About drinks

When to offer drinks like cow's milk and juice depends on your baby's age and development. Check with your pediatrician before offering cow's milk as a main drink or any juice, as every child's needs are different.

In short

  • Plain cow's milk as a drink waits until 12 months.
  • From 12 months, offer plain whole milk or a fortified, unsweetened plant milk.
  • Milk is a drink, not a meal: too much can crowd out other foods.

Why wait until 12 months

Before 12 months, plain cow’s milk shouldn’t replace breast milk or formula.

  • Hard on young kidneys: cow’s milk has more protein, sodium and potassium than babies’ kidneys can easily handle.
  • Iron loss: the proteins in cow’s milk can cause tiny amounts of bleeding in a young baby’s gut, which can add to iron-deficiency anemia.
  • Missing nutrients: cow’s milk doesn’t have enough iron, vitamin E or essential fatty acids for the first year.

What to offer

From 12 months, offer plain, pasteurized whole cow's milk, or a plant milk fortified with calcium and vitamin D, unflavored and unsweetened. Children 12 to 23 months need about 2 servings of dairy a day, which can include milk, full-fat yogurt and cheese.

Not too much

Milk is a drink, not a replacement for food. Too much can leave your child less hungry for other foods, and some experts say it can make it harder to absorb iron. Ask your pediatrician if you're unsure how much is right.

Foods in this article

  • Yogurt
  • Cheese

How to serve each one at every age is in the app's food guide.

Sources

All articles, recipes, guides, tips and chat answers in Mama & Baby Bites are for general information and education only. They are not medical, pediatric or nutritional advice, and they don't replace care from a qualified professional. In an emergency, call 911.