Milk

• Janel F. Hi Megha, Your son drinking 17-18oz a day doesn't sound like refusing it, to me! And as he nears his first birthday, you'll likely be switching over to whole cow's milk, which he may have more of an interest in. Knowing he's eating well and hydrating with water (as well as up to 18oz formula) sounds like he's getting adequate calories and hydration for growth. Of course you and your pediatrician know best if he's on track for growth, so be sure to follow up on that if you have any concerns. Make sure to provide a variety of balanced, nutritious meals and snacks so he's getting adequate nutrition even if he's taking in less formula. It sounds like he's gearing up for toddlerhood, where the majority of his nutrition will be coming from food, whereas in the first year it is from milk/formula. Hope this helps reassure you! Janel

• Megha Yes! That does reassure me. Thank you! I suppose it feels like he’s refusing it before he suddenly went from 26-28 ounces to 16-18! :/ I’m glad to here that’s okay. His meals are usually homemade healthy hearty pastas with protein and veggies, and breakfast is commonly yogurt and fruits or oatmeal and fruit or eggs and mini pancakes! He eats better than my husband and I do! Snacks can be tricky, I do granola bars (Ella’s nibbles ones) fruit, cheese, veggies hummus - things like that - or a fruit smoothie. Hopefully that’s all okay!

• Janel F. It sounds great! And it makes sense that he's drinking less formula as he's eating more food - his tiny tummy can only take so much food at a time! Especially now that he's eating regular meals and snacks, try to sit down as a family as much as possible if you're not already and eat together, ideally the same foods! You mentioned he eats better than you do, but one of the best ways to continue healthy eating habits in children is to role model what healthy, balanced, varied eating looks like. Family food, where you're all enjoying the same meal together, is such a special way to bond and role model over food. Enjoy!

• Megha Yes! Well, I was being sarcastic! We all eat super healthy, and eat dinner together most days. He and I have breakfast together at the table - usually eating the same things :) Thanks for all the support and reassurance about the milk volume. Should we go right into whole milk? Or slow transition formula? 25/75 - 50/50 - 75/25 etc?

• Janel F. Oh good! That's so great you're already eating together. No wonder he's such a good eater! You can go right into whole milk once he's 1, or do a slow transition - totally up to you! You could always try whole milk to see how he takes it as-is, and then you can determine if maybe a more gradual transition is better for your baby. Congrats on (almost) 1 year!

• Megha Thank you!! Just a few weeks away! Time flies!