF, turns 1 in February, drinks 12 oz a day, and I'm pumping 7-8/day. My saving grace is that she isn't super interested in bottles and I get a few oz back some days. I'll just transition when I can't keep up and see how it goes. If she reacts poorly, then I'll consider other options. My best friend transitioned at 11m because she was out of formula and didn't want to buy more. Maybe start a vitamin when you transition. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2664919 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:40:35 +0000 youboots 2664919@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started her on WCM at 11 mo she was totally weaned within a week of her first birthday </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2664917 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:38:20 +0000 cat620 2664917@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started I think around 13 months with my youngest son. He was formula fed, so I wanted to use up all our formula first. </p> <p>My oldest son was breastfed, but he never transitioned to milk. I breastfed him until he was about 18 months old, and he refused milk after that. Doctor said it was fine, as long as he got calcium from other sources. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2664916 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:38:07 +0000 gingerbebe 2664916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlebug: we tried transitioning at 11.5 months but DS got an awful rash so we did toddler formula for one month and tried again at 13 months and he transitioned just fine. We were off bottles at that point and just doing straw cups of formula anyway so it wasn't a big deal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2664913 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:36:44 +0000 shabang 2664913@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I asked my doctor about starting before 12 months, and she was adamant that we wait because whole milk is not as nutritious. I'm in your boat bc it's so hard as it gets close, and I really don't want to transition to formula then to milk within a month. </p> <p>Friends have started whole milk as early as 11 months, and their kids are obviously fine, so like anything else, you do what you can and don't let yourself feel guilty for it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2664911 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:34:43 +0000 mrsog 2664911@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started at 11 months but mixed it with the breast milk. so say the first week was 25% wcm/75% part bm. the next week was half and half. week 3 was 25% bm/75% wcm and then right as he was turning a year it was all wcm. He was also getting yogurt and cheese a lot before then so I knew dairy wasn't going to be an issue. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2664906 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:29:21 +0000 Emsmems 2664906@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had the same problem but asked the lactation consultant and she strongly advised against starting milk before 12 months. She said even at 12 months it's a guess if they'll be able to digest it (which is why you wait). I just tried to feed as much as I could on my days off to stimulate production and LO was eating more and more solids so we made it through. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2664905 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:29:19 +0000 mamainthesun 2664905@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started at 1. But I think a little earlier would not have been a problem! Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2664903 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:27:59 +0000 psw27 2664903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think 11 months is totally fine to start giving a bottle or two of cow milk (or whatever your plan is.) I am pretty sure we started giving cow milk around then without any issues! LO never even batted at eye at the different tastes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-to-transition-to-whole-milk-or-whatever-milk-alternative#post-2664888 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:13:45 +0000 littlebug 2664888@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A will be 1 in February and has been EBF since birth. In the past 3 months, my supply has taken a major dip, and seems to just keep dropping as time marches on. Pumping is becoming increasingly ineffective and I'm just producing less and less. I'm now unable to keep up with her daily needs for daycare bottles (which is 12oz/day), and tapping into my frozen stash for 2-4oz/day. I MIGHT have enough in my stash to get us through till she hits 11m in January. That's a big might, though. </p> <p>I'm thinking if I can get us through on pumping and my frozen stash, I can start supplementing with WCM starting at 11m, but I'm worried that 11m is too early?</p> <p>I'm not opposed to formula for any reason other than I don't want to shell out the money for it after all this time. But I'll do it if necessary! </p>