17 Month Old Son Doesn't like Whole Milk

Ditto what the PPs said. ANd FWIW, when I introduced whole milk, my daughter didn't like the commercial wm, but preferred organic, ultra-pastuerized wm. Now that she's 4, she will drink other brands of wm (like when we're at a restaurant), but we still buy the organic for her.

Hi J.~
Try just the rice milk. I know the ped. told you to get him to drink whole milk but even though he's not showing a physical reaction he still might be allergic. He might be getting a belly ache, headache or just feel "off" when he drinks it so he's refusing it. Kids are pretty good at listening to their bodies.

Isn't Alimentum an elemental formula with broken down proteins for babies who can't tolerate the regular formula. So feeding whole milk would likely cause a reaction. Humans are the only species on earth who drink another animal's milk (cow's). As long as your child is getting fat and calcium is what is important. We didn't feed our son whole milk, rather rice milk and, most often the organic variety. Try yogurt once a day, cheeses, and alternative's to cow's milk.

I'm not sure why it is important to have a child drink whole milk. Although he is not having a reaction that you can see, and appears to be "tolerating" it, something is not right. He may well be having a reaction internally - just because he isn't throwing up or getting a rash doesn't mean he is allergy-free. He is refusing it no matter how you try to disguise it. I think you should go with that and not try to force it. I once heard someone say that the purpose of whole cow's milk is to turn a 100 pound calf into a 600 pound steer in 6 months! My son never did well with milk products, and he got a lot healthier after we stopped trying to work it into his diet. He is now 18 and a star athlete, and has hardly ever been to the doctor except for regular check-ups.

If you are worried about nutrition, and feel he needs to get off formula, why not try a patented product like Reliv's Now for Kids? It's dairy free, has every nutrient in the right balance that kids need, and is produced by one of the most highly rated companies - see Forbes, Fortune, Business Week and Success From Home magazines, also DeMarche and the Direct Selling Association. There are lots of people you can talk to to get their personal success stories - any Reliv distributor will make sure you get that info. Not only do kids get excellent nutrition, they almost always get phenomenal results with overall health, little or no illness (including colds, strep, ear infections, etc.). Reliv works by supporting the immune system and by getting optimal nutrition to the cellular level - you give the body great fuel, and it knows what to do with it.

I would definitely look into it and give up the milk battle. It's not helping, and it may be hurting.

Let me know if you want more info on Reliv. It works! And it takes the guesswork out of nutrition. It was formulated by Dr. Carl Hastings, the world-renowned expert on nutrition who was behind ProSoBee and Enfamil formulas, so he knows his stuff! The company is highly ethical and has a fabulous humanitarian mission, feeding 41,000 people a day world-wide with top notch products. My family is on the adult products, and I can't tell you the fabulous results we have had in 5 months - reduced allergies, improved blood pressure and cholesterol, more energy and stamina, no illnesses, etc.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

D.

My son also dislikes milk. He'll tolerate it on cereal but won't drink it in his sippy. (He was exclusively breastfed). The only thing I have found that works is to mix it with an organic yogurt, making it like a milkshake. (OK'd by pedi). He now gets the calcium from the yogurt too. Much healthier than syrup mixes but not ideal, I understand. I'd love him to enjoy the taste alone but for now it works.

Try yogurt. My son wouldn't drink much of anything for a while, and we made sure he got his calcium by giving him whole-milk yogurt, which he loves.

Hi J.,
Have you tried soy milk, it actually tastes a bit sweeter than cow's milk. Good luck!

Hi J.,
If he will drink the milk mixed with Alimentum, why not continue to do that, gradually reducing the amount of Alimentum? I know it's expensive stuff, but it might work. But if not, he can certainly get plenty of calcium through other dairy and juices, although I would limit the juices as the fruit sugars can really add up, and fill them up so they won't eat as much. Plus, there's no protein in juice. I have 6 kids, and a few of them are not big milk drinkers. You just have to find other sources of calcium and protein. My kids actually drink lots of water, which is, in my opinion, better anyway. My 23-month-old doesn't drink much milk, but he loves yogurt and cheese, and they're easy for him to eat. I wouldn't worry too much about him not drinking milk. Just give him plenty of choices of other high calcium foods, proteins, and lots of water. He'll get what he needs.

J.,
Very good advise for you is to buy pure maple syrup and try that added to his warm milk. Milk warmed is much better for him. Do not give him milk with his meals, except cereals or sweat things. Give it to him 1 hr. before a meal or 1 hr. after. Milk is not digestable with salty dinner or lunchtime meals. Breakfast of pancakes or cereal or toast is OK. The pure syrup is not bad for him and you can still use it on your pancakes. It's more expensive, but worth it. You can't buy your health when you get older, but you can invest in it today.
Warm milk at bedtime on an empty stomach will help him to sleep well too. And....whole milk is best. It contains all the proteins that skim milk does not. Just like whole foods, whole milk is just that.
Good luck and good health to you all.
S.

My daughter was the same way, and she still will hardly ever drink milk (at 25 months). You could try a regular cup with a straw - the novelty might get him to drink but it also becomes a spill hazard! My pediatrician said not to worry about my daughter not liking milk, just to give her dairy in other forms and to keep trying milk off and on. Yobaby yogurt is especially good since it has less sugar in it than a lot of other yogurts and it is made with whole milk. Cheese is a good dairy source too.

respect his choice.

trust that he will get what he needs when he is offered healthy/natural food. think of all teh cultures that dont even use cow's milk.

my two kids are healthy and fit, and i have never forced them to eat something or tricked them into eating something. They choose from our natural/non-convenient/healthy offers. We choose what we offer, they choose what they take from it, and how much they want to eat from it (this rule excludes the occasional sweets and deserts, which we limit in a relaxed way).

good luck!

D.

Our son hated milk when we started it. Our pediatrician said that milk was overrated and that as long as he was getting calcium from other sources, that was okay for a while. We used the apple juice with added calcium. He regularly had yogurt and loves cheese. After about six months he was okay with milk again.

Hope this helps! Good luck! Christy Y