Is it okay to dilute formula with milk?
My daughter is seven months old. She has been on solids for two months. She is still drinking formula. Can I dilute her formula with milk?
Question:Sue Gilbert
Sue Gilbert works as a consulting nutritionist. For many years she worked with Earth's Best Organic Baby Food, integrating nutrition and... Read more
Your daughter should stay on straight formula as her main source of nourishment until she is one year old. Until then her digestive system is not mature enough to handle the larger protein molecules of whole milk, or the solute load. It is fine to introduce dairy products as part of her diet in small amounts. For example, you can offer her a little yogurt, or a few sips of milk from a sippy cup. She can be offered some cottage cheese, or a little melted cheese on her vegetables.
The formula also contains important vitamins and minerals that she needs until she is on a wider variety of solid foods, in particular iron and vitamin C. The protein/fat/carbohydrate ratio is also better adapted to the needs of a baby than is whole milk. Therefore, I suggest that you continue with the formula as you gradually increase the amount and variety of solid foods that she is eating. Then, when she turns one, you can wean her from formula to milk.
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