12 Month Old Who Only Breastfed with Not Drink Milk. Help?

When my daughter was 1, I started getting her to drink more milk and less me. But, I had the same problem. So, my brother told me what he did for his little girl, and poof, it worked. I bought some nestle's chocolate powder, put 2 spoons full in her milk, then went to one spoonful, then down to just a tad bit...then nothing. It was the only way to get her to drink it. So, after about 2 weeks..maybe 3, she was drinking milk!!!

Good luck!

What I did for my daughter was mix (in the blender) one small banana with about 8 oz of milk - and she loved it!! Plus its healthy! And then I gradually diminished the amount of banana until she was finally drinking just milk. Good luck!

J.,

Try flavoring the milk with a little Hersheys chocolate syrup. Not a lot just enough to change the taste. It worked with my son and now that he is 2 1/2 he wants milk all the time. Also you might want to try 2 percent instead of whole milk. Sometimes the whole milk is a bit thick at first and then move her back from 2 percent to whole after a while.
Good luck

K.

Hi J., Neither would my 12 month old son. My doctor recommended putting in some ovalteen or nestles chocolate to get him to take it.
I actually bought the Horizon organic chocolate milk in the individual/single serving size...he loves it...and the vanilla too, I know that it's only 2% milk, but I plan on dilouting it with regular milk but for now this will work. He still breastfeeds, and he has a cold right now. Once the cold is gone, it's hardcore weaning time!
I wish you luck!!
E.

Do you have a pump? I started off mixing breastmilk with regular milk. I was only producing 2-3 oz at a time, so I'd give her whatever bm I pumped and top off the bottle with cow's milk. At first, she wouldn't drink cow's milk in a sippy or if it was cold. It only took her a few days and she took to drinking it out of a bottle, and now she'll drink it warm or cold.

My daughter still won't drink milk out of a sippy cup. She only drinks water out of a sippy cup and milk out of a bottle.

She only needs around 16 oz a day, so don't worry too much. As a matter of fact, too much cow's milk can block her absorption of iron. If your worried about her nutrition, she can get her vitamins from foods. Just make sure she's eating a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. My sitter makes a shake with spinach, apples, pears, bananas, celery and other fruits and vegetables and she says my daughter loves it. I'd prefer that she eat more solid food, but at least she's eating healthy.

Hi J.

My daughter was the same exact way...
what worked for her:
I weened her cold turkey when she was 19 months. Once she could not have access to breast milk, she started accepting regular milk (and yes it was the sippy cup never a bottle.)
They are smarter than we think they are...
Hope it will work for you as well.
Take care and good luck....

M.

If she can take water from a sippy, she can and will eventually take milk from it too. Thirst is a powerful drive that she will meet if given the opportunity with a sippy. After the age of one, babies don't need as much milk as before...my pedi told me approx 10-16 oz/day after age 1 because they get their nutrition and calcium from other means (yogurt, cheese, smoothies, etc...) you get the idea. Once you remove the availability of the breast, she will catch on and adjust to taking more from the sippy.

Dido with my little one - but remember, yogurt, smoothies, cheese, and may other sources may actually be better than milk, and my daughter went for that. She didn't actually started to drink milk until she went to school, around 2 1/2 and saw her friends doing it. Let's not forget if you are still breastfeeding that's a good source too :)

My daughter was the same, except she would take nothing from a sippy. I cut her off completely and then bought every sippy they make. After a day she started thinking about trying a cup. We tested until one worked- NUBY was the brand for her it has a soft top which makes for better sucking. If she does not get milk for a day or two while figuring out the system she will be fine. Good luck!

have you tried soymilk,rice drink,pedialite,yogurt,babyfood?
M..

I was in the same situation as you - nursed child who didn't take a bottle who would not drink milk. It just takes time. You will probably end up wasting a bunch of milk but just keep giving it to her. I used to mix Horizon vanilla milk with regular milk and slowly lessened the vanilla milk until it was straight milk. I know it seems like forever but she'll probably end up drinking it in a few months or so. good luck!

Hi,
my lactation consultant adviced me to put breastmilk in a sippycup with a little wholemilk so that the baby can get used to the taste and each time add less breastmilk and more wholemilk. you may also have to warm it up.. hope this helps...

Try offering formula. Neither of my kids did well with whole milk, either. I gave formula after weaning for another year just to support the nutrition thing, then switched to soy milk. I also let them use a bottle, because they would drink the whole thing. If I gave them sippy cups (believe me I tried with both) they would just drink a little bit and let the cup roll under the sofa to get cheesy. (you know what I mean!!) Anyway - I didn't stress too much about "schedules" and the conventional wisdom of ditching the bottles at 12 months. I just made sure to keep their teeth clean and once they were ready, I had a conversation with them and let them pick out the coolest sippy cups ever to use for their milk. THEN we got rid of the bottles.

Hi J.,

Contrary to popular belief, cow's milk is not necessary to obtain adequate supplies of calcium...it is not one of the more bioavailable sources. There are numerous vegetables that have much higher and more bioavailable calcium stores than milk. Asians traditionally don't use dairy in their diets, yet their rates of osteoporosis are lower than Western women.

Also, many people and children are lactose intolerant and don't know it. Milk can contribute to increased mucus production in children and exacerbate sinus congestion, phlegm, asthma, etc. GI symptoms such as excessive gassiness can also be due to lactose intolerance.

So, as long as your daughter is getting a balanced diet, she should be fine. It's OK to honor her instinctive preferences.

Just my 2 cents...
S. I., L.Ac.
San Marcos, CA

My son would not drink milk from a cup (whole milk, formula, or breastmilk) but would drink juice and water, so I knew it wasn't a flavor/texture/temperature problem. He was fine on the breast or bottle. I just kept offering it, and eventually he took to the cup of milk and now has no problems. I would advise to wean from the breast according to your plan, and continue to offer a cup of milk at each meal/etc. If she still isn't drinking any after a month or two I'd talk to the doctor. Hang in there, this is only the first of many similar challenges!

See above responses about weaning for Jenifer D.
They don't need cow milk, just give water, cheese, yogurt w/o sugar... many foods have calcium: spinach, broccoli...............

I JUST got back from the pediatrician from my son's 1 year checkup and had asked him the same question since my son can't stand milk. He told me that babies don't actually require milk to get the nutrients they need. As long as they are having yogurt and cheese daily they will be fine on the amount of calcium/protien they are receiving.

I haven't read what everyone wrote yet- but just wanted to say me too!!!! My son just turned 1 year on the 6th- he is only breastfed- I htink I am ready to wean- but he won't drink milk. I have tried it in a sippy cup, bottle- like 10 different times- and he just hates the taste. I even heated it diluted it- and no go....How many times are you breastfeeding- we are at 3 x's a day. For the last three days I haven't given him the before bed feeding...and he has gone to sleep no problem! It is good. I just don't know what to do about the milk thing...

Which milk fat are you tring? Both of my older ones wold not drink whole milk but they would drink fat free in moderation. They also were bresat fed but did not ween early. As long as they are getting milk fat from other sources you should be fine. There is YO-Baby Yoguart and of corse whole milk cheese. We just always made sure that they kids had at least two yoguarts a day and they are both fine. The odd thing is that we have had friends who had to put their children on milk restriction because of to much consumption. I would try the other milks first as they still give plenty of other vitamins that are needed. Just make sure she is getting milk fat in other places. Good luck to you and enjoy your little one.

Sometimes, things like these end up being a battle of wills. Just because toddlers are small, doesn't mean they don't have very strong opinions about things. She may not want to drink milk, but is she eating well? Food is a hard battle with little ones. Sometimes you have to lower your standards and tell yourself, I don't want her to only eat PBJ sandwiches, but, if that's what gets food in her belly, I'll be OK with it. Everything at that age is a battle of wills. You are her mom, and you know what's best for her. But, she is exerting her personality. She wants to be an individual, and she is testing that by making a stand. As a mom, you have to choose your battles. Be willing to adapt on some things, but, don't give in when it gets tough.

Try mixing a little chocolate or strawberry syrup into the milk. Breast milk is very sweet and whole milk just isn't the same. My first and third were the same way, no bottles just the boob until they were 1. That worked for both of them and now they both drink milk. Good luck!

My daughter loves the straw sippy cups. Or drinking out of a cup (with your help!) Maybe try that with milk? She might associate the regular sippy with water only. Good luck!

Maybe she just doesn't like milk! How about trying rice milk or soy milk? Get the one that is fortified with calcium and Vit D - it has just as much as milk. They both come in Vanilla which my family prefers. It is great on cereal too.