One Year Old Not Liking Milk

Have you tried mixing milk with breastmilk in a bottle? You can start out with just alittle whole milk and mostly breastmilk (10%- 90%) and slowly add more whole milk and decreasing the breastmilk until eventually you are at 100% whole milk. That's how I weaned my 1st and had no problems with the switch. But she was breastmilk fed via bottle.

Hi,
My daughter didn't like milk at first either-she was breastfed as well. I was worried, but then gradually she liked it. It took perhaps 3-4 months I think. In the meantime, I gave her cottage cheese and regular cheese, but the thing that really worked was to give her cereal with milk. She eventually wanted milk alone. Good luck an don't stress about it!

My daughter wouldn't drink whole milk either, and still won't, but she will drink skim milk! I think whole milk was just to different from the breast milk, too thick and fatty. The best part of starting with skim is that I never had to transition her off of the whole milk! Good luck.

I introduced formula at 10 months first and mixed it with breastmilk then later I switched from formula to regular milk and mixed formula with milk. My son didn't like his milk or formula warmed up. Then I slowly reduced the formula and gave milk to him cold. Try different things, maybe even different bottles like one with a straw. You might even decide to add ice to it or even some strawberry or other flavoring and introduce it as a new drink that "mommy likes very much" and then you can reduce the flavoring. Kids always like what they seeing mommy or daddy drinking. He might even like drinking it with a straw or warmed up. Keep trying, it is a new taste to him and babies are very skeptical of new things at first. They say it takes about 10 tries for babies to like some new foods so it could be the same with milk.

Hi R.,
My son didn't really like milk either at first. He refused it for about a month. Everyday I offered it to him though. He got the choice of water or milk at lunch and dinner. No other choice.
Then I found an ABC book that M is Milk. He said "milk" so I went and got him a cup. From that point on he has loved milk. I still only give him the choice of water or milk at lunch and dinner though. He loves juice so I limit it.
Also, just make sure you feed him yogurt and cheese and he'll be getting enough dairy in the mean time. Good luck.
B.

I had the same problem with my daughter (now 17 months)Now what I did was add a little (a few table spoons) of full fat yogurt(I use vanilla )and she loves it. I also make her smoothies with bananas and strawberries with some yogurt and milk,and she loves it...Im slowly not adding as much yogurt to her milk,with the thought she will just drink milk:O)
Hope this trick will work for you too

Hi R.,
I wouldn't worry about him not taking milk yet. I would keep breastfeeding him, because he is still getting the benefits of your own milk (immunities and nutrition plus bonding) Your milk probably tastes sweeter to him also. Just keep doing what you're doing and offering milk once in a while. It may take a while, but eventually he probably will take it. But for now, he prefers what is best for him. Amazing how smart they are! Enjoy him!

My son was the same way. Our pediatrician suggested watering the milk down and gradually increasing the ratio of milk to water until it was all milk, and that worked for us. As a few other people mentioned, though, it's not a big problem for a child to not like milk if they like other dairy products.

Hi R.,
Don't worry about it too much. My oldest never liked or drank milk and still doesn't drink it (she's 4). As long as you find other sources of calcium it is not a big deal for children to not drink milk. My kids drink mostly water. For dairy they eat yogurt and cheese.

it does take a little while to accept it, but he may just not like it. as long as he's eating other things with calcium (yogurt, cheese, etc) if he doesn't like milk it's no big deal. Being willing to have water out of a cup is the most important thing.

My daughter was the same way. You can try to keep introducing it. My daughter now 2 still does not like it. She gets her calcium and vitamin D from cheese, yogurt, broccoli, etc... If he won't go with the milk just make sure he is getting three servings somewhere else during the day.

One thing I did was make a milkshake with banana or strawberries (if he's had them) and my girls love to drink it out of a cup. You could try that. My girls didn't like when I mixed breastmilk with cow's milk (yay for me...no more pumping!) as they prefer nursing to get mama's milk. I'm lucky my girls don't mind cow's milk, but try blending with fruit.

Try doing a bottle/sippy cup of breastmilk or formula(if he drinks it) w/ a little milk added to it and slowly increase the milk until you are able to give just milk. It could also be that its cold. Neither of my boys like cold drinks they prefer juice at room temp and I always had to heat their milk when they were small.

Warm it and put a "little" PURE maple syrup in it at night before he goes to bed. Warm milk is much easier to digest than cold milk too.
Good luck
Sue

I'm not sure why he needs milk. There are many other beverages that contain protein - try rice milk or soy milk. He can get calcium from other products such as yogurt. If he won't eat those, you could add a fantastic supplement called Now for Kids which has all the vitamins, minerals, trace elements, omega 3s and DHA for brain development. It comes in vanilla and chocolate and is delicious - you can put it in any liquid such as water, juice, milk. It was formulated by the same scientist who was on the team who developed ProSoBee infant formula and who is a world renowned expert in liquid nutrition. It's available from distributors - not in stores. I'd be happy to give you more info. This product also helps kids who have some lactose intolerance - not sure if that's what's going on with your son. It doesn't sound like he keeps the milk in him long enough to be uncomfortable, but I raise the issue just so you can consider it.

Funny one of my sons was the same way. He went from breast milk to water because he gagged on milk and even the carnation first start (I think that is what is was called) disgusted him. He to this day doesn't drink milk. He is 14 very healthy, a runner in fact the fasted sometimes the second fasted on his school team! He eats cheese, yogurt, ice cream and other dairy products but not milk. He doesn't drink milkshakes or anything that you can taste the milk in. Someone told me that humans are the only species that drink milk from another species other than their own and especially after breast feeding.
Your son will be fine without the milk, just make sure he gets his calcium in other ways. If this is the only thing that we have to worry about, wow have we got it made. Don't worry he will be a strong young man someday. Congratulations!