Cow's milk for babies
How to serve it at 6, 9 and 12 months.
The CDC says not to give cow's milk as a drink before 12 months; from 12 months it lists plain whole cow's milk without added sugars. Milk is one of the nine major allergens. Not on the CDC's or AAP's choking lists. A major allergen (milk).
Checked October 29, 2026.
How to serve cow's milk at 6, 9 and 12 months
| Age | How to serve it |
|---|---|
| About 6 months | Not as a drink; breast milk or formula stay the main drinks, plus a little water. |
| About 9 months | Not as a drink; the AAP says cow's milk foods like yogurt can be offered. |
| About 12 months | Plain, pasteurized whole milk without added sugars, or a fortified unsweetened alternative. |
Every baby is different. Start the same way for every food: your baby sits up, you are right there, and the pieces match what they can do.
Is cow's milk a choking hazard?
It is not named on the CDC's or AAP's choking lists, but the CDC says its list may not include every hazard, so the size and texture rules still apply. The AAP says to cut food for infants and young children into pieces no larger than one-half inch, to have children sit while they eat, and to watch every meal.
Hold off before 12 months.
Is cow's milk an allergen?
It contains milk, one of the nine major food allergens the FDA names.
The AAP says there is no evidence that waiting beyond 4 to 6 months prevents food allergy, and that new foods go in one at a time. See introducing allergens for the AAP and NIAID guidance, and ask your pediatrician if your baby has severe eczema or an allergy.
Where this comes from
Named by: CDC: Foods and Drinks to Encourage. The serving steps follow the CDC's texture advice and the AAP's finger-food and choking pages.
Call your pediatrician if…
Your pediatrician knows your child. Call them if you have a worry about a food, a reaction or choking. The AAP and the CDC have more:
Peabody editors write these pages from the sources below. We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice for your child.
Sources
- CDC: Foods and Drinks to Encourage (6 to 24 month olds) (checked October 29, 2026)
- CDC: Tastes and Textures (checked October 29, 2026)
- AAP, HealthyChildren.org: Choking Prevention for Babies and Children (checked October 29, 2026)
- CDC: When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods (checked October 29, 2026)
- FDA: The FASTER Act, Sesame Is the Ninth Major Food Allergen (checked October 29, 2026)
- AAP, HealthyChildren.org: When to Introduce Egg, Peanut Butter and Other Common Food Allergens to a Baby (checked October 29, 2026)
- CDC: Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit (checked October 29, 2026)