When did you stop using formula/breast milk as a meal?

Did you wean from breast milk and then go to formula?

When you say you went from BM to cow's milk, do you mean that you give the cows milk as a drink, or do you give them a big 'ole cup of it like a semi-meal??

Also, do you/did you give BM or formula in a sippy cup?

Do you give diluted juice at a certain age?


Basically, when does the formula/BM end? I don't mean comfort morning and night nursing, I mean like using it as a meal. Once babies are on mostly solids, they just need liquid to quench their thirst, right? I mean, do you get what I am trying to say?

I am like the only person that finds all this feeding business confusing. I seem to always over think it.

[greeneyes]

When did you stop using formula/breast milk as a meal?

Somewhere between nine and ten months Violet started showing a preference to eating food for a meal over drinking milk.

Did you wean from breast milk and then go to formula?

If baby is over a year, you can wean straight from breast milk to cow's milk. Under a year and you'll need to use formula instead. Remember you don't need to wean unless you or baby want to.

When you say you went from BM to cow's milk, do you mean that you give the cows milk as a drink, or do you give them a big 'ole cup of it like a semi-meal??

By the time you are giving baby cow's milk (over a year), baby should be eating food for the majority of his nutrition, so you wouldn't be giving cow's milk as a complete meal unto itself.

Also, do you/did you give BM or formula in a sippy cup?

Yep. What I've done is made a 6 oz sippy with 4 oz of breast milk or formula and 2 oz of cow's milk. I'll do that for a day or two then go to 2 oz breast milk or formula and 4 oz of cow's milk. Then a few days later all 6 oz of cow's milk. It helps baby transition not only with the taste, but the temperature as well as most babies aren't used to drinking cold milk. Also, their tummy needs a bit of time learning to digest the more complex proteins in cow's milk.

Do you give diluted juice at a certain age?

Neither of my kids drink any juice, period. Violet only has milk and Lily only has milk or water. They don't know any different and they've been just fine.

Basically, when does the formula/BM end? I don't mean comfort morning and night nursing, I mean like using it as a meal. Once babies are on mostly solids, they just need liquid to quench their thirst, right? I mean, do you get what I am trying to say?

I am like the only person that finds all this feeding business confusing. I seem to always over think it.

Jack will let you know, honestly. It's not something that happens over night, by a certain age, or a switch flips, it's just a gradual progression.

THANK YOU Kate!

[Frozendesire]

Ya, what Kate said!!!

Also don't start juice if you don't want to have that in their diet. I started it with Curtis and now he wont drink just regular water. I try to disguise it in a healthier way (a touch of lemon or cucumber or something like that)... but it's a PAIN. So ya, just letting you know haha. With that said... I think the baby pear juice he takes does help with his digestive system... but there are of course other ways to help that.

But ya, ditto Kate!

[SandKmommy]

When did you stop using formula/breast milk as a meal? When Seamus was about 9-10mo it stopped being a main meal and became part of the meal. Kieran is 9.5mo now and its still her main meal, she gets other foods sometimes but shes a grazer and what she eats food wise wouldn't be considered a meal so her meals are still bm

Did you wean from breast milk and then go to formula? no, Seamus started whole milk at 11mo (his weight stayed the same from 4mo-11mo and the doc suggested it), and I won't ween to formula with Kieran either

When you say you went from BM to cow's milk, do you mean that you give the cows milk as a drink, or do you give them a big 'ole cup of it like a semi-meal?? As a drink. I would give it to Seamus in a sippy cup with meals at first then I offered it to him through out the days as he got older (he now will only drink 8oz a day, sometimes more but he tells me milk is "bleh" and sticks out his tongue )

Also, do you/did you give BM or formula in a sippy cup? Nope, I don't usually pump when my kids are older. I did recently when Kieran was sick and have about 30oz in the freezer not sure if it will get used though. I know my brother and SIL give my nephew his formula in a sippy though

Do you give diluted juice at a certain age? Seamus is a "special" case with juice, he couldn't poo, so they started him on straight pear juice 1oz at 2mo old to see if that would work it didn't so we stopped and at 6mo we started juice(guidelines on that have changed in the last 3-4yrs) cause thats when WIC and our pedi said it was time for it and I'd put 1-2oz of juice in a sippy and 4-6oz of water. Seamus still gets it watered down he still gets 1-2oz of juice and 6oz of water mixed.
Kieran doesn't get juice I wont let her have it

Sorry I don't have time to address all your Qs but will post my experience with Kirsty which will prob answer the Qs in turn!!

I weaned breast to bottled formula at 6.5months but that was our choice - you can BF as long as you are comfortable doing so!

When Kirsty was on 3 solids meals per day of a good quantity, I moved her to having milk alongside her breakfast, solids lunch with water to drink, milk before afternoon nap (so like a snack really), then solids dinner with water to drink, and last a BIG milk drink before bed. Prior to that we did milk an hour before solids.

We started the transition to cow's milk last week. Currently she is on 6oz cow's milk in a cup for breakfast, she drinks it alongside her toast/cereal, she has 3oz formula before her nap (this will be cow's milk at the end of the week), and 9oz formula before bed (this will be cow's milk when my tub of forumla is finish, prob end next week).

[LisanAndy]

When did you stop using formula/breast milk as a meal?With Taylor is was at 12 months and it'll be the same this time

Did you wean from breast milk and then go to formula? Taylor never had BM but Rylie was EBF for 5 months and then I weaned her to formula

When you say you went from BM to cow's milk, do you mean that you give the cows milk as a drink, or do you give them a big 'ole cup of it like a semi-meal?? Rylie and Taylor started having drinks of milk at breakfast or dinner when they were around 10 months old but not for a semi meal.

Also, do you/did you give BM or formula in a sippy cup? No, only juice, water, and milk.

Do you give diluted juice at a certain age? Even thought I buy Gerber baby juice I still dilute it for Rylie. I stopped diluting it for Taylor about 3 months before she turned 2. She has a VERY sensitive tummy.


Basically, when does the formula/BM end? I don't mean comfort morning and night nursing, I mean like using it as a meal. Once babies are on mostly solids, they just need liquid to quench their thirst, right? I mean, do you get what I am trying to say? Both my girls naturally went that way. They quit being interested in the bottle and wanted mainly solids. Rylie's almost 10 months and only has 2 bottles a day and won't even finish them!

[Angelaosaurus-rex]

When did you stop using formula/breast milk as a meal? Not to sure but I think 10-11ish months

Did you wean from breast milk and then go to formula? nope still a booby baby

When you say you went from BM to cow's milk, do you mean that you give the cows milk as a drink, or do you give them a big 'ole cup of it like a semi-meal?? I give Landen small amounts of cows milk as a drink... he never drink it but I still try daily.

Also, do you/did you give BM or formula in a sippy cup? No

Do you give diluted juice at a certain age? Nope, I want him to jut have milk and water for now.

[Mars]

Basically what Kate said although I'm now at the stage of transitioning to whole milk. I tried Amara with it yesterday and she took it but from the bottle, not the sippy so we'll work on the transition to the sippy now. I warm the milk first.

I will still breastfeed her in the morning and evening but I don't want the evening breast to be associated with bedtime so we will do it with dinner if she wants but not before bedtime.

I've never given her juice but I found out a few weeks ago that my MIL was giving her diliuted juice even though I told her from the start that I didn't want her to be getting juice. So I reiterated my point and told her that she is not to have juice at this point and when I'm ready for her to have juice, I will let her know.

[~*Bethy*~]

When did you stop using formula/breast milk as a meal? When they are more interested in food, and basically is using BM/fomula as a drink, or a dessert.

Did you wean from breast milk and then go to formula? No I formula fed

When you say you went from BM to cow's milk, do you mean that you give the cows milk as a drink, or do you give them a big 'ole cup of it like a semi-meal?? No I always gave milk in small oz at a time, it was there while they play'ed during meals. Then with the meal I would offer formula until they asked for the sippy instead

Also, do you/did you give BM or formula in a sippy cup? NO!! Too much confusion while trying to wean.

Do you give diluted juice at a certain age? I started at about 6 months with Ian, and about a year old with Morgan


Basically, when does the formula/BM end? I don't mean comfort morning and night nursing, I mean like using it as a meal. Once babies are on mostly solids, they just need liquid to quench their thirst, right? I mean, do you get what I am trying to say?

Pretty much, if they are wanting a sippy cup, I wouldn't offer the BM/Formula in a bottle. Ian was pretty much weaned off the bottle at 10 months. Even when Morgan was born a few months later, he REFUSED to put the bottle in his mouth. He knew it was for the baby!