Formula to milk transition...milk in bottle?? Please help me!

boshi799

Hi everyone - My babies (twins) will be one next week. I am starting to stress over the transition from formula to milk and bottle to sippy. I honestly just don't know what to do. Two specific questions I have:

1. Did you start by putting regular milk into a bottle and that is the first transition and then later worry about giving up the bottle? I think I feel more comfortable with this than going cold turkey on bottles and formula all at once.

2. They do take regular milk out of a sippy during meals (just started a couple of days ago - used to give water). But in order for them to drink from the sippy, I have to fill it to the very top. So by the time they are done with their meal, they have drank 1/4 of the sippy but there is a ton of milk in there. Can I put this in the fridge for the next day? I feel like I will be wasting so much milk if not, but I don't know how long I can save a sippy they have drank out of.

Thanks so much!

azaretsky

boshi799:

1. Did you start by putting regular milk into a bottle and that is the first transition and then later worry about giving up the bottle? I think I feel more comfortable with this than going cold turkey on bottles and formula all at once.

Yes, we just gave him a bottle of milk the day after he turned 1 and pedi said to go for it. Thankfully, he took right to it, and we never looked back on formula. Grated, we kept a couple of boxes, just in a case, but after about 2-3 weeks, I gave those away.

We're working on the bottle to sippy transition right now, and to tell you the truth, it's not going so well. He drinks water out of a sippy (and a regular cup, actually) no problem - but he won't take milk out of anything but the bottle. I think the last thing I have to do is to just take away the bottle completely and quit cold turkey, but he's a very picky eater, so I'm trying to balance my desire to switch him to a sippy with my desire to have him consume the calories from milk.

2. They do take regular milk out of a sippy during meals (just started a couple of days ago - used to give water). But in order for them to drink from the sippy, I have to fill it to the very top. So by the time they are done with their meal, they have drank 1/4 of the sippy but there is a ton of milk in there. Can I put this in the fridge for the next day? I feel like I will be wasting so much milk if not, but I don't know how long I can save a sippy they have drank out of.

 Yes, I think you can absolutely put whatever remains in the cup to the fridge - or at least we do that whenever DS doesn't finish it. And as your LOs will get more familiar with the sippies, they'll start tipping it more to get the rest of the liquid out.

Thanks so much!

boshi799

So, so helpful. Thank you!!!

DanielleEaton84

1. We started mixing very slowing by doing 6 oz of BM and 2 oz of whole milk.  We made another 2 oz adjustment every week.  DS refuses to drink milk from a sippy but will drink water or juice from one, so we're still working on that transition.

2. We put any leftover milk back in the fridge for later use in the same day.  I toss any leftover milk at night.

JenF910

We dropped the bottle cold turkey and went straight to milk in the sippy at 12 months. We didn't want her associating milk with the bottle and having to break her of that seperately. We figured out of sight out of mind and boxed the bottles up so we wouldn't give in. The Pedi said if she didn't drink much milk for a few days it was ok as long as she was drinking water and eating calcium rich foods (which wasn't a prob cause she loves yogurt and cheese). After a few days she was drinking milk fine from the sippy.

jillianfries

I mixed the formula and milk in a bottle. Then I started switching formula mixed bottles with just milk bottles. After he got used to drinking the milk I started giving it in sippys only. He still gets one bottle in the morning though. 

We give him milk in a sippy during meals. I put the leftovers in the fridge. I just make sure I use it in a reasonable amount of time. 

MaliaMouse

We were going to attempt to never put milk in the bottle, but I did a bad thing and associated bottle with bed.... (early morning wake up, naps, bed time)  so I am facing weaning from the bottle AND changing sleeping patterns all at once.  I decided to use up the formula I have left and then start putting milk in the bottles until he begins to eat more food and drink more milk at meal times... then I will slowly reduce the amount in his bottles and hope that he can wean easier.  

As far as milk at meal times, we fill the straw cup in the morning and then put it back in the fridge after each meal. I dump what ever wasn't drunk after he goes to bed.  He is only drinking about 6 oz of milk total a day. 

LawLove08

boshi799:

1. Did you start by putting regular milk into a bottle and that is the first transition and then later worry about giving up the bottle??I think I feel more comfortable with this than going cold turkey on bottles and formula all at once.

Yes, we put the milk in a bottle first, and then later worried about transitioning from bottle to sippy around 15 months. ?We dropped all bottles except the morning and night bottle. ?I worried about the transition off the bottle, but DS did great giving them up around 15 months, but I think it would have been a disaster at 12 mo.?

2. They do take regular milk out of a sippy during meals (just started a couple of days ago - used to give water). But in order for them to drink from the sippy, I have to fill it to the very top. So by the time they are done with their meal, they have drank 1/4 of the sippy but there is a ton of milk in there. Can I put this in the fridge for the next day? I feel like I will be wasting so much milk if not, but I don't know how long I can save a sippy they have drank out of.

?Yes, you can put the leftovers in the frig.?