Cow's Milk - Warm it?

Hi,
So we are in the middle of transitioning to cow's milk, and also from bottle to cup (though the first is going much better than the second). Before this, I would give them formula at room temp (water from the tap) but would put breastmilk in warm water to take off the chill and warm it a little. Now they are getting almost 100% cow's milk, and it is so cold! Should I be warming it to take off the chill? Or should they eventually be drinking it cold? At every time of day? And from the bottle or from the cup? Thanks!
Melissa

 

My two were not off bottles until they were 15 months but when we went to milk at 12 months, I did not warm it, I just gave it to them cold. I really think that is up to you how you want to transition, there is nothing wrong with starting off with warm milk and slowly going to cold or just going right to cold. Good luck!

 

I went cold-turkey with sippies, but transitioned from formula/breastmilk to cow's milk. During the transition I would only give milk/formula in sippies with meals, and I only offered it cold. It only took a week or 2, and then they were 100% on cold cow's milk. I still warm their bedtime milk because I secretly hope that it will make them sleepier than cold milk! :lol:

 

I also did room temp formula, but never warmed their milk. I just went straight to serving cold. They didn't seem to mind. I fed them their morning milk in a bottle until around 15 months, but all of the rest was from sippies.

 

My girls won't drink cows milk unless it's warm. It was the only way I could get them to transition from their room temp formula. They actually prefer everything slightly warm. It might be a bad habit, but they love it!

 

Mine took themselves off bottles at 10 months and went to regular milk then. (One cow one soy) I started warming then and still do. At 17 months. The way I see it- what does it hurt? They like it and I like to make them happy.

 

I transitioned to milk first, and continued to warm it in their bottles. Then when we went to sippy cups I continued to warm it as well. Gradually, over a couple of weeks, I warmed it less and less until they were taking it cold from the fridge.

 

When I transitioned mine to cow's milk...one of mine would drink it cold so we just switched her cold-turkey, but her sister would not drink it (maybe cause she really LOVED to nurse and was used to really warm breastmilk??) So we warmed it to room temp in the micro and that seemed to help. Eventually she just took it cold (didn't take more than a month or so I don't think). So I think every child is different. If yours take it cold, I would say just go with it. But if they won't take it cold, warming it a bit is definitely an option. Just make sure you don't heat it too much and shake it up so it doesn't have hot spots in it.

shannon

 

I would DEFINATELY get them on COLD milk as soon as you can. With my 13 year old, we warmed his milk and he would not take it any other way for about 7 years and I am not joking!!! He wouldnt drink any juice box or anything unless it was at least room temp. I would not start that, it is inconvenient and becomes a bigger issue down the road!