I have been giving my daughter (she was 1 last Tuesday) milk for about a month now and while she tolerates it just fine, I was wondering if milk is absolutely necessary. She is a great eater (sooo different from my 5 y/o thank goodness!) and I make sure she has a balanced menu. Yogurt, cheese, green veggies, whole grains, fruit, other veggies. I would think she gets all the nutrients she needs from this and not really need all the milk. She would be just fine drinking water. I haven't yet stopped giving her milk (she takes approx three 6oz bottles everyday), I was just wondering if there is anyone else that has cut down the milk to maybe 6 oz a day and still had a healthy toddler. The main reason I want to cut it down is that she has been having harder stools and I am thinking that maybe all the dairy is to blame. Also, if I am to cut down the dairy, I would rather it be the milk than the other foods. She has her one year dr appt tomorrow and i plan on bringing it up but I just wanted to know what others thought also. Thank you!
Thank you for the responses so far. I just wanted to highlight some points from my original question that I might not have made clear. I don't plan on taking away her (whole organic) milk completely and I don't give my kids fruit juice. I was just considering cutting her milk back to about 6-10 oz a day and water the rest of the time. She eats (whole milk organic) yogurt and cheese and loves broccoli. Please don't give me the "you should still be breastfeeding at 12 months" because I am not and that just doesn't help me at all. Thank you and please keep the opinions coming!
no she doesnt need milk, (plenty of people raise their babies vegan) but she does need the vitamins. Calcium and vit D are important, but she also needs the fats, talk not only to her pediatrition but try consulting a nutrionist that specializes in children.
No. There are other options for her "brain development" and such. So, I guess everyone who is allergic to milk is dumb huh? We are not a big "dairy" family. You can google and find that many DOCTORS, and, not quack doctors, are opposed to people drinking what comes out of a cow. Sounds like you are doing just fine. We only buy organic fat free milk, and, my kids' pediatrician says that is great. My kids usually have a yogurt a day, we eat a lot of green stuff and fruit, and, we are a no junk family. Meaning, we buy no sweets or junk. My oldest daughter is on the all A honor roll, in gifted and talented classes, and in many outside activities. My other daughter is catching up to her quickly at 6 years old. My 18 month old son is way ahead developmentally wise. I buy what I can that has added vitamin D and calcium, and, they take daily vitamins. I did nurse them all, and, am still nursing my son. I did not nurse my daughters nearly this long. Both of them actually got formula as well as being nursed. My son is the first one to not have any formula as an infant. You are fine. Think about it, it comes from a cow. Most adults cannot tolerate it because it causes allergies, although, they are "too scared" to eliminate it to see that is what is actually keeping them sick. (Many sinus issues are actually caused by the milk that adults drink.)
edited to add this great page I found:
http://diaryofanutritionist.com/2010/02/09/milk-alternati...
The only animal that NEEDS cows milk are baby cows.
I totally never thought I'd be the person that says that, lol, but it's true. As long as you're daughter is getting enough calcium and vitamin D from other sources, she doesn't need cows milk.
Personally, I'd ask your pedi about a multi-vitamin even with her good eating habits (because chances are she will go through a picky phase).
And a lot of pedi's these days are also saying to skip the whole milk, especially if your family has a weight problem (which, lets be honest, most families do these days) and go straight to 2%.
My son is 2 and has never been a milk drinker. He'll occasionally drink some chocolate milk for a treat, but that's it.
That said, if I did have a child that drank milk, I'd wouldn't want to cut it out of her diet completely. Once it's gone, you may have a hard time ever adding it back.
Good luck!
Good idea to check w/ your ped. but I've never given my daughter milk, she just doesn't like it and gets calcium from the sources you mentioned, esp. chard or broccoli. Difference though is I breastfed her for 18 months and so she got the most liquid intake from me. I think giving milk is more cultural habit that necessity if other forms of calcium are in the diet.
Jen
I've never had a glass of milk in my entire life. She does not need milk. You're making sure she gets the nutrients from other sources. Stick with water it's the best thing for her.
Such an important decision should be made only after obtaining knowledge from a nutritionist and your pediatrician. I'm sure many people "play doctor" themselves, but if you have no education in this area you should not make a decision that could adversely effact your child. Educate yourself first (not by using this forum :) ) and then you will be able to make the best decision for you child. Good luck.
Personally I would not cut out the milk. I would definitely check with your doctor on that one--which you already said you were going to do tomorrow. It's great she drinks so much water though!!
The vitamins and mineral in milk are essential for her growth. I would never think about taking away milk just b/c of hard stool. Why dont you try feeding her Nectarines or peaches they really help. You might want to add in some meat to her diet unless you are vegatarians but then she should still be getting beans and possibly tofu.
Some of you guys are out of your mind!!!
YES, she NEEDS whole milk for her brain growth. I am a childcare provider, participating in the USDA food program, and I MUST serve whole milk to the children in my care for both breakfast and lunch, the minimum serving for a one year old is 4oz for each meal. Talk to your pedi, but I am sure she would say the only case your daughter would swich to soy is if she develops allergy to dairy. On another note, you don't really need to give her 100% fruit juices, those are really unnecessary, because of the extra sugar, offer her instead fresh fruit and veggies.
Hope this help.
I personally think maybe half her liquid intake should come from water, half from milk. It shouldn't be totally cut out (in my opinion, of course) for a one-year-old who can tolerate it. I just feel like if she only drank water that's filling her up on pretty much nothing (as far as calories, nutrients, etc). That's just my two cents! Ultimately I say just go with whatever the doctor advises.
No, I don't think so. There are a lot of children out there that are allergic or maybe lactose and/or casein intollerant and are able to thrive quite well on a diet that does not include dairy products. But you indicated that your daughter does eat yogurt and cheese and vegetables (broccoli is a good source of calcium) so I would think she would be fine if she didn't drink milk or a lot of milk.
I'm kind of surprised to hear ped's are recommending a transition from breast or formula straight to 2 percent milk. My ped told me whole milk has the most necessary fat for brain growth and she'd recommend it until at least age five (she actually said even longer provided my son stays so thin).
I'm really grateful my son likes milk and while I give him a good deal of water too, I never worry when I'm giving him a glass of milk that he's filling his belly with pointless or no calories at all.
I guess I'd go with what your doctor says on the matter though.
YES!!!!
It is for proper brain development because of the fat component, not the calcium. This was a question last week as well, and I was frightened at some of the responses.
Yes. Cow's milk is for baby cows. Goat's milk is for baby goats, and breast milk is for human babies. Sometimes, people can not nurse to 2 years. Sometimes babies wean. Sometimes, as in our case with my daughter, I had to stop nursing to start chemo when she was 11 weeks old.
Their brains need the fat in milk. If you can find a source of fat that replicates what's in whole milk, you're probably OK. Ask your pediatrician.
Someone posted last week that all we need as humans is water. True as adults. But, if we were fending for ourselves naturally (I do have a degree in Biology), our life expectancy would be closer to 30 years-old, not the 78 years we're expected to currently live in the US.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, here's a guide to how much milk:
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/f...
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nut...
Milk is especially important to kids under 5. Especially whole milk. Not because of calcium, but because the milk fat, and it's fatty acids is essential for brain growth. You could eat cheese all day, and it's not gonna be the same, and cheese makes a lot of people super constipated. Most pediatricians say 16-24 oz. per day. Yes, you could get fatty acids from fish, but you would have to eat so much, that not only would it be expensive, but the ocean's are nasty nowadays.
It's my understanding that young toddlers still need 16 - 24 ounces of milk per day (I have a 15 month old) in addition to other dairy like yogurt and cheese. They are still growing pretty fast, though not as dramatically as they did in the first year of life. In addition to the calcium, milk has other nutrients that are very beneficial. I think that the harder stools are just normal and part of moving past the baby stage and having a more varied diet. Though if she seems uncomfortable you could try increasing the amount of whole grains (e.g. sub whole wheat pasta for regular) and veggies. I also know that some fruit can actually block things up, like bananas and apple sauce. I would be interested in what the doctor says though, so let us know!
