[dolfinluvr]

I have FF DD from 3mo. on...she is a healthy, well adjusted child. She didn't "enjoy" co-sleeping so she does sleep in her own crib in her own room. She does still wake once, most nights, for a bottle of formula.

In a few weeks we will have to make the adjustment to weaning off formula and introducing whole milk. My question is...what are other FF Mama's doing for that night time bottle? Are you still giving milk for this bottle? Are you replacing it with something else or trying to wean them from this bottle entirely? I hate the thought of her not getting anything...

Also, do we just not give them whole milk in the same increments (6-8 bottles a day) as we did FF? What a switch this is gonna be!!!

 

[loving-my-babies]

I ff my dd from the time she was 3 months (she's now 3 1/2) but I did not wean her from the bottle until about 2 1/2. I think they still have a need to suck and since they don't get that with nursing, it's important that they get it from something else. I also fed her at night (a bottle) until she stopped on her own (after 2), and now at 3 1/2 she still has (now a cup) of milk before bedtime.

 

[stafl]

Most of the formula feeding mamas I know continued to give their children formula as long as they were still taking bottles. I think they introduced sippy cups with milk in them, but bottles still had formula. As their babies transitioned to cups from the bottles, they were also transitioning to a different milk. I think a drastic cold-turkey approach wouldn't work so well, but I also have absolutely no experience either, since my DD quit taking any formula around 2 months when I finally got enough milk supply to cover all her supplements, and she's been breastfed ever since. good luck!

 

[LizD]

My friend's 18mo drinks from a cup all the time now except at bedtime when he has a bottle cuddled up in her arms. She intends to do this with him as long as he wishes, since if she had bf him he would probably still be nursing. He uses a pacifier often during the day, too. I believe since he was one year he has been on whole cow's milk. I know someone else who uses that organic brand of toddler formula.

 

[LizD]

Also, I think Dr Spock's book has some practical tips on switching from formula to milk, suggestions for the number of bottles, emphasis shifting to solid food, etc.

 

[dolfinluvr]

I definitely do plan and believe in continuing her night time bottle. I almost look forward to it since she is so quiet and peaceful during this time.

Plus, if I were still nursing, right, I would certainly be nursing her whenever.

I was just curious as to what other FF Mama's were putting IN those bottles at night. I do plan on a slow, gradual switch to cow's milk but I am on WIC for assistance with formula, milk, cereal, eggs and cheese. I don't think we could afford to continue formula at the same rate she is drinking it now if we can't get it from WIC.

 

[loving-my-babies]

mmh, what about rice/almond milks? I have heard good things (better things) about these milks compared to cow's milk.

 

[lnitti]

I need help with this one too. DD is FF and is 9 months. What is the best thing to do at 1 year? Should I continue with formula or switch to milk? I don't think you should give milk in a bottle at night time -doesn't that contribute to dental carries? I would never leave her with it, I would cuddle with her when I give her the bedtime and the middle of the night bottle (assuming she still wakes for one).

DD still drinks alot of formula Will she require that same amount of milk? She drinks about 30 ounces a day (depending on the day) I can't see forcing her to eat more solids just to try to require less milk/formula by a year.

I've also considered the fact that I don't want her to "love" cows milk either because I personally don't think it is the healthiest thing in the world. I will not give her soy milk. I don't think they can have almond milk because it comes from a nut. So I've been thinking about rice milk. But I'm just not sure if rice milk contains the amount of fats toddlers need. She would have whole milk if giving her cows milk.

 

[Elphaba]

...

 

[AugustLia23]

My son is only 8 months old, so we're not even close to weaning yet, but just a note for those thinking about not using cows milk, make sure whatever milk you decide to use has enough fat for your baby. I use to baby sit for an 18 month old boy who was switched to soy milk instead of cows milk at 1 year and didn't get nearly enough fat from his food. His stomach was distended like he lived in a 3rd world country and was not being fed enough. I would recommend switching to whole fat cows milk, esp. if the formula you use is cow's milk based formula.

 

[LongLiveLife]

DD #1 was BF until 8 months and then FF until... I don't remember! She weaned when she was ready, sometime around her 2nd birthday I think. After a while we switched from formula to a few different concoctions... the idea of giving her cows milk really bothered me, especially since she already ate yougurt and cheese. She continued to have a night time bottle of water throughout the process. I felt so awful for weaning her from the breast that I decided she could keep her baba until she was 5, if she felt like it (I'm glad she didn't feel like it). Just MO, I wouldn't wean at one year just because the books present that as the landmark age. There are no landmarks in childhood.

 

[sarahmae1]

My older ds was ff'd from about 6mos. to about 14mos. and at that time he also weaned off of the bottle and just used sippy cups. I wanted to let you all know that if you do wean to whole cow's milk at around 1yr. that you will need to limit it to 24oz. or less per day from ages 1-3yrs.. So if your little one drinks more formula than that, you may need to keep them on formula a little while longer. Also, your baby should be eating a variety of foods before making the transistion as well. If they drink more than 24oz. per day (of cow's milk) they are at risk for anemia, and actually 16-20oz. of milk per day is plenty. Just an FYI, and HTH.

 

[lnitti]

ok, if I keep dd on formula past 1 year, do I need to switch to a toddler version (i.e. Enfamil Next Step or Similac 2) or do I keep using the 0-12 month formula? I can only find the toddler ones in the powder you mix, but dd can't keep the powdered stuff down and needs ready to use stuff.

 

[tarahsolazy]

You can continue to use the infant version, the toddler versions generally have more calcium and iron than the infant, but the calories per ounce and fat/protein/carb counts are similar. To ensure good calcium and iron levels, you can just focus on adding foods to her diet, like cheese/yogurt, leafy greens, beans, meat if you do that, etc.

 

[USAmma]

Abi was ff from 6 mos on. I switched her to milk at 1 year but shortly after that we went to India. She couldn't tolerate the Indian cows milk for some reason, so she was back on formula until we got home when she was 15 mos. She was not taking much solids at that age yet so actually formula was a good idea.

I night-weaned her at about 4 mos. old, with the exception of being sick or having growth spurts. I gave her water in bottles at night.

Abi self-weaned from bottles at 17 mos. old but still to this day needs to suck on a sippy cup of milk 1-2 times a day for comfort. I think if she had nursed she would still be nursing! I believe in self-weaning from bottle or breast.

BTW Nitara is almost 100% on babyformula through her tube. She takes very little solid food (maybe a few cheerios or corn puffs). I know of many tube fed babies who are 15-18 mos old and still thriving on baby formula alone. They mix it to a higher concentration for them. Nitara gets 3 scoops per 5 oz. of water, and she gets about 30 oz. a day of this.

Darshani