by Kris Mery

Created on: November 17, 2009   Last Updated: November 18, 2009

Most of the advice I have seen about transitioning to whole milk has been aimed at formula fed babies. However, not all babies are on formula. Mine certainly wasn't. Thankfully I knew of a few good sources for breastfeeding moms or I would have had a much harder time with this subject, and its still not easy.

There is a huge difference in taste between "mommy milk" and cow's milk. Apparently a lot of breast fed babies balk at the switch. My daughter was definitely one of them. It doesn't matter what I do, she tells me that its "yucky milk" and refuses to drink it. What to do if you still want your child on milk? Well thankfully I am still able to nurse, but that's not going to last forever (nor hopefully much longer). Well, there is other kinds of milk out there. Goat's milk for instance (and yes we buy whole goat's milk) is a great choice. It is a little sweeter than cow's milk, and more palatable to the breast fed baby's palate. I have noticed a huge improvement in how much I can get my daughter to drink, just by switching to goats milk. I'm not saying it works every time, but its definitely worth a try.

Beyond that there are non animal milk substitutes. I will not recommend soy, but almond and rice milk are supposed to be good too. I would suggest talking to your child's pediatrician before going that route, but it is still something to consider if your child keeps refusing milk. Beyond that, there are ways of getting the fats and calcium needed through food sources as well... Those would also be things to talk to the pediatrician about if whole milk (of any sort) does not work out.

As for the actual transition, I'm still figuring that one out myself. Unlike a bottle fed baby, you can't exactly mix half and half, or just fill the same bottle or sippy up with the new milk. Before milk introduction, sippy cups were for water and the occasional diluted juice here. Milk in a sippy is not the same and just didn't go over well. I try to offer it when she wants to nurse, but she gets upset and just isn't ready to give that up. I offer it at other times and its hit or miss if she takes the milk. Maybe she's just not ready, I don't know... For now we'll just keep trying.

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