Starting whole milk at WDW

[Leshaface]

My DS will have just turned 1 (by a couple days) when we go in October, so he'll be on Whole milk by our trip.

I'm not sure what's the best way to keep his milk cold. We're going to Super Target early on in our trip for diapers, water and milk. Do I take bottles of milk with me into the parks? Or would it be wise to just purchase small milk cartons when we're at a park?

FTM here, so no idea

 

[Iri920]

When my kids used to drink milk I would use an insulated water bottle with the screw top and just pour some in the sippy cup when they wanted milk. I think ours was a klean kanteen insulated one and it kept the milk cold for a very long time.

 

[Leshaface]

When my kids were little I would put the milk into an insulated water bottle with the screw top and just pour some in the sippy cup when they wanted milk. I think ours was a klean kanteen insulated one and it kept the milk cold for a very long time.

That's a great idea thanks! Was thinking I may have to bring a small ice chest in, but this sounds like a better idea.

 

[descovy]

My DS will have just turned 1 (by a couple days) when we go in October, so he'll be on Whole milk by our trip.

I'm not sure what's the best way to keep his milk cold. We're going to Super Target early on in our trip for diapers, water and milk. Do I take bottles of milk with me into the parks? Or would it be wise to just purchase small milk cartons when we're at a park?

FTM here, so no idea

Honestly I would continue with formula and make the transition after vacation. I would just find it too stressful to mess with a diet while on vacation. Nothing magically happens to Baby's digestive system the day after the birthday.

Remember too, whole milk is a beverage. It is not a meal. It is not formula. Once Baby is getting daily nutrition from table food you can wean from formula/breastmilk. At which point, you can just get a serving of milk at the restaurant at meal time. Milk is a beverage, not a substitute for formula/breastmilk

(Mom to 3, plus a infant teacher for 4 years)

 

[MSSANDRA]

Do not start whole milk on your trip! Many kids have a hard time making that adjustment and WDW is not where you want that to happen. Our DS6 flat refused to drink it and it took a few months of mixing formula with the milk to get him adjusted. Introduction can cause tummys to be a little upset and can even trigger allergies that formula did not. Many little ones do not eat really well at WDW and having that bottle of formula they are used to can be soooo important. There is no magic age to change to milk, though the age one is often recommended and there is no magic age to ditch the bottle. I would wait till you are back to switch. Formula is easy. Take bottles filled with water and add per-measured powder formula when it is time to eat. I recommend not introducing ANY new food away from home. We are an allergy family and know reactions can happen with any new food!

 

[ktaggie]

Totally agree with waiting until after the trip. Keep giving what your child is use to until after the trip. You never know what the reaction will be even if not allergic might upset tummy.

 

[mommyto3girls]

None of my kids had a problem with milk digestion wise and I understand wanting to stop the formula for lots of reasons. But it may be good to wait if for no other reason than you do not have to worry about refrigeration. But if you do decide to switch check out the single serve milk cartons that do not need refrid until after opening. I don't know for sure if they come in whole or just 2% but you could check it out. They are organic and are in foil cartons.

 

[crisi]

Or, slowly start the switch two weeks before vacation by mixing, if its really important - AND he is eating solid food well. That will ensure no rejection or tummy troubles. Nothing magical about a babies digestion the week or two before either.

We made very good use out of a small insulated cooler and an ice pack for the first few years of our kids lives. Formula, milk, whatever. But I'm pretty sure whole milk is available at the CS locations, so you can just buy it when you need it.

The real trick for the trip may be solid food. Both mine didn't last long on baby food and by a year needed to feed themselves "real" food cut up very small. He won't be ready for kids meals, but whether he is ready to eat off your plate might be another matter entirely - especially since you want to introduce new food slowly. You probably won't know until just before the trip what stage he'll be at - it changed so fast from exclusively formula to rice cereal to baby food to finger food to McDonald's Happy Meals (ok, it was a while ago, maybe that last one took a few months ).

 

[Leshaface]

Honestly I would continue with formula and make the transition after vacation. I would just find it too stressful to mess with a diet while on vacation. Nothing magically happens to Baby's digestive system the day after the birthday.

Remember too, whole milk is a beverage. It is not a meal. It is not formula. Once Baby is getting daily nutrition from table food you can wean from formula/breastmilk. At which point, you can just get a serving of milk at the restaurant at meal time. Milk is a beverage, not a substitute for formula/breastmilk

(Mom to 3, plus a infant teacher for 4 years)

Do not start whole milk on your trip! Many kids have a hard time making that adjustment and WDW is not where you want that to happen. Our DS6 flat refused to drink it and it took a few months of mixing formula with the milk to get him adjusted. Introduction can cause tummys to be a little upset and can even trigger allergies that formula did not. Many little ones do not eat really well at WDW and having that bottle of formula they are used to can be soooo important. There is no magic age to change to milk, though the age one is often recommended and there is no magic age to ditch the bottle. I would wait till you are back to switch. Formula is easy. Take bottles filled with water and add per-measured powder formula when it is time to eat. I recommend not introducing ANY new food away from home. We are an allergy family and know reactions can happen with any new food!

Totally agree with waiting until after the trip. Keep giving what your child is use to until after the trip. You never know what the reaction will be even if not allergic might upset tummy.

None of my kids had a problem with milk digestion wise and I understand wanting to stop the formula for lots of reasons. But it may be good to wait if for no other reason than you do not have to worry about refrigeration. But if you do decide to switch check out the single serve milk cartons that do not need refrid until after opening. I don't know for sure if they come in whole or just 2% but you could check it out. They are organic and are in foil cartons.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

His Doctor told I could give him cows milk like 5 days before his birthday, so about a week and a half before we leave. Do you think I should still keep him on formula during our trip even if (hopefully!) he transitions well to cows milk?

Trust me, I wouldn't mind keeping him on formula during our trip. It's very easy to mix and he'll drink it cold or warm.

 

[Leshaface]

Or, slowly start the switch two weeks before vacation by mixing, if its really important - AND he is eating solid food well. That will ensure no rejection or tummy troubles. Nothing magical about a babies digestion the week or two before either.

We made very good use out of a small insulated cooler and an ice pack for the first few years of our kids lives. Formula, milk, whatever. But I'm pretty sure whole milk is available at the CS locations, so you can just buy it when you need it.

The real trick for the trip may be solid food. Both mine didn't last long on baby food and by a year needed to feed themselves "real" food cut up very small. He won't be ready for kids meals, but whether he is ready to eat off your plate might be another matter entirely - especially since you want to introduce new food slowly. You probably won't know until just before the trip what stage he'll be at - it changed so fast from exclusively formula to rice cereal to baby food to finger food to McDonald's Happy Meals (ok, it was a while ago, maybe that last one took a few months ).

We just recently, started giving him bits of table food. Chicken, mashed potatoes, beef, a variety of vegetables and he's doing very well with it! I'm actually shocked at how quickly he picked up on it (or perhaps all kids do!) so hopefully he'll be doing great by the time our trip comes.

 

[crisi]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

His Doctor told I could give him cows milk like 5 days before his birthday, so about a week and a half before we leave. Do you think I should still keep him on formula during our trip even if (hopefully!) he transitions well to cows milk?

Trust me, I wouldn't mind keeping him on formula during our trip. It's very easy to mix and he'll drink it cold or warm.

If there isn't any hurry to get him off it, keep it during the trip and start the transition at home. He knows it, its full nutrition if the change of WDW keeps him from eating solid food and he looks to the comfort of his bottle, and its easy since you can carry it around in powder and add water when you need to.

I'm the one though that didn't let my son potty train until after we came back. The week before - after a year and a half of being close - he had a breakthrough. And after a year and a half of waiting, I said "wonderful honey, but we are going to keep you in pull ups just in case for the trip!" (Worked fine and the first full day he was home it was underwear from then out with no accidents).

 

[stargazer2892]

I would either start him off on milk now (maybe a quarter of a cup here and there, not replacing any of his formula but enough to gauge his reaction) so his body is used to it a little or wait until after you get back. There will be enough new stuff going on plus not having normal food will probably through his system off anyway. I would also not want to risk the possible complications of his system not handling it well while on vacation. I personally would wait until after, and maybe even wait a few days for his body to get adjusted to home again.

 

[PartOfYourWorld]

My son turned 1 on our trip last October. At home he was drinking one bottle in the morning and one before bed. During the day he would eat a mix of solids and baby food. I wasn't sure what to do for our trip either, but I decided I'd keep him on formula until we got back home. We bought those individual tubes of formula and bottled water so making bottles was a breeze in the hotel room. I would carry a couple of formula packets into the parks just in case he wasn't eating well, but I don't remember him needing them. Waiting to transition to cows milk worked really well for all of us. His bottle routine wasn't disrupted, and I wasn't worried he wasn't getting enough nutrients. During the day he would eat a mix of solids and baby food. I also brought a ton of those veggie/fruit pouches for him. Those were the best! He could snack on those throughout the day no matter what was going on. He could hold onto them by himself so that made it super easy. I didn't have to worry about spoons and all that mess with those. We had a great trip and the food situation wasn't stressful at all. We are going in a few weeks to celebrate his 2nd birthday and I can't wait! Hope you all have a wonderful time!

 

[Leshaface]

If there isn't any hurry to get him off it, keep it during the trip and start the transition at home. He knows it, its full nutrition if the change of WDW keeps him from eating solid food and he looks to the comfort of his bottle, and its easy since you can carry it around in powder and add water when you need to.

I'm the one though that didn't let my son potty train until after we came back. The week before - after a year and a half of being close - he had a breakthrough. And after a year and a half of waiting, I said "wonderful honey, but we are going to keep you in pull ups just in case for the trip!" (Worked fine and the first full day he was home it was underwear from then out with no accidents).

So true at the bolded. Wow he transitioned very well. Good for him. Now if only I can get my son to walk, then I'll think about potty training

I would either start him off on milk now (maybe a quarter of a cup here and there, not replacing any of his formula but enough to gauge his reaction) so his body is used to it a little or wait until after you get back. There will be enough new stuff going on plus not having normal food will probably through his system off anyway. I would also not want to risk the possible complications of his system not handling it well while on vacation. I personally would wait until after, and maybe even wait a few days for his body to get adjusted to home again.

Thank you I think I will wait on giving him cows milk until I get back

My son turned 1 on our trip last October. At home he was drinking one bottle in the morning and one before bed. During the day he would eat a mix of solids and baby food. I wasn't sure what to do for our trip either, but I decided I'd keep him on formula until we got back home. We bought those individual tubes of formula and bottled water so making bottles was a breeze in the hotel room. I would carry a couple of formula packets into the parks just in case he wasn't eating well, but I don't remember him needing them. Waiting to transition to cows milk worked really well for all of us. His bottle routine wasn't disrupted, and I wasn't worried he wasn't getting enough nutrients. During the day he would eat a mix of solids and baby food. I also brought a ton of those veggie/fruit pouches for him. Those were the best! He could snack on those throughout the day no matter what was going on. He could hold onto them by himself so that made it super easy. I didn't have to worry about spoons and all that mess with those. We had a great trip and the food situation wasn't stressful at all. We are going in a few weeks to celebrate his 2nd birthday and I can't wait! Hope you all have a wonderful time!

Can you let me in on these formula tubes and packets?! Are they easier than taking a can of formula with me?

I made all his food at home and would buy the meat type pouches (Ella's Kitchen) to get some meat into his diet. Did he learn how to squeeze the pouch by himself? I was going to bring some pouches with me anyway, just in case, but maybe I should give him the pouch and see what he does with it.

 

[honeybunches]

I would order the milk as a drink in the parks. We hated being weighed down with the diaper bag; having to worry about keeping milk cold would have pushed me over the edge. As for walking -- my son learned to walk at WDW. I have pictures of us waiting at GF for a bus & he walked to his sis & back to his dad for the first time. It was so much fun! Have a great trip.

 

[tar heel]

If you are talking about transitioning from bottle to cup, you are talking about a MAJOR transition. If you're just talking about switching from formula to milk, it still could be a major transition. No way should you be trying that on vacation. That would be extremely stressful to both you and your child.

This advice comes from the mom of three grown kids.

My kids were mostly nursed, but we did these kinds of transitions gradually instead of cold turkey except not allowing my oldest to have his bottle any more at night. He climbed out of his crib and went looking for it that very night! If *I* were transitioning my child from formula to milk, I'd start giving him a little milk along with the solids and keep some formula, gradually eliminating the latter.

 

[quandrea]

Honestly I would continue with formula and make the transition after vacation. I would just find it too stressful to mess with a diet while on vacation. Nothing magically happens to Baby's digestive system the day after the birthday.

Remember too, whole milk is a beverage. It is not a meal. It is not formula. Once Baby is getting daily nutrition from table food you can wean from formula/breastmilk. At which point, you can just get a serving of milk at the restaurant at meal time. Milk is a beverage, not a substitute for formula/breastmilk

(Mom to 3, plus a infant teacher for 4 years)

Agreed. Starting milk will cause constipation, as will travel. Save yourself the angst and wait until you get home.

 

[quandrea]

If you are talking about transitioning from bottle to cup, you are talking about a MAJOR transition. If you're just talking about switching from formula to milk, it still could be a major transition. No way should you be trying that on vacation. That would be extremely stressful to both you and your child.

This advice comes from the mom of three grown kids.

My kids were mostly nursed, but we did these kinds of transitions gradually instead of cold turkey except not allowing my oldest to have his bottle any more at night. He climbed out of his crib and went looking for it that very night! If *I* were transitioning my child from formula to milk, I'd start giving him a little milk along with the solids and keep some formula, gradually eliminating the latter.

This is the way to do it. Prevents system upset. A few extra weeks or months on formula is fine.

 

[mrsabbott]

None of my kids ever had an issue transitioning from formula to milk, although I've heard of kids having tummy issues. Formula for a few extra weeks isn't going to hurt anything though, especially if it makes it easier for you on the trip. You can buy these little plastic containers that are divided and you put a serving of formula powder in each section.. you twist the top and pour into the bottle.. I had that for my last 2 kids and it was awesome! Lots better then carrying a can around. The first 2 kids, I'd just put formula and a scoop into a smaller Rubbermaid container and throw it into the diaper bag.

If you DO decide to go ahead and transition to milk, an insulated bag with an ice pack works quite well. When we've done long day trips, I'd fill the bottles/cups with milk, put them in the insulated bag, and sit them in the fridge the night before. Throw an ice pack in there the next morning and it kept cool the whole day as long as it wasn't sitting directly in the hot sun or left in the car. You could also fill a couple of bottles of water and freeze them to use instead of ice packs. That way, you'll have cold water for yourselves later.

Is your son drinking juice yet? My kids did the watered down juice and I would make one and put ice cubes in it.. by the time it was time to use, it was still cool and perfectly watered down..

 

[wdwfanatic316]

Just wanted to say that in the parks at most places they only have 2 percent milk, not whole milk. Wasn't a problem for us to switch when we took our 21 month old but he had been on whole milk for a long time too.

Good luck!