Looking for tips on how to get my 14 month old to like drinking whole milk.

Jodi - posted on 08/04/2009

My 18 month old son won't drink milk either. He was breastfeed for 6 months (stopped on his own, I was devastated). At about 1 year I started trying to give him milk, he will only take it warm and in a bottle! (try warming the milk). My son absolutely will not drink it from a cup! I have tried chocolate, strawberry, even vanilla milk. Gerber has something called Gerber Graduates Smart Sips nutritious beverage. They are made with milk and have lots of vitamins. I bought some strawberry ones. He took a few sips, liked it, but still only drank about the equivalent of one to two tablespoons. Just like adults, not all kids like milk. I give him cheese, yogurt, and a children's calcium supplement to make sure he is getting the right amount in his diet. His pediatrician is ok with that.

Mary - posted on 08/03/2009

My 2 yr old has never liked cows milk. He drinks soy milk when he wants milk, but mostly water. I don't feel like he's lacking anything nutritionally by skipping the cows milk.

Haleah - posted on 08/01/2009

Wow, you all are so wonderful to share your experiences- thank you. I'll try the tips from Elizabeth about the fresh fruit. My daughter is insane about strawberries and that just might work. Otherwise I feel comforted knowing I shouldn't stress as long as her diet is good on calcium. Thanks again Mamas!

Bridget - posted on 07/30/2009

My youngest daughter wouldn't take whole milk either, but I didn't like the idea of putting anything sugary in it. So I would add a very small amt of pure vanilla extract to her milk. She loved it, and it was easy to remove slowly without her even noticing it. Now, plain milk is her favorite thing to drink. (She is 3, and drinks 2%)

Kassondra - posted on 07/30/2009

My little brothers had a slight lactose intolerance so we used goat milk. Unfortunately, my daughter can't even tolerate the goat milk, so I use the Lactaid that is fortified with calcium. Goat milk has a higher fat content so it is closer to breastmilk, or so I've heard. My Aunt used it for her two kids and we have several family friends that used it. Also, try heating it up just a little and adding some choclate.
Luisa is 14 months old and pretty much weaned herself at 11 months. I never put the milk in a bottle. I have a special sippy just for chocolate milk. When she sees it, she starts whining.

Jennifer - posted on 07/30/2009

For my daughter who wouldn't even talk breastmilk in a bottle - I put cows milk in a cup at the very start to make it fun and exciting. Sure she didn't drink much but it made her think she was getting something very special and was very grown up.

Now she takes it in a sipper cup and really enjoys it, I am down to just one breastfeed a day these days...

Shannon - posted on 07/29/2009

With my son.. who is now 11 months, we talked for a while with the pediatrician about milk and changing over to it. Ours does not recommend switching over till they are older, stating that the more it is pushed, the more likely they are to have a milk allergy or intolerance later... oddly enough, my daughter, who we pushed milk like crazy on when she hit a year... has a lactose problem now!

Elizabeth - posted on 07/29/2009

fresh strawberries(a few 3-4 small) ina blender with about 1/4 cup of milk... blend it up!

My girls like this as a treat... PLUS

___

Freeze an orange slice(about 2 hours in the freezer)

and than combine a small frozen concentrate orange juice and 2 cups or so of milk in a blender mix it up a bit... than put the frozen orange slice at the bottom of the cup top with the orange milk and it tastes like an orange dreamsicle icecream.

these help but you also want to get them to try regular milk. But these are healthy alternatives to chocolate and strawberry syrups!!

Heather - posted on 07/29/2009

My son never drank cows milk. I breast fed him for a year and then kept offering cows milk when we stopped but he would just spit it out. He loved cheese and yoghurt (still does!) and would have milk on cereal so I gave him Weetabix or Ready Brek made with lots of milk for breakfast. I can't drink milk either so maybe it is a family thing!

April - posted on 07/28/2009

Maybe I'm weird here, but I think milk tastes DISGUSTING, so I don't blame your little one!!! I think in my whole life I've drank two glasses of milk -- once being while I was pregnant and both times I had choc syrup in it.



Come to think of it, I've never offered my son a glass of milk either. On occasion if he sees his dad drink it, he might want a taste, but other than that we give him nothing but mineral water (or reg water) and rice milk, but only as breakfast.



If you're worried about good fats or calcium, there are plenty of other ways to get it, like in leafy greens or cooking with it. And if you're still bf'ing I wouldn't stress about it too much.

Nicole - posted on 07/28/2009

Well my son is 2yr 7mo and still nurses. He doesn't like cows milk much at all. Usually the only time I can get him to drink any is if I am and/or it's chocolate milk. But, since he still nurses, I don't worry about it.

Jaime - posted on 07/28/2009

if you are still nursing, give them expressed milk with a little whole milk, keep adding more whole milk to each cup of breast milk until it is all whole milk.also you could try warming the milk. my daughter wouldn't drink cold milk until she was 18 months old !

Sara - posted on 07/28/2009

My son is about 20 months old, and breast feeds 3-5 times a day, It has become a problem because I am changing my diet to lose weight, and take Acia. He also makes a seen if I don't give him milk right away, he will literaly pull down or up my shirt. I am a Liberal but its becoming a big problem. I am trying to switch my son to more milk of any kind. Any tips.

Geneva - posted on 07/28/2009

my son hated whole milk when we first started it at 1 yr - he was primarily breastfed w/ formula supplement when he was in daycare. He started taking milk when he realized I wasn't offering the other choices anymore (I still b/f 1-2 times per day until he was 15 mos old, but not during the daytime) - it also helped when I warmed it as if it was a bottle of breastmilk or formula.

Paige - posted on 07/28/2009

I didn't push my daughter to drink cow's milk. I made sure she was getting plenty of calcium rich solid foods and she was still nursing so it wasn't an issue. Even if you're not still nursing, she should be able to get the calcium she needs from food (cheese, yogurt, spinach and other leafy greens, beans, etc). Cow's milk isn't necessary.

Mandy - posted on 07/28/2009

Don't push the issue. Both my 5 year old and 2 year old drink very little milk. They wer also breastfed. The only way the oldest will drink it is in cereal. I have a cereal bowl that has a straw attached. That is the way we started drinking milk. Humans are are the only species that drinks milk in adulthood.

Shanda - posted on 07/28/2009

I mixed it with apple juice. (For ODS at 12 or 13 months and only gave it in a sippy.) I started about half and half I think (I know, apple juice mixed with milk sounds gross, but he dug it) and gradually decreased the proportion of apple juice to milk until he was used to drinking the milk and I could just cut the juice out of it completely. I figured at least he wasn't getting refined sugar in it like he would if I added chocolate instead!

Jana - posted on 07/27/2009

My daughter was the same as Tiffany's. When she wouldn't drink whole milk I started with skim milk and slowly worked my way up to whole milk. After a while I backed off to 2% and now she can't get enough. I have to limit her milk to just with breakfast and dinner and only water during the day. Your little one will get used to the taste of cows milk soon, just don't give up.

Tiffany - posted on 07/27/2009

My daughter wouldn't drink cows milk until about a month after I stopped nursing her completely. I just kept offering it to her and now she loves it.

Tiffany - posted on 07/27/2009

My daughter wouldn't drink cows milk until about a month after I stopped nursing her completely. I just kept offering it to her and now she loves it.

Minnie - posted on 07/27/2009

Coming from another direction...why is it a problem for toddlers to not want cow's milk? This is the breastfeeding community after all...



Really, cow's milk is unecessary- the child can get proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals from other food sources (mother's milk would be the preferred source!!). The nutrients in cow's milk are low in bioavailability for a human.

User - posted on 07/27/2009

Have you tried adding just a bit of chocolate or strawberry flavoring into it? Not much, just enough to taste - the strawberry flavor will also turn the milk a pretty shade of pink. Just an idea!

Kerry - posted on 07/27/2009

My 16monthold daughter has a milo or hot choccy in the mornings,she doesn't drink the whole bottle but goes back to it over a period of 2hrs,i am demand feeding aswell,she hates powdered milk,it just takes time,i think because i am demand feeding i can cut a feed and offer her a bottle or sipper or straw,i just say to her"mummy needs a rest" "have this yummy drink instead bub" lol they seem to understand more than we think,and if they are thirsty enough they will have milk,hmm but u could start with offering apple juice at dinner then change the next night to milk. i can't wait until my girl is finally off the breast,lol.beleive me,she loves titty hehe.

Geralyn - posted on 07/27/2009

Yes!!! My son refuses whole milk. I even tried rice milk, and he wouldn't even taste it! We try to get yogurt and cheese into him to help him get his daily amount of calcium.... I am not sure that we will have success any time soon....

Haleah - posted on 07/27/2009

We're still nursing before naps and bedtime. I'd really like her to have milk with meals now that she's old enough. Does anyone else have this issue?