Here's When You Can Transition Your Baby To Whole Milk

New parents spend months getting the hang of feeding their baby. Some moms build their days around nursing and perfect the art of cleaning their breast pump properly and mixing refrigerated breast milk with fresh. Others find just the right formula and make sure they're well stocked. Still others find that a combination of breast and bottle is great. After the umpteenth latch or powder scooping, though, you start looking forward to the time when you can just hand your child a cup of milk from the fridge with no fuss. That day will come — but it's important to know when.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical experts agree that children younger than 1 should remain on breast milk or formula. Cow's milk is less digestible for infants, doesn't have the proper fats and the balance of nutrients needed for proper growth, and its high protein content can be harmful to a baby's kidneys. (This also applies to plant-based alternatives such as soy milk or oat milk.) 

Even after starting solids, babies should continue to drink breast milk or formula; parents can generally begin introducing plain whole-milk yogurt around 6 months. The fermentation process for yogurt helps make the milk solids digestible, and the exposure to dairy can actually help keep your child from developing a milk allergy. Once your child approaches that exciting 1-year milestone, you can begin the "mooove" to milk drinking.

Once your baby turns 1, the best approach to introducing cow's milk is a gradual transition rather than an all-out swap. In an article published by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Joseph Gwiszcz suggests offering your baby a sippy cup with an ounce of milk sometime in the weeks around the baby's first birthday. "This can help you test how your baby will tolerate the taste of cow's milk and help them practice using a sippy cup," he said in the article. If your baby doesn't take to it, you can add some whole milk to a bottle of breast milk or prepared formula to get your child accustomed to the taste. (Prepare the formula with water, as usual — not with milk.) Slowly reduce the amount of breast milk or formula until your child is used to drinking milk on their own.

Children younger than 2 should drink whole milk, unless your healthcare provider recommends 2% milk for health reasons such as weight maintenance. If using plant-based milk (it's a good idea to consult your pediatrician), choose unsweetened and fortified brands. In either case, limit the amount of milk to 16 ounces a day, and offer water at other times. Children who drink large quantities of milk may not eat enough of other nutritious foods. This applies just to liquid milk; you can still feed your child solid dairy products like cheese and yogurt.

One more point to remember: Milk is an option, not a requirement. If your child won't drink milk or you prefer not to serve it, you can still give them the calcium they need from dairy products, leafy green vegetables, beans, and calcium-fortified foods. However, it's important to work with your healthcare provider to ensure your child is getting the recommended nutrients.