Toddler hates Cows Milk HELP!

Dawna - posted on 08/10/2010

try adding water to it to make the texture thinner i used to not drink cows milk due to an allergy when i was younger and for me to start drinking it i found the texture too thick so my mom added milk it really worked

Emma - posted on 08/09/2010

Hi Louise, I just read your post.

Have you tried Skim milk? I know myself I can not stand full cream cows milk, to me it leaves a coating on the pallet of my mouth and the full cream just curdles my stomach, where as skim is fine. I have also heard from a lot of midwives and mothers that soy milk can make baby and toddlers very chubby. Not sure what your cravings or dislikes were during your pregnancy, but my mother went of cream with both of my brothers, and to this day they are 19 and 16 neither of them will eat anything creamy.

Corena - posted on 08/09/2010

My son drinks goat's milk and loves it.
(Mind you, he cannot have regular milk, he gets sick.)

Angela - posted on 08/09/2010

My daughter hated cows milk for a long time she still doesn't really like it nothing compared to mommy milk. I just started giving it to her at night when she is half asleep and thirsty she will drink anything.

Kim - posted on 08/09/2010

i put my daughter on goats milk, when cow milk started to constipate her..she never had a problem drinking either..but i did notice that the "texture" and consistency of the goats milk is alot smoother, it doesnt leave that heavy film in you mouth like cows milk.

Chatty - posted on 08/09/2010

SO TRUE, Valorie. I actually just had my 23 month old tested for a battery of things but the main cause for concern was her dislike for milk. She didn't like it and doesn't respond well to it!

Valorie - posted on 08/09/2010

I would check with your local allergist. Children are known to refuse to eat or drink something to which they may have a sensitivity. I, myself hated eggs. My parents insisted I eat them, I was later diagnosed with an egg allergy.

Charlie - posted on 08/09/2010

Try rice or oat milk .

I personally love oat milk and its good for you otherwise goats milk is the best animal milk for humans to drink and digest .

Louise - posted on 08/09/2010

Thanks everyone. I put two ounces of milk into her cup today with 5 ounces of formula and she drank it so fingers crossed I can introduce it more a little at a time. It's really good to know there is a fountain of knowledge out there I can tap into and overwhelming support. It's a nice feeling! Thanks xx

Andi - posted on 08/08/2010

Vanilla almond milk. Both of my kids are allergic to cow's milk but they love almond milk. And yeah I heard soy was bad because of the estrogen in it.

Renae - posted on 08/08/2010

I just read your second post Louise. If the only reason you are stopping the formula is because it seems like she is too old; I wouldn't worry about that.

I know a lot of people say babies should have a balanced enough diet not to need formula after 12mos; but it has loads of good nutrients in it and I dont see what the problem is. The reason docs recommend formula is stopped at 12mos is because in past decades lazy mothers were using formula as a substitute for a healthy well balanced diet. But you are not doing that, so I dont see the problem.

Also formula and milk are not equal substitutes of each other and shouldn't be treated as such in the diet.

Chatty - posted on 08/08/2010

I agree with some of the others....SOY is a big no no, IMO!

Mia - posted on 08/08/2010

Use rice or almond milk. She could be telling you that she doesn't feel good and her way of reacting to it is to not drink it. Cow's milk is not necessary for any human being to drink especially not kids/toddlers. Just make sure she is getting her calcium and vitamin D - that's the only reason we insist on kids drinking it. There are way better and more nutritious ways to get good fat, calcium, and vitamin D in our kids. DON'T GIVE SOY MILK THOUGH! CERTAIN FORMS OF SOY ARE FINE BUT OUR CULTURE IS OVER-RUN WITH SOY AND IT CAN BE HARMFUL TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT.

Erika - posted on 08/08/2010

There is no medical reason for her to have cow milk.
Many people can't tolerate it. We are the only mammal that insists on drinking milk from another animal.
Calcium is everywhere.
Heck, make a pot of greens :)

Steph - posted on 08/08/2010

My dd is allergic to cows milk and soy so she uses Almond milk or rice milk. For calcium she can have certain types of cheese but also fresh leafy greens, broccoli, and a few other things already listed will be better.

When all else fails, I have a Calcium "tea" made from alfalfa, nettle and ? (can't remember right now) that she has. Plenty of calcium and other nutrients.

Ashley - posted on 08/08/2010

She very possibly has an allergy to it and can't explain to you that when she drinks it she doesn't feel right.

Belinda - posted on 08/08/2010

This is what happened with my daughter and when it came time to stop breastfeeding I couldnt get her to drink anything but water, my Dr said as long as she was getting 3 serves of dairy a day eg, cheese, yogurt, milk in weet-bix, beyond 12 months she will be fine they dont actually need that much 'milk'. She had lots of water to keep fluids up, she is nearly 3 now and does drink milk with choc topping or milo in it.

Kate - posted on 08/08/2010

try goats milk. It is fresh in the supermarket. My daughter hated cows milk as a toddler, but loved goats milk.

Jenni - posted on 08/08/2010

what about trying soya milk....the only one that is completely ok for young children to drink is so good (dietician told me this), so maybe try that, there is also rice milk now readily available also in the supermarkets. You may find that the cows milk makes her feel queasy which is why she does not like it.....both my daughters ended up on soya milk....yes so good and as toodlers it was Prosobee formula(not sure if this is still around but there will be a soya formula around) and both my children developed within normal limits....good luck on your quest but do not force the issue jjust try other types of milk.

Louise - posted on 08/08/2010

Thanks everybody I will give some of these ideas a go. I am not sure on the soya milk though I don't wont to mess with hormones. I will start today with adding a little milk to her formula milk and see what she thinks to that. Fingers crossed hey!

Lita - posted on 08/07/2010

Try 1% its sweeter on its own. but don't push it. She could eat yogert or icecream.My daughter is 30 and never liked milk and did fine.

Chatty - posted on 08/07/2010

Lactose and tolerate? Do you mean lactose intolerant?

Tasha - posted on 08/07/2010

I am lactose and tolerate and my infant and the toddlers in my family are as well. Try Gerber formula 2 (for toddlers) in the soy plus. Its awesome. Don't believe me, read some of the reviews on diapers.com. Its easy to digest, tastes great and has all the nutrients of milk. Most people made the switch because of cow's milk allergy, I did because of the lactose problem but either way its the best. Also try pedisure it tastes great too and is easy on the go with the same nutrients

Anne - posted on 08/07/2010

She can get the benefits of dairy (calcium, etc) from cheese, yogurt, etc - but also certain vegetables and other sources - and many would argue those are better sources than milk anyhow. As for the fact that she doesn't drink anything - what about other drinks - water? My daughter always liked water and she breastfed until 22 months - but she didn't start to get into other drinks until we got the little 'boxes' with straws, right around when she stopped breastfeeding. Now she can't get enough, and there are plenty of healthy drinks - in addition to organic milk, you can get kids boxes of almond milk, rice milk, 100% juice low calorie drinks (i.e. mixed heavily with water so just juice and water), etc. Try different fun sippy cups, too, to make drinking fun. Personally I would address the two issues here a little differently - a.) not drinking all day at all by adding a variety of different drinks (incl water) in fun ways, and b.) getting the nutrients of milk, by adding in other sources which are popular at this age.

Good luck!!!

Heather - posted on 08/07/2010

Many people are now saying that cow's milk is not always good for people and is better for baby cows instead. I know that my sons get more cold and hayfever when they have dairy. Maybe your daughter would be better off sticking to soya or rice milks. My son's are very healthy and have never suffered as a result of avoiding cow's milk.

Heather - posted on 08/07/2010

Cow milk isn't necessary. We use cow milk for my youngest son(it's the only milk he'll drink), but the rest of our house uses rice milk or almond milk. My husband gets occasional coconut milk too. We don't use soy in this house because of the estrogen effects. Good luck!

Dana - posted on 08/07/2010

As a reminder, you shouldn't give your child soy milk unless directed by a doctor. They are finding that it messes with the body's natural hormone levels, not something you want to mess with if you don't have to.

Dana - posted on 08/07/2010

My son didn't like milk at all, wouldn't touch it one bit. I started putting a little strawberry syrup in it and everyday I put less and less in it until a week later the syrup was phased out completely. You could also try chocolate.

Linda - posted on 08/07/2010

Meet her nutritional needs in her diet. She can get dairy in homemade pudding, custard, cottage cheese, etc. As long as she's getting plenty of healthy liquid I wouldn't worry over the cow's milk. You could offer her soy milk and see what happens. The main thing is good nutrition, mom!

Peggy - posted on 08/07/2010

Your daughter may be lactose intolerant. Have you checked with your Dr. on this?

Renae - posted on 08/07/2010

Often when transitioning from formula to cows milk you have to do it gradually. Mixing half and half is not gradual enough. It should take you at least 4 weeks to transition by gradually adding a little cows milk to the formula.

If your baby drinks a 200ml bottle, start by adding 20ml (thats 0.6 oz to a 6.7 oz bottle) for the first 3 days. Then add another 20ml, so 40ml or 1.3oz and reduce the formula by 20ml. Continue to add another half ounce or 20ml of cows milk and 20ml less of formula to the bottle every 3-4 days. It should take about 4 weeks.

Julie - posted on 08/07/2010

LIzzy has never drank cows milk.. hates it wont touch it..think about it..she said when she was three " I am not a baby cow why should I drink it!"
she has lived quite fine drinking rice, almond, soy, She is now a happy healty 12 year old

Roseanne - posted on 08/07/2010

i know what u mean at first my daughter who is now 14 months enjoyed cows milk now she wont touch it her half brothers love milk but there father hates it he will only drink flavoured milk e.g. chocolate etc and she will too and the only way i can give her white milk is wit her cereal so it covers the taste but she drinks alot of juice and water so either way i try both

Kelli - posted on 08/06/2010

Have you tried soy milk? My son is allergic to milk from cows, so he drinks soy milk. It's organic & they have vanilla & chocolate flavors to aid in the taste. A great way to "hide" the milk is to make some baby cereal with it. My son is almost 19 months old & I give him mixed baby cereal twice a day usually...he has acid reflux really bad & this helps him to not spit up. If you feel that you have exhausted all ideas, just ask your daughter's pediatrician what they suggest. :) I hope you find a solution!

Amanda - posted on 08/06/2010

Losie i gave you a huge list of things that can replace milk. The first number is the amount you wanna feed, and the second is the amount of calcum in it. Just make sure your numbers always add up to at least 500 mgs a day.

Louise - posted on 08/06/2010

Thanks everybody some good ideas here to try. The problem is my daughter wont eat yogurt or cheese either. Not even sweetened custard. I think she gets it from me I hate milk too. She will drink the toddler milk it just does not seem right to be still on formula at nearly two. Thanks everybody for the replies.

Ashley - posted on 08/05/2010

im with your daughter on this one lol, i hate everything about milk. since she is 21 months old, id give her pediasure for kids. thats what i give my oldest since she is so active. it has a better taste and more nutrients they need. if that doesnt work, ask if its ok to give her supplements for vitamin d and calcium and just not worry about giving her milk. shes getting older and knows what she wants and doesnt want. you cant make her like something. also, there are alternatives to milk... talk with her doctor and see whats best for her.

Chatty - posted on 08/05/2010

Thanks Amy, I've never heard that. I must research further!

Iridescent - posted on 08/05/2010

Also, the added DHA you may seriously want to avoid. It is not good for people, there have been hundreds of adverse reactions reported and it is still in our foods.
http://www.naturalnews.com/027437_DHA_ba...

Chatty - posted on 08/05/2010

Oh, I just read over the other ladies comments and I totally agree with Amanda and Amy. I've got a list a mile long and some creative ways to incorporate calcium, etc into your child's diet without using milk....not just cheese and yogurt. Beans, peas, oranges, salmon, broccoli....the list goes on and on.

Chatty - posted on 08/05/2010

Don't give her cow's milk....children are just lil' adults....would you want someone constantly trying to force a different version of the same thing down your throat? Cow's milk isn't all it's cracked up to be. My 23 month old RARELY has cow's milk. As long as she's getting lots of other fluids and eating a well balanced healthy diet with lots of calcium rich foods there really isn't a huge need for cow's milk.

I'm just curious? Why don't you want her to drink the toddler milk anymore? Is it more expensive?

Anyhow, if you want to chat further I've got tons of ideas for alternatives to cow's milk.

Good luck!

Iridescent - posted on 08/05/2010

As others have said, you don't need to use cows milk. Cows milk is actually not the end all and be all of nutrition. Use another type (we use Rice Milk, as soy has estrogens that aren't something I want in our children's diet). Research it.
http://josquin.tripod.com/milk.htm
http://www.lifestylelaboratory.com/artic...

Renee - posted on 08/05/2010

I put strawberry syrup in my son's milk to get him to drink it. I desperately needed to wean him off of breastfeeding, but couldn't because he wouldn't drink anything. I tried soy milk, he drank it at first, but then stopped and only wanted breast milk. So I sweetened his milk to help me wean him and so that my son would still get the calories and calcium that he needed. I put as little in the milk as I could and weaned him off of it a few months after the breastfeeding was over with. It made him crave sweets more then normal, and when I stopped putting the strawberry syrup in his milk all together, he started to only want to eat sweet things, nothing else except for eggs. I sweetened his oat meal and slowly reduced the sugar, then I reintroduced the foods he had refused because they weren't sweet and he started eating them again. This process took about three months but he eats normally now, and loves his milk. When I was sweetening his milk, I would use 1% milk instead of whole milk, since the sugar added extra calories and my son was already a healthy weight and did not need to gain weight. It worked, he did not put on fat from too many calories but did continue to grow, and develop. He is an extremely smart little guy. 1%, 2%, and skilm milk has just as much nutrition in it as whole milk, just less fat and calories.

Rebecca - posted on 08/05/2010

I have had some friends who had to add some chocolate syrup to the milk to get them to drink it...i know it's not ideal but you could use it to get her to drink it and then slowly remove the chocolate. My daughter couldn't drink milk so we did soy and she did really well. Once she was on soy we mixed a few bottles with milk and she has been on it ever since. Soy has a different flavor so she might like that. If you can find the one that has DHA and Omega 3 in it, i would use that and if she doesn't drink milk then you wont have to worry because it has the fat needed.
Good luck

Alison - posted on 08/05/2010

Give vanilla Soy milk a shot. Otherwise, I am with Amanda. Cheese and Yogourt!

Amanda - posted on 08/05/2010

There are plenty of other ways to get the benifits of milk without actually drinking milk. One baby bell cheese is a cup of milk, minigos or any toddler yogurt is also a full cup of milk daily.



The intake of calcium of your child should be

1-3 years 500 mg/day



So that is just 2 cups of milk a day. Just a yogurt and baby bell cheese covers that.





Food Sources of Calcium



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Dairy Foods Serving calcium (mg)

Milk, with added calcium 1 cup 430

Milk, whole, 2%, 1% skim 1 cup 300

Milk, evaporated 1/2 cup 367

Cheese, hard 50 gm 360 (average)*

Processed cheese spread 4 Tbsp 348

Cheese, processed slices 50 gm 276

Cottage cheese, 1 or 2% 2 cups 310

Cottage cheese,

Kelly - posted on 08/05/2010

I have friends who have always used Rice Milk. There is also Soy. I see no reason to give it too here if she gets nutrients from other things. Yougurt, cheese....Some people have allergies and never use it. Milk will only be the first thing she may refuse to eat : )