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Are you contemplating switching from formula to whole milk? Nursing a baby is a noble task, and requires a lot of diligence from a parent or caregiver. One of the key ways to do due diligence while parenting a baby, is being intimated with the periodic growth of the baby. This way, you do not give a baby who should be taking formula whole milk, and a baby that should be taking whole milk, formula.
If you have a baby, then it will interest you to know that after their first year birthday, a switch from formula to whole milk is necessary. A recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) posits that children a year to two years of ages take whole milk rather than reduced-fat milk, as children require the extra fat in their meals for excellent brain development.
Although, whole milk may be a wrong idea for children at increased risks of obesity, or cardiovascular disease, it is nonetheless still the best and healthiest option.
If you are planning to switch your baby’s diet from formula to whole milk, below are 5 things to envisage.
Whole milk comes with lots of essential nutrients that will aid the healthy development of your child. And because they are things you should know and envisage, some of them have been outlined below:
1) Protein: Whole milk comes with lots of nutrients that will help your baby grow up quite well, and these nutrients include protein. As your baby grows into an energetic toddler, the in-take of protein from whole milk helps him or her build strong muscles.
2) Calcium and Vitamin D: One of the things you should envisage as your baby switch from formula to whole milk is that he or she will be in for the development of strong body bones. As this is the chief function of calcium and vitamin D as minerals.
3) Dietary Fats: Did you know that a larger part of your baby’s brain development occurs before he or she clocks two? Whole milk comes with nutritious higher fat content foods, and these high fats make for unique and healthy brain development in your baby.
4) Your baby might reject it at the first attempt: While some babies may accept this switch readily at the first attempt, yours or others may refuse it the first time, and this is understandable. Different children have different body systems. So, if your baby rejects whole milk the first time, do not give up. What you should rather do is go for a gradual approach. A slower transition may make sense for him or her. For instance, you might substitute a cup of formula with a cup of whole milk every two or three days or weeks. If he or she does not seem to be over breast milk yet, you may want to add some breast milk to the mix of the whole milk, as that could help your baby adapt well too.
5) You Will Need Solid Foods: You should envisage the inclusion of solid foods in your baby’s diet or meal once he/she switches to whole milk. Because, contrary to formula and breast milk in a baby’s first year of life, milk should be considered as a beverage rather than a meal. This way, your baby is not deprived of the great nutrition in solid foods.
Common problems associated with switching from formula to whole milk
Baby Fussy After Switching To Whole Milk
Did you find that your baby got fussy after switching to whole milk? No problems at all. It may just be that you need to consider simpler alternatives such as milk-based formula, partially broken milk, or better still, waiting until he or she is around 18 months of age.
Diarrhea after Introducing Whole Milk
If you notice diarrhea after introducing whole milk to your little one, the issue is not peculiar to you, it happens to many other babies too. Lactose which is the type of sugar present in milk cannot get to the bloodstream directly from the digestive tract. There is a need for an initial break down in the small intestine through the aid of an enzyme called lactase. Lactase is what converts lactose to glucose and galactose, which are able to get to the blood stream.
So when lactase is insufficient in your baby’s system, water is pulled from the bloodstream into the gut and diarrhea is the result. To mitigate diarrhea, you can go for whole milk products that come with already broken down lactose.
Poop Changes When Transitioning To Whole Milk
It is not abnormal that your baby’s poops change when transitioning to whole milk. As a matter of fact, it should not be unexpected, given the fact that the stomach is in the process of adjusting to the change in the chemical property of the new diet. However, if the change persists after 48 hours, then you should consult your pediatrician.
Baby Having Upset Stomach after Transitioning To Whole Milk
If your baby has an upset stomach after transitioning to whole milk, then you may want to try mixing the milk with formula or breast milk. This suggestion should solve whatever upset stomach your baby is having after transitioning to whole milk.
Baby Unsettled after Changing to Cow’s Milk
Is your baby unsettled after changing to cow’s milk? You are not alone, many parents report the same. However, what you can do is refer back to his or her regular formula till his or her system gathers the strength for cow’s milk again.
Switching from formula to whole milk: Bottom line
The development cycle of a baby is periodic, which is why, one of the best things you can do as a parent, is staying alert to changes in your baby, and how to deal with such changes per time. Formulas are good, but there is a time in your baby’s growth process that they stop making much of sense. Just like there was a time you had to stop feeding him breast milk solely.
In this article, we have outlined the things you need to know about switching from formula to whole milk.
