One Year Old Won't Drink Milk!

A.,

My daughter didn't drink as much milk and I got concerned as well. I put 1 teaspoon of Straw Nesquick into 4-8 oz milk. She started drinking more then gradually I gave her less Nesquick and she now drinking milk regularly.

T.

My recommendation would be to start bfing asap (if you still want to). My dd only drank cow milk from a sippy cup and not a lot at first. Now I have to limit it or she won't eat food :)

I agree with your other post - try mixing in a little vanilla milk with the regular milk and then slowly put less and less of it in, until you have weaned him off of it completely.

I can't BELIEVE a pediatrician would recommend stopping nursing and going on cows milk ?!?! Is he like, 95 years old?
Seriously, I'm sorry because I feel like you've gotten some really outdated advice that has nothing to do with current information. I hope that you are able to take a deep breath and relax about your child's growth and development. Kids grow at different rates at different times. They can be at 90th percentile at 6 months and 10th percentile at 2 years. It varies WIDELY from child to child and is based on so many factors besides nutrition. Your pediatrician should be explaining this to you (maybe you need a new one!)
For what it's worth none of my kids (now ages 16, 13 and 10) were ever milk drinkers, they just didn't like it. They have always been extremely healthy and have developed perfectly...and, I might add, always 10-20th percentile...after all, is it our goal as mothers to have a large child, or a healthy, intelligent child?!
You can also try soy or rice milk as an alternative, especially since you've already stopped nursing, though it sounds like you son is getting plenty.
Best of luck to you :)
p.s I need to add that I think chocolate milk is a horrible idea as it has TONS of sugar, you may as well give him a soda :(

This happened to my friend and -- just for moral support -- her dr. told her that as long as her child was getting enough calcium and vitamin D in other foods then it was fine to not force the milk. After all, everything we eat / drink, is for the nutrition within. It sounds like your little boy is getting plenty of the right nutrients so it is just a matter of getting his weight up.

Also, any time you switch milk or formula, the baby has a hard time with the taste adjustment. If you still can nurse a little, try pumping and mixing it with the whole milk. Then, slowly, increase the amount of whole milk and reduce the amount of breast milk. The gradual transition helped us a lot when we switched formulas and later when we switched to whole milk. It also is easier on their little digestive systems.

Good luck!

If he's getting plenty of yogurt, smoothies, cheese and "milk shake type things" you shouldn't have anything to worry about. The pediatrician will let you know if you should be doing anything differently.

I would get a new doctor too. The APA recommends nursing to a year; the WHO recommends 2. And many people around the world do not drink cow milk. Hard to go back, though. My son also picked up drinking cow milk once he stopped nursing at 18 months. He wasn't really into it before then, even with Ovaltine, vanilla, etc. But now, at 3, his preferred beverage is still milk.

HI A.-
Try rice milk. It's a little sweeter, as is breastmilk. However, please stay away from soy. Babies cannot digest it. They also have a hard time digesting cow's milk, but can. Rice milk from what I have read and been told is easiest on their systems and not as thick. Your baby just may not like the thickness or flavor of cow's milk. Technically, you can breastfeed through the first year or so. It is healthy for the child. If the doctor is concerned about weening your baby from the breast, you can always pump breastmilk and put it in a bottle.
Lastly, if your baby will consume all other milk type products, then you really shouldn't worry about him drinking straight milk.
I hope this helps
-E. M

Hi A.- Try not to get too hung up on the milk thing. I'm not sure why we Americans get so worried about our kids drinking cow's milk. As you see from all the great suggestions there are other ways to get calcium, many of which are far more healthy than straight cow's milk. Honestly there are millions of very healthy people in the world who never drink it! As for your doctor's advice to stop nursing he's just wrong and there are lots of doctors and nutritionists who would dispute his advice. I would get a second opinion and maybe a new doctor. My kids (and many other children I've know well) bounce all over the growth charts depending on their age, activity level, calorie intake etc. In fact both my girls dropped their weight percentage at about 9-12 months because they were much more mobile and burned more calories. Unless there is some other indication that something is wrong don't worry about it. I think we monitor babies growth so closely sometimes we forget they are growing and developing and there will be changes in there body types over the months and years. Good luck and remember if your boy is happy and healthy in every other way don't focus too much on his weight.

My son did not take to milk until he was about 16 months old, I nursed him until he was 17 months, and he still didn't LOVE milk. He was always below the weight curve, but at 2.5 yrs he is a muscular young boy and completely normal weight.
It seems ludicrous to encourage a mom to stop nursing in favor of cow's milk. First, I'd get another pediatrician! That said, it might just be his metabolism kicking in - he's probably a LOT more mobile now and will get even more so. It sounds like he is getting enough calories/calcium from the foods you have mentioned. Please don't worry about his weight, his body knows what is best for him.

GL

At Whole Foods you can get Yo Baby liquid yogurt. I used to buy that (they have banana and peach flavors) and I'd put some in with his milk. I eventually lowered the amount I put in until there wasn't any yogurt just milk. Good luck!!

HI A.,

Like Devon, we added a little bit of liquid yogurt to the milk. I added just a dash but it was enough to sweeten it up (and I liked that it was yogurt and nothing yucky).

We didn't 'wean' him off of it - one day we just gave him regular milk and he drank it up. We've since discovered that he's allergic to milk (hard to figure out when they aren't drinking it) but not to cheese. So (these are my Dr's words) we, "don't worry about it. if he's eating 2 pieces of string cheese a day you've got it covered." So, try not to worry about it, keep offering milk and eventually he will come around. Weight loss is scary but it's totally normal for kids to slim down a this phase anyway. I hate those darn percentage charts, they always make me feel badly if I'm not in the upper tier!

good luck!
T.

p.s.
what are you using to give him the milk? bottle? sippy cup? regular cup? we found starting with a regular cup them moving onto a sippy cup worked wonders! he never took it from a bottle. oh and try making it ice cold. putting ice in the milk and shaking the cup could be quite fun for him too! :)

I know a lot of people may disagree with me on this, but I don't think it's crucial that kids drink cows' milk. No other mammal starts drinking the milk of another animal when it's weaned...or keeps drinking any milk into adulthood, for that matter. If your son is eating yogurt and cheese on a regular basis, he's getting plenty of calcium. My son just turned 2 and only recently began liking cows' milk. But he's a yogurt lover so our pediatrician said not to worry about it at all. She said breastfed babies don't generally like cows' milk because it's not as sweet as breastmilk. Don't worry, he'll be just fine!

Not even if you put chocolate powder in it?

When I lived in Mexico, many years ago, the milk there was completely disgusting, with yellow curds floating around in it and it tasted nothing like normal milk.

Anyway I, a milk lover, never drank the stuff, unless I put chocolate mix in it.

Maybe if you're worried about weight gain you could make some kind of high calorie/high nutrient yogurt/soy powder, mixed fruit and honey smoothie.

hello A....
i know you said you've tried every form and at every time of day, but have you tried horizon brand vanilla milk boxes (starbucks sells them individually and whole foods by the case load) or letting him make his own chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla milk, ie. choosing the cup choosing the syrup, pouring the milk, adding the syrup and finally stirring his concoction...? i've found kids will eat almost anything they make whether or not they actually like the way it tastes and watch out, at 3yrs old they will eat whatever you tell them doesn't taste good in spite of you and your warnings. if you have tried the a fore mentioned, and it has not worked out in your favor, i am afraid i am out of ideas, and good luck in your hunt for whatever winds up being the proverbial straw that breaks the camels back.

aline

i dont mean to be harsh but if i were you i would get a new dr and get that kid back on my own milk. either way, there is so much out there to provide your kid with what he needs, just look at is as an opportunity to focus on lots of good veggies and other protein/fat sources.

I just went through this exact same thing with my daughter (she went from 80th to 15th percentile in 9 months). Our doc recomended adding a little chocolate to the milk to give it more flavor. I went with ovaltine (it has the benefit of having some vitamins in it and I love it so I usually have it in the house.) I add one tsp. of ovaltine to 8 oz milk and she drinks it happily. She went from drinking 4-6 oz a day to drinking 12-16 (she now only gets the ovaltine in her morning cup) and in 3 months she went from the 15th to the 25th percentile. We saw the doctor on Friday and she gave me a double thumbs up "good job mom".

And just a little added note. I noticed a lot of people being concerned about your doc's recomendation to stop nursing. I understand fully where you doc is comming from (two years of nutrition classes in college taught me a few things). After a year your body starts producing milk for a normal healthy 1 year old, however if your child isn't nursing and eating like they are supposed to this often isn't enough. Cows produce milk for calvs which have a higher energy requirement than babies so the milk has more calories (mostly in the form of fat) than yours does. Switching from human to cows milk at this age is completly appropriate for your child's needs.

Oh and don't think that rice or soy milk will be enough, they don't have the proper fat levels for growing brains.

how bout giving him chocolate milk??? I don't know any kids who don't like chocolate milk....

My doc said it was perfectly fine, my son didn't like milk. Just keep going with what you're doing, make sure it's whole milk yogurt and shakes with whole milk. You have to take into account between 9 & 12 months little ones become more mobile and are burning more calories. He'll catch up.
K.

Dear A.,
I agree wholeheartedly with Roxane-why on earth would a pediatrician tell you to stop nursing in order to give your one year old cow's milk? There is simply no research or data that support that notion. In fact, all research supports the opposite-the longer you nurse the better it is for your baby. Normal healthy children develop at different rates-and there are growth spurts and slow downs for all of them. They eat solids, etc at different ages..some people/babies don't like milk, some do..Don't stress about the percentiles. Please don't start adding sweeteners and additives to milk to make it appealling to your child. Products that are sold at coffee chains are filled with additives and sugars that are really unhealthy, especially for your dear little one. Enjoy your baby.

milk is not good for anyone. cows actually have two stomachs to digest it. it can cause your stomach and intestines to bleed. it caused me to have health problems for years. i loved milk but giving it up was the best thing i ever did.... it may cause his stomach to cramp, skin to be red and sensitive. although cheese, yogurt and ice cream don't effect me in that way... don't stop nursing, change doctors!

Hi A.,
I had a similar situation with my daughter at 14 months. She dropped a couple lines on the growth chart and our pediatrician gave me a hard time about it. She labeled her borderline "failure to thrive" even though she was happy, healthy, and developing early on all her milestones. I was pretty upset. I saw a nutritionist who had me log everything she ate in a week, and the nutritionist said I was doing an excellent job in feeding her. I also was nursing my daughter until 17 months, but just once or twice/day. Anyway, my daughter hated cow's milk, too. I tried everything. My doctor told me to give her Pediasure (I bought vanilla and strawberry, cuz I didn't want her to learn about chocolate too soon!). I mixed the Pediasure with milk, and slowly increased the milk content over time. It worked. By about 2 years old, my daughter LOVES milk and asks for it all the time.

About the pediatrician, we got a second opinion, and were advised that my daughter was NOT failing to thrive. She was actually thriving quite nicely. I knew in my gut that she was fine. Don't worry too much about the growth charts. As long as they're happy, healthy, and meeting milestones, you're all fine. And please get a second opinion regarding your pediatrician's recommendation to stop nursing. That is just wrong. Nursing is the best food for your baby.

Good luck!

I wouldn't say go back to nursing. I think the reason the doctor wants him to drink whole milk is because it has so much fat, protein and calcium. My husband has never liked milk and still won't even have it in his cereal. We were all bottle fed babies in my family, and we're all perfectly healthy. Our parents even found ways to nurish us as infants and toddlers. Feed him other things. There are plenty of ways to get him the nutrition he needs. He's one. I'm sure he can eat and drink most things.