Exactly *how* do I wean to cow's milk?

[cristeen]

DS is ff and i've been wanting to wean him to cow's milk for a while now. The problem is that hes not interested. He'll only drink the milk reliably if i stir molasses into it. And hes not interested in drinking out of a toddler cup, but will only drink it out of a grown up (take out) cup w a straw. Which means i have to hold it for him. Hes only interested in dumping sippies and wont drink out of a (no valve) toddler straw cup. I hesitate to put milk into a straw cup w a bite valve because of spoilage/cleaning.

We get farm fresh raw milk that is the best i've ever tasted, but i'm struggling to use it up because he just wont drink it. Anyone have some brilliant weaning advice for me?

[zinemama]

Why not just put the milk in a bottle? (I assume that's what he's drinking the formula in?) When I switched to milk from formula when ds was 1yo, I just warmed it up, like I did the formula, put it in his bottle and gave it to him. He never seemed to notice the difference.

I would stop with the molasses asap.

[cristeen]

He wont drink anything non formula from a bottle at this point. Not BM, not water, not even juice and definitely not cows milk.

The molasses milk is not a regular thing. Its what we drink instead of hot chocolate, and he seems to love it, but its far too much sugar for everyday, particularly several times a day.

[Zimbah]

Are you trying to wean him off the bottle, or do you not mind if he has a bottle as long as it's cows milk not formula?  If you just want to switch to cows milk, how about gradually mixing in cows milk with the formula so he gets used to the flavour without really noticing, and slowly cut down how much formula goes in it.

[Greenlea]

How old is your son?  When does he get the formula bottle - just naps and bedtime or all day?

I agree with a PP about slowly putting the cow's milk into the formula.  That's what we did with my DS.  Also, kids don't need cow's milk.  Once you get him weaned off needing a bottle for naps/sleeping, just dont give cow's milk if he wont drink it.  If your son is also getting formula through the day, you're bigger problem is going to be getting him off the bottle, regardless of what is in it.  

[Jenni1894]

I only FF my DS and I weaned him to cows milk by mixing half milk and hald formula.    The girls I just put the milk right in a bottle since they never got formula. 

ETA that they only got bottles at nap/bed time.  

[mizznicole]

DS has never drank milk.  He only recently, at 3, started liking chocolate milk, due to "peer pressure." :)  He is a yogurt-holic and I am confident he gets enough calcium.