What to Do About Calcium(sp)

Updated on November 21, 2006
H.P. asks from Oklahoma City, OK
17 answers

Both of my girls will not drink milk. I have tried to put chocolate syrup and nesquick (chocolate and strawberry) in it, but that still doesn't help. My 4yo will eat cheese and yogart so I don't worry about her as much. but the little one any dairy prodcuts give her a stomach ache, diarria, and painful gas. She won't take formula at all. She was a breast baby but stoped nursing 4 weeks ago (my milk is all gone). She would have touble even with my milk if i had to much dairy. I don't know whether to try a lactose free milk or go to something like goat's milk. Any help with this would be great. both girls need more but how do you get them to have more when they don't like it?

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So What Happened?

I started my 1yo on soy milk and she really likes it. my 4 yo likes it as well. my ped said that was good but also to do other foods. she gave me the name of some vitamins for baby. I am also going to try some of the veggies for her to try. thanks for all the info it really helped.

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A.L.

answers from Wichita on

I would try using goat's milk or soy milk and then try using ovaltine in with it. My entire family is lactose intolertant. I would also try looking for a good vitamin. That way they are recieving all the nutrient's that they need. I have some great suggestions on kids vitamins if you would don't have one that you are using.

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J.W.

answers from Topeka on

Hello MY name is J. I am 40yrs old and milk dose me the same way I was 6 weeks old went the Dr fand out I could not drink milk that put me on lactose free milk but now i dont drink milk at all yes I know I should. I hope this will help you. Have a nice day.

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B.B.

answers from St. Louis on

Good for you on searching out other ways to ensure your little ones get the nutrients they need! We have avoided cow's milk for years. People don't actually NEED it despite what most dr's preach. There are plenty of ways to get calcium. If you really wish to give milk of some sort we have used goat milk that is enriched as well as enriched rice milk. The syrups and nesquick provide way too much sugar so I would avoid those at all costs. There are soft gummy supplements that my kids took for a while that have calcium and Vit D which is needed to help absorb calcium better. The website below is the cheapest place I have found it, though if you don't do internet shopping then you at least know what it looks like. These are very easy to chew even when my daughter was not quite 1 I let her have them. They taste like candy too which made it all more enjoyable for all 3 of my kids.

http://www.vitacost.com/HeroNutritionalsYummiBearsVegetar...

There is another liquid calcium supp that I use now made by Life Time. It has calcium and magnesium in it. I use it primarily because I make healthy green shakes for the kids and add it to that. The calcium has a strawberry taste and is quite good too. The most important part of ensuring they get calcium especially in your case is to make sure it is non-dairy and has no caseine. This is important for you since your children have an intolerance to dairy.

Two of my kids have problems with dairy...same as you described and I know for certain it is not a lactose intolerance. I had to avoid dairy at all costs while nursing. I actually have a problem with it too. It use to just make me gassy when I was pregnant and when I attempted drinking it while nursing, but now I actually get migraines from it. I suspected that since I wasn't processing it correctly and able to break down the protiens, I was passing off cow milk protiens (caseine and or whey) thru my breastmilk, which a baby cannot digest.

I am sure there are other good supplements out there too. Aside of supplements, which aren't a bad idea since it is now impossible to get the daily recommended vitamin amounts thru diet alone, you can increase foods that have higher amounts of calcium...salmon, other seafood, green leafy veggies, almonds, asparagus, blackstrap molasses, broccoli, cabbage, carob, goats milk, oats, prunes, soybeans, tofu, mustard greens, collards, kelp, and you can even make herbal teas like red clover, peppermint, rose hips, lemongrass, chamomile, alfalfa, rasberry leaves. These are all good sources of calcium. I have begun a habit of making tea in the morning and letting my kids sip it at breakfast. I add a touch of agave nectar since it is low glycemic and tastes very comparable to honey. They love their tea. I find the tea especially useful during times when they are congested. I just use herbs that loosen mucus and drain it out and they feel great relief with no need to over dry and temporarily hide symptoms with pseudifed. Good luck and God Bless!

B. :)

1 mom found this helpful
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C.S.

answers from St. Louis on

H.,
My almost 1 year old is milk protein intolerant. It sounds like your little one might be also. I am still nursing, but trying to wean because avoiding dairy is getting really old. My son is drinking rice milk from a sippy cup and seems to enjoy it. I also just ordered some rice protein to add to his rice milk to fortify it. I would start giving her some enrich rice milk (you can get it in choc, vanilla and plain). You can try soy also, but 50% of babies that are milk protein intolerant are also soy protein intolerant... although they usually start to outgrown it by 12 months. If you think she might be lactose intolerant (unable to digest the sugar in milk as opposed to the protein), then gets some lactaid tablets and see if they work. If so, just let her have dairy and get her the lactaid tablets.

Tums are also a cheap form of calcium. My oldest son refuses milk and cheese, but will eat some yogurt. I give him 1 Tums a day to help him meet his needs.

Just a side note, most children outgrow milk protein intolerance by 2 years. Lactose intolerance is rare (but not unheard of) in children under the age of 5.

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S.O.

answers from Kansas City on

What about calcium added orange juice, or the calcium chew things...can't remeber what they are called, they are in the pharmacy area at stores and come in different flavors and are actually pretty good. Also remember leafy green veggys have a good amount of calcium...and most kids dont like them...Maybe soy milk...just trying to think "outside the box" for other sources of calcuium.
Stace

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A.C.

answers from Topeka on

Hi H., I am a vegan and I have a healthy 6yr old daughter who is lacto intolerant. She only eats white meat(chicken turkey and fish) and very little dairy(maybe pizza x1 a week) I suggest rice milk, amd U could cool with 1% milk, there is soy cheese. There are also other ways to up there Ca intake. Try Ca fortified breads, and oj, and veggies such as cauiliflower. Chech with there pediatrician if they are at a health weight/height I wouldn't worry! I don't drink milk at all and I have never had a problem. A.

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J.K.

answers from St. Louis on

Did you know broccoli has lots of calcium?
There are far more sources of calcium and other dairy-associated nutrients than milk. Lots and lots of people have trouble digesting dairy, like it sounds like your daughter does. She'll be healthier if she doesn't eat or drink any of it. Fresh fruits and vegetables will get her the nutrients she needs!

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J.S.

answers from Springfield on

I had to put my daughter on lactose-free milk for awhile. It looks completely unappealing, but it helped her out. She's very picky, and she still drank it with no problems. You could always but the chocolate flavored kind, or add chocolate or strawberry syrup to it. Also, try pudding to see if she is able to tolerate that. I can't drink regular milk or eat very much ice cream without having the same problems, but a moderate amount of cheese, and any amount of pudding doesn't bother me at all. I hope this helps!

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D.T.

answers from Tulsa on

All of my boys were lactose intolerant in the womb and for that first year. Fruits and vegetables are a good source of calcium. So is soy milk. In a good combination you could give her just as much calcium as milk would. If you're really worried then start her on a chewable supplement.

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H.V.

answers from Tulsa on

Neither of my girls EVER had cow's milk....You might try Soy. My girls love, did I mention LOVE, the vanilla. They also have chocolate. My 5 yr old says that it tastes like a chocolate bar. Neither of them has ever had any resp. problems or ear aches, they do eat cheese, yogurt etc., but the soy is a great source of protein etc. You little one will probably really like it since she was BF. My daughter transitioned very well from breast to soy. I believe that they must be very similar in sweetness. My girls like all of the different brands. SILK, 8TH CONTINENT, WAL-MART BRAND. They do sell the SILK in a 3 pack at Sam's for about $7.00, seems alittle expensive, but is great especially if you have lactose issues. The goats milk still has all of the lactose etc. so it may not work. A friend of mine has the same prob with her new born and she is doing rice milk, but says it is terrible. The soy you can cook with and everything. Rice with totally change the texture and flavor of any and all foods. My girls like smoothies w/vanilla soy, and when my oldest was little I would get the plain and use it in mashed potatoes, gravies etc. Anything that called for milk. If you use the vanilla, of course you will have a slight undertone of vanilla. Hope this helps. If you do decide to go w/the soy, you can get coupons off of ebay. Usually $1.00 off. I know that at Reasor's now they have SILK 2/$5.00, which is a pretty good price. Good luck! Let me know if you have any other questions about the soy!

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J.H.

answers from Kansas City on

My daughter was allergic to milk while I was nursing as well. She was extremely fussy and her face broke out into a million tiny little bumps. Honestly, I would not do milk products at all if I were you after going through what I went through. Also if you try Soy milk or Lactose free, there's still the agent in both of those that can create the allergy (painful gas, etc). If I were you, I would talk to your pediatrician about a vitamin or lactose free formula that you put into a sippy cup. Through my research, I think the rate of children being allergic to milk has increased severely in the last decade. I would talk to your pediatrician and see what they suggest.

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B.S.

answers from Rockford on

My daughter is lactose intolerant and she drinks Silk lactose free milk. She has stomach problems if she drinks regular milk or eats very much cheese, but she can eat yogurt and cottage cheese so I guess you just have to try different dairy products and see what their stomachs can handle. I would ask your pediatician what they suggest. There are alot of foods, drinks and snacks with added calcium on the market now to help them get their daily requirement. Good luck.

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T.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Hi H.

I would get them both on a vitamine. And there are lots of other choices of milk products that are not really dairy, like soy milk you could try. On things like cerial, since not only can I not have dairy products, I don't like milk. I use non dairy creamer. It tastes just fine to me. I don't like soy milk, but there is a milk product by lactaid (I have never tried it), and another milk like product that comes in flavors and it is pretty good. I have seen it, and tried a sample of it at wall mart.

There are other produts on the cerial isle by carnation that that are for breakfast (or any time) that have cal. and other vit. in it. And I have been seeing comercials for bars and other things by pediasure that they might like. I know the drink itself from pediasure is nasty.

I think if you add a childrens vitamine they will probably be ok, but maybe check w/ thier ped. to make sure they are getting enough cal. and vid D, and the healthy fats they need for brain development. I think the fda says children need to drink whole vit. d milk until they are 3 for the healthy fats in it. So I would look for foods and other drinks w/ extra cal., a vitamine and check w/ the DR.

Good luck

T.

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M.L.

answers from Rockford on

Get the lil one tested she sounds like she is lactose intolerate.

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N.M.

answers from Peoria on

Your little one sounds like she is lactose intolerant. I've had the same problem since my teens, and you're definitely right not to force milk on her since it causes her to have symptoms like abdominal pain and diarrhea. You should definitely talk to her pediatrician about what steps you can take to correctly diagnose her problem (there are other food allergies like whey and wheat for example that can cause similar problems - and whey is in many diary products so it would be easy to just assume it's the lactose by mistake) and then your doctor could make suggestions about how to get her enough calcium. I think my kids have a milk sensitivity (not a full-blown intolerance) so I suppliment them with hard cheeses (no lactose in hard cheese), broccoli, and Annie's bunny grahams (sell them at Super WalMart). I'm sure there's other non-dairy things that have good calcium, maybe just do an internet search to pull up a list.

Best of luck!
N.

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S.N.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi H.,

My friend's son was a breast-fed child who did not like milk either. If your older daughter likes orange juice you can buy the a calcium-fortified brand, such as Tropicana. Since she likes cheese and yogurt she should have no trouble reaching her dietary requirements. As for your youner one, she may have an allergy of some type. You could try a soy milk product. I know that doctors will have parents switch from milk-based formulas to soy-based sometimes when their babies are experiencing difficulties with such formulas. It probably wouldn't hurt to call her doctor ask just to get a professional opinion.

Good luck to you.

S.

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P.B.

answers from Peoria on

talk with your doctor about calcium treatments. My daughter0in-law use to have to go get calcium in the hospital

queen

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