How to wean your baby off formula: a parent’s guide

Until your baby’s first birthday, breast milk or formula milk provides the vast majority of the nutrients your little one needs. After this, as they eat more and more solid foods, they’ll rely less on breast milk or formula, and you can introduce cow’s milk as a main drink if your baby’s ready¹.

This can feel like a huge milestone for you and your little one as they seem to grow up from a baby to a toddler almost overnight. You probably have plenty of questions about how it all works, from when to stop formula milk to how to introduce cow’s milk.

Here we’ll cover all the information you need to make your baby’s transition from formula milk to cow’s milk as smooth as possible.

Once your baby turns 6 months old, their weaning adventure begins². The best way to make sure your baby’s getting all the nutrients they need to grow big and strong at the start of this journey is to stick to your usual routine with milk feeds¹.

As your little one gets older and their appetite picks up, they’ll gradually need less milk, and food will become more important as a source of all the good stuff that they need.

So, when do babies stop drinking formula? As a rough guide:

6-9 months 

Aim to offer your baby around 500-600ml (around a pint) of formula a day³. You can start using small amounts of cow’s milk  in cooking from 6 months, but your baby won’t be ready to switch to cow’s milk as their main drink just yet⁴.

10-12 months

As a guide, your baby will likely have around three formula feeds (around 400ml in total) per day⁴.

12+ months   

After your baby turns one, most of their nutrients should come from food, and your baby probably won’t need formula milk any longer.

From 12 months, your little one will still need the nutrients in milk to support their development, but they can get what they need from full-fat cow’s milk⁴.

Note: If you’re breastfeeding, continue to feed your baby on demand until at least their first birthday⁴.

You’ll know when to stop formula milk when your baby:

• Is over 12 months old.
• Eats 3 meals and 1 or 2 snacks per day .
• Gets a wide range of foods, including fruits and veg, protein, dairy and starch.
• Can drink comfortably from a cup. 

When it comes to weaning your baby off formula, there isn’t one right way. Some babies will be quite happy to stop formula feeds and drink cow’s milk as their main drink after their first birthday without much of a transition. For others, you might need to introduce cow’s milk more gradually as they get used to the switch. 

Here’s our step-by-step guide on how to wean your baby off formula gradually. 

If your baby doesn’t seem to love the taste of cow’s milk, you could help them get used to it by mixing it into their formula milk. Just remember to always make up the formula with the recommended ratio of powder and water first.

Gradual mixing could look like:

• Days 1-2: Mix 75% formula with 25% cow’s milk.
• Days 3-4: Mix 50% formula with 50% cow’s milk.
• Days 5-6: Mix 25% formula with 75% cow’s milk.
• Day 7 onwards: Offer 100% cow’s milk.

When you start introducing solid foods to your baby at around 6 months old, you can offer them a cup or beaker of water to sip from with meals (they’ll still have their formula feeds from a bottle).

After your baby’s first birthday, avoid giving them a bottle if you can, because it can interfere with their growing teeth¹.

Instead, you could use:

• A free-flow beaker (without a non-spill valve) to teach your baby to sip rather than suck.
• An open cup.

Using a cup instead of a bottle for cow’s milk can also help your baby to differentiate it from formula feeds, which can help with the transition. 

It’s a good idea to make sure your baby feels comfortable using a free-flow beaker or open cup if you’re deciding when to stop formula milk.

Before your baby turns 1, ordinary cow’s milk doesn’t contain the right balance of nutrients to support their growth and development¹.That’s why, while it’s fine to use small amounts in  cooking from 6 months old, your baby will still need breast milk or formula feeds  to support their weaning diet.

After 12 months, your baby should be getting almost all the nutrients they need from their food. At this point, full-fat (or whole) cow’s milk provides a good source of energy, calcium, vitamin A, and other nutrients that support your baby’s development, from their immune system to healthy bones and teeth⁵.

But there is such a thing as too much cow’s milk, which has been linked to obesity in later life⁶. The general recommendation is to aim to give your baby 300-500ml of cow’s milk per day to support healthy development⁷.

If your baby can’t have cow’s milk, you can give them unsweetened, calcium-fortified milk alternatives like oat, soy, or almond milk from the age of 12 months as part of a healthy, balanced diet¹.

If your baby has a cow’s milk allergy, speak to your GP or health visitor about how and when to stop feeding formula milk and introduce a cow’s milk alternative.

Life with a baby doesn’t always go to plan, and that’s okay! Some babies will take to cow’s milk with no problems, while others might find it a little trickier. Whatever challenges come up, you and your little one will figure them out together with the support of your GP and health visitor.

Here are some of the most common challenges around weaning off formula milk and our tips on how to handle them.

Moving onto cow’s milk from formula milk can feel like a big change for your little one, so it’s normal if they show a little resistance. There are a few things you can try to gently encourage them to make the move, like:

• Mixing formula milk with cow’s milk and gradually reducing the amount of formula.
• Offering them warm milk instead of cold.
• Using a different cup or beaker.

If your baby still refuses their milk, that’s okay. Make sure they get other sources of dairy in their diet, like pasteurised full-fat cheese and yoghurt, and offer water for hydration.