How to Introduce Cow’s Milk to Your Baby

Transitioning in feeding your baby from breast milk to cow milk is the first major change. But with introducing new foods, it is important to slowly introduce it to the baby rather than transitioning overnight.

It is also important to hold out from feeding them cow milk till they turn at least 12 months old. The transitioning from breastmilk to cow milk might be difficult to navigate. In this blog, we will give a step by step guide as well as other tips in introducing whole cow milk to your baby.

When to introduce Cow Milk

It is best recommended to start including farm fresh cow milk into the baby’s diet after they turn 1 year old. Babies below the age of 12 months can not handle the additional vitamins and minerals in the whole milk. It’s best to give whole cow milk to babies aged between 1 to 2 years old. This will help in developing their bones, muscles and teeth.

How to introduce Cow’s Milk

Transition gradually – Switching to cow’s milk directly might cause digestive discomfort for babies. So, the best option is to gradually add small amounts of cow’s milk in their regular diet. You can add it either in the breast milk or a formula. Soon, you can keep increasing the quantity and eventually completely switch to cow milk.
Serve it warm – Babies are used to drinking milk or formula at a warmer temperature. So, it would ease up the switching if the cow milk is warmed up to room temperature. An additional benefit is that it can be easily digestible when consumed at a warmer temperature.
Offer at meal or snack time – It is not advisable to feed cow milk as a meal in the beginning. Offering it in small quantities during meal time or snack time as a beverage can help the babies ease up to the whole milk.
Include in other foods – Another way you can get your baby used to cow milk is by adding the whole cow milk in other solid foods. Whether it is a pudding or a smoothie, you can add small quantities of cow milk and serve for them to get used to.

How much Milk can be included

Babies up to the age of 2 only need 500 ml of whole cow’s milk a day. From the age of 2 to 5, you can give them 2 cups of milk daily.

Benefits of cow milk

Farm fresh Cow Milk contains various nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D and protein. These nutrients help in bone-building. Additionally, drinking sufficient milk can also help in the physical growth of the baby.

Cow Milk also contains vitamin A, which helps in developing a healthy vision and immune system. The phosphorus content in the milk helps foster healthy nervous system and muscle development.

Other Tips

Most babies will not have a problem transitioning to cow milk but it’s always good to keep an eye out for allergies or negative reactions to cow milk. The protein in cow milk can often act as a common allergen in babies and young children.
If your child is experiencing digestive issues when consuming cow milk, it might be due to their lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is different from allergies. It might include gas, abdominal pain and loose stools. In this case, consult a paediatrician or look for other sources of calcium and vitamins to include in their diet.

Conclusion

Hence, it is important to wait until your baby is at least 1 year old to transition to cow milk. You can also include other dairy products like cheese and curd once you start with including cow milk in their diet. Additionally, giving the baby farm fresh cow milk is more beneficial than giving them conventional milk.