One of the commitments that come on our way with a baby is feeding him the best food to match his nutritional needs. For the first six months of their life, breastmilk or baby formula will be the only food they will eat. But you will have to continue breastfeeding or formula feeding even after they start eating solid to back up their nutrition requirements.
Despite your baby is breastfed or formula-fed, you will be waiting for the day that you can switch your baby to regular cow’s milk that we drink. Breastfeeding is a huge responsibility and a lot of works for a mother and baby formula costs a fortune every month. So the parent’s urge to feed their baby with regular milk is quite understandable.
When can you start giving your baby cow’s milk? When is it too early and why? I will explain the answers to these questions in this article as well as the tips and tricks to make the transition smooth and what to expect after the transition.
CONTENT
1. When can I give regular milk to my baby?
2. Why should you wait for 12 months to give your baby regular milk?
3. What to expect after switching to regular cow’s milk?
4. How to make the transition from breastmilk/baby formula to regular milk smooth?
5. Is it ok to give my baby other types of milk after 12 months?
1. When can I give regular milk to my baby?
In short, your baby can start drinking cow’s milk after his first birthday instead of being breastfed or formula-fed. You have to make sure you are giving him whole milk which is rich in fat not skimmed or low fat. For the first two years of a baby’s life, his brain is passing a critical development phase that needs more fat. Milk with fat can ensure that the baby meets the daily nutritional needs efficiently. If there is a family history of heart diseases or obesity, please consult your pediatrician before giving cow’s milk to your baby.
2. Why should you wait for 12 months to give your baby regular milk?
Breastmilk and baby formula is rich in iron, Vitamin C, and many other nutrients needed for the development of a baby. Cow’s milk cannot substitute the nutritional composition of the breastmilk or baby formula. So does not matter how intense your urge is to switch your baby to cow’s milk, you will have to wait until the baby is one year old.
Babies are ready to eat solid foods by the age of six months. But they will not eat a considerable amount of solid food at least until they are one year old. A baby can cover up for the nutrients missing from breastmilk or baby formula when he is old enough to eat a well-balanced diet including vegetables, fruits, and grains. Therefore it is important to wait until the baby is one and capable of fulfilling his nutritional needs through solid food.
There are potential health risks of switching your baby to cow’s milk early. Cow’s milk has too much protein than your baby’s immature kidneys and the digestive system can handle. Babies who started drinking regular milk early as a replacement for breastmilk or baby formula can experience health conditions such as anemia, gastrointestinal distress, or other deficiencies.
3. What to expect after switching to regular cow’s milk?
Although very uncommon, lactose sensitivity will show up for the first time when your baby is twelve months or older. You might have introduced dairy to your baby after six months in the form of yogurt or cheese without an allergic reaction. But your baby can show symptoms of an allergy to cow’s milk if his lactose sensitivity shows up late as mentioned above.
So it is safe to look for signs of an allergy during the first days when your baby is introduced to cow’s milk. The symptoms can be.
- irritability
- excess gas
- diarrhea
- vomiting
- skin rashes
One of the noticeable changes that happen after the transition to cow’s milk from formula or breastmilk is in the poop of your baby. The color and the consistency of baby poop will change once the baby is introduced to cow’s milk. Poop can become hard or loose and your baby might experience difficulty in pooping. But these changes are temporary and non-harmful.
If the changes in the bowel moments and the frequency is concerning you, please consult your pediatrician immediately.

4. How to make the transition from breastmilk/baby formula to regular milk smooth?
Your baby has been drinking the milk of the same taste and temperature for a year now and he will easily notice the change when he is offered cow’s milk at once. Most of the babies take time to get used to cow’s milk but there are some tips to make this transition smooth and fast.
You can mix breastmilk/baby formula with cow’s milk to make the taste familiar to the baby. Start with a higher proportion of breastmilk or baby formula mixed with cow’s milk and reduce the amount gradually until your baby is drinking pure cow’s milk.
Both baby formula and breastmilk are different in temperature compared to cow’s milk. A baby who is used to warm milk will not prefer to drink cold milk which tastes differently. So you will have to heat up cow’s milk at least until he gets used to the taste of cow’s milk.
Cow’s milk looks the same as baby formula or breastmilk but it does not taste the same. The babies will be confused by the difference. You can start offering cow’s milk in a sippy cup that is new to them so they will realize cow’s milk is not the same as what he was used to drinking before. This is also a great opportunity for you to wean your baby from the feeding bottle.
5. Is it ok to give my baby other types of milk after 12 months?
Timing is the same for other types of milk such as almond milk, oats milk, or goat milk. Wait till your baby’s first birthday to start the transition from breastmilk or baby formula to other types of milk. If your baby has nut allergies, you should never offer non-dairy milk such as almond milk or cashew milk to your baby.
Your baby needs so much protein for his growth. But nondairy milk does not include the same amount of protein, calcium, or vitamins that cow’s milk does. If you decide to offer your baby nondairy milk, consider this nutritional difference too.
There is a concern about the sweetness of the nondairy milk. Most of the non-dairy milk is sweetened to taste better. But too much sugar is not good for anyone and especially a one-year-old baby. So be careful about the sugar composition of your non-dairy milk.
The babies between the ages of one to three need 700 mg of calcium and 600 IUs of vitamin D per day. Therefore, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that any type of non-dairy milk you offer to your baby should be fortified with calcium and vitamin D.