13 month old doesn't like whole milk, trying to decrease nursings

Erin - posted on 11/07/2009

dont push it if their not ready breast milk is healthier anyway! Try mixing a little cows milk in with your milk that helped my nephew get use to it and a couple weels later he was just on cows milk! GOOD LUCK!

Natasha - posted on 11/05/2009

I wouldn't force the issue of cows milk for now maybe she is rejecting it because she is allergic to it, children do have a sense of what is good for them and what isn't. Maybe she is just really smart and knows that breastmilk is best :-) You could try sharing your breakfast cereal with her, my girl loves to eat out of my breakfast, it may help her get used to the taste of cows milk or whatever milk you use.

Sylwia - posted on 11/05/2009

goat milk??

Breanne - posted on 11/05/2009

I love Kelly Mom...great information there

Kathy - posted on 11/05/2009

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/m...
This is a great bit of information on supplementing with "other milks"

Breanne - posted on 11/05/2009

My son doesn't have any either because I don't drink it. We mix it up with Soy, Almond, Rice and Oat milk with breastfeeding in there too. Try water too! My son loves water. You can use yogurt to get the nutrients you'd like to get from the milk.

Hannah - posted on 11/05/2009

This is true. My friend has a two and a half year old who hasn't ever touched cows milk and still has breast milk every morning instead.

Breanne - posted on 11/05/2009

or you can pump! Cow's milk isn't a must.

BethAnn - posted on 11/04/2009

you can try lactose free cow's milk...it is MUCH sweeter than regualr milk. then slowly add regular milk. or make a 1/2 and 1/2 cup of breast milk and cows milk and change the ratios as needed till he is used to the taste.

Laura - posted on 11/04/2009

Cow's milk is not as sweet as mommies milk so it is no surprise what children prefer. My daughter did not like it at first either. Some things that helped was warming the milk to the perfect temperature. Remember that your breast milk is about room temperature so when you warm the milk do not make it too warm-- room temperature is closest. Another thing that I learnt, among my struggles to wean my child, is that if you give in then he will never drink it. For example, if you only want to breast feed morning and night (what I did) then for the rest of the day do not breast feed when he asks give the cows milk, even if he turns it down. Eventually he will learn that cows milk is what he gets for the day and like everything else he will acquire a taste for it. My daughter now loves her cows milk.

Julie - posted on 11/04/2009

I will try the soy milk and see what he thinks. Thank you

Hannah - posted on 11/04/2009

We drink soya milk as a family instead of cows milk. I didn't know you could give this to babies/toddlers. I'll be trying this for myself tonight!

Breanne - posted on 11/04/2009

Have you tried fortified Soy? My son loves soy and Almond and Rice milks.

Hannah - posted on 11/04/2009

My two year old has never touched a drop of cows milk either. To boost her calcium intake I give her fromage frais and yoghurts, which are advertised as containing as much calcium as a glass of milk.

I don't know what other mums will think about this, but how about reducing your nursings anyway, and if he won't accept cows milk, try to feed him extra calcium in his food, and just give him water to drink?

I expect his biggest issue will be that he wants to nurse for comfort, and will just have to adjust to the new routine. Maybe he will accept a snack instead of you feeding him.

Good Luck!