When and how should I switch baby from formula or breast milk
to regular milk? Once baby hits age one, his digestive system is able to handle
the proteins in cow's milk, says Janelle Aby, MD, medical director of the Well
Baby Nursery at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. Before that, they
could cause an allergic reaction causing gastrointestinal bleeding.
Baby should have whole milk until age two, since the fat it
contains is important for development. Talk over cow's milk vs. soy and other
milks with baby's doctor, if you're interested in giving them to baby. Some
parents are set on organic milk, but it's not a necessity. "There haven't
been any studies looking at clinical benefits for infants drinking organic milk
as compared with regular milk," says Aby, "so although many people
are willing to spend extra for organic milk, we don't know if it's really
better."
To be honest, the switch is probably less exciting for your
baby than it is for you...no more measuring out scoops of formula or subjecting
your breasts to the pump. Since it isn't as sweet, many babies initially balk
at cow's milk. Start out by mixing one part cow's milk with three parts formula
or breast milk, and then increasing the proportion of cow's milk each day over
the course of a week or more. Chances are, he won't even notice the transition