when do you stop warming up formula and when did they switch to cow's milk??? and how old where your dks when they were drinking out of a sippy cup??? thank you all for your helpful advise.

By Vicki on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 09:46 am:

I always warmed up formula. We made the switch to cows milk just over a year old and I also warmed that up when it was in the bottle. I believe she started drinking juice and water out of a sippy cup about 6 to 7 months old?? Wow, that was about 10 years ago now. LOL It was when ever I started giving her food that she really started drinking out of the sippy cup. Like if she has a little crackers or something for a snack, I always gave her a sippy cup with water or diluted juice..so what ever age that was.

By Babysitbarb on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 10:17 am:

Seems like things have changed so much since my DD's were babies(age 16&12 now). I always warmed their formula and now days they say to give it to them at room temp so if your out and can't warm it they will drink it. Makes since to me. I swithced the oldest to cow's milk at age 7 months and the youngest at 4 months. I know it's probably sooner than I should have but, they both adjusted just fine.I started both DD's trying to learn how to use a sipper cup around 5-6 months when they were eating their baby food.I do the same with the babysitting kids.

By Dana on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 11:23 am:

I think it depends on your child. My 4 wk old refuses room temp formula because he also gets breast milk (always warm ). But I have heard the warming up is only for likeness of breast and has nothing to do w/ the fact that is NEEDS warming. If your child takes it room, go ahead and switch.

As for milk, we changed when the ped told us to, at 1 yr. I also warmed that. DD hated cows milk. Never would make the switch. Come to find out as she got old enough to talk, she says "I think I like milk">.....and then after a few minutes of drinking it would say "I don't think I like it." I came to the conclusion that she is not able to digest the cow milk. Not a surprise, DH and I both have dairy problems.

As for sippy, I think you can switch when you feel like it. I've watched several breast fed babies go to sippy immediately and never do a bottle. I think it just all depends on what your child is capable of doing at their stage of development.

By Trina~moderator on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 11:59 am:

Made the switch to cows milk at 12 mos.. Actually later with DD because she didn't tolerate milk well until later. I agree with Dana regarding warming formula. Different babies prefer different things. DD was BF and never took a bottle. To this day (now 6.5 yrs.) she prefers warm milk. LOL! I introduced both kids to a sippy cup at 5 mos.. DS didn't master it until about 10 mos., DD was drinking from it like a pro at 6.

By Frasersmama on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 12:20 pm:

I breastfeed, so warming has never been an issue, but when dd started with her sippy cup I gave her cool water, or even diluted juice straight out of the fridge.
She started with her sippy cup at 6 mos with water only, started giving her diluted juice once/day at about 8 mos. She is now 1 year and I have just introduced cow's milk. She gets that in a sippy cup (she never gets bottles anymore) right out of the fridge. Warming is just a matter of personal preference, there is no NEED to warm formula or milk.

By Reds9298 on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 12:41 pm:

I haven't gone to cow's milk yet (8mths dd) but I've never warmed formula. She's always had room temp. formula. Also, I started working with the sippy cup at about 6 mths. DD holds it well and knows what to do with it, but doesn't usually drink that much. (I only give her water and sometimes diluted apple juice.) The one time she drank a lot was dil. pear juice and her mouth broke out in a bad rash so we're sticking to mostly water now!
Frasersmama is right - no need to warm formula or milk. Personal choice only. I was told when she was born that it's a good idea to start with room temp to save hassles so I did and I'm so glad! I would hate to think about warming all the time - while out, when she was little in the middle of the night... I've heard if bab has always had warm, then switch to room temp before going to cold milk to ease the transition. Good luck!

By Maddysmommy on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 12:48 pm:

i thought you needed to warm the formula so they didnt get stomach craps????

By Rayanne on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 12:52 pm:

I stopped warming it around 11 months.

By Heaventree on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 01:06 pm:

We started with the sippy up at 6 mos. just water. I breastfeed until 9-10 months. We started cows milk in sippy at 9 months just a few ounces at a time. I warmed it. DS will be 12 months at the end of this month I still warm his milk, I find he drinks it better warm.

By Mrsheidi on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 02:02 pm:

Breast fed (pumped) until 3 months and then formula warmed until 4 months. After that, for some reason, he didn't like it warm, but yet he didn't like it cold either. Room temp now.
Won't start milk until he's 12M. We tried the sippy but he just gnawed on it, only took a few sips. I heard that diluted white grape juice is best so we tried that. We'll try again later.
He really likes those rice puffs and I'm trying to start him on stage 3 foods since he really wants to feed himself now. He just started that habit today. I might try some chopped up spaghetti.

By Palmbchprincess on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 02:48 pm:

I was never one for warming bottles. The kids started milk at 12.5 months, as soon as the went for their one year well-baby. As far as the formula, I used powder and room temp water, they never seemed to mind.

By Reds9298 on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 04:07 pm:

The warming or not warming is just a personal preference thing. I tried warming dd's bottle around 12 weeks because she had a bad week of sleeping through the night and I thought it might help. That's the only reason I ever warmed. With her, it didn't help and she didn't like it warm either. Whined the whole bottle - I only did that week and never have again. If for some reason I have to refrigerate a bottle (that rarely happens) but when I have I just give it to her cold and she likes that, too.

By Maddysmommy on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 04:38 pm:

my dd had acid reflux so we had her on alimentum and we used the ready to serve stuff, i tried her on the powder but she she wouldn't drink it. so when she was 4 months they switched her to the lactose free ready to eat , so we need to keep it in the refrigerator.

By Hlgmom on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 07:06 pm:

Check with your ped about cows milk- most will say to wait until one year! We started a sippy cup at about 4 1/2 or 5 mos- she is breast fed and never had a bottle. She is 16 mos now and we started cows milk a couple of months ago- still nursing- so its not something I worry about pushing!