My 2 yr old has always LOVED milk and gulps it down with no problems. That was until yesterday when she refused to have any and it has continued today. She is eating fine and that hasn't changed. My concern is that she is 2 and only weighs 26.2 pounds. She used to drink 3 cups of milk a day which made up for a lot of calories and weight gain for her. Now I'm concerned that her weight will drop drastically as she is now not getting those calories because she is refusing to drink milk. Anybody had this problem with a child who suddenly stopped drinking milk? How did you supplement calories so they didn't get too underweight? Is this just a phase and will she pick up the milk again? Also she has not been sick or had had any sickness caused by the milk it just seemed to have come suddenly that she doesn't want it. Thanks!
Thanks so much for everyone's suggestions. After reading all of these wonderful answers I decided to stop worrying so much and just let it be. It worked because after not hounding her to drink her milk she asked for it tonight and has had a full cup and asked for more. I think you guys were right it was mostly a power struggle and when I stopped pushing her and let let her decide when she wanted it she asked for it. I also did offer her water during the day in case she was thirsty which she drank. She is my only child which took me nearly 3 years to conceive so I think I over worry and over analyze everything with her so thanks so much for calming me down :)
You could try flavoring the milk. If you are concerned about his weight, here are some websites that you might find helpful. Hope it helps :)
http://www.feeding-underweight-children.com/healthyhighca...
http://www.healthy-cooking.info/gain.htm
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/348/348-271/348-271.html
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/nutrition/a/0806_high_calr...
You can offer some regular or sugar free chocolate/strawberry syrup to sweeten the deal,and then slowly fade it out. I had to do that. Or, there are these cool "MILK STRAWS" from got milk that are flavored and only have 4g sugar in lots of different flavors that make drinking milk fun. My daughter is on the smaller size, too, and I wanted to make sure the whole milk was being consumed, but she's a very picky eater and really doesn't care about food.
I never drank milk and my kids only like it on cereal. Give her yogurt, cheese, leafy greens with calcium and juices fortified with calcium. What is her height? 26.2 isn't outside of normal for a two year old. I have a son who willbe three in October, and for the last year his weight has fluctuated between 25-29 lbs. Currently he's at 28 lbs. He's perfectly proportionate! Unless her doctor says she's underweight and needs to gain, I wouldn't worry about it. She can get enough fat, calories and nutrients from other foods (nuts, nut butters, other dairy, eggs, fruit and veggies dipped in dressing, etc.).
I would definitely not worry. Two year olds are constantly making random decisions like this. My son refuses to let pancakes touch his lips one week, then gobbles them down the next. I would bet she'll come around. If not, give her other calcium and vitamin D rich foods like the other moms suggested.
Often times, drinking too much milk hinders appetite. Perhaps her not drinking it for a few days will help her eat more. Just offer it to her, but don't stress over it. She will likely want it again. Don't give her any juice or anything. That is just empty calories and sugar.
I was a seriously underweight child who thrived on milk. Our endocrinologist actually had me drinking less of it, b/c I was becoming too full of it and would eat nothing else.
You can offer her nuts, avocado, peanut butter, humus, cheese, eggs, yogurt..... You can give her the carnation instant drink mixes in milk to help her want to drink it again. That is often recommended for underweight children.
We are dairy free here mostly by choice, do some research on it. My 4yr old daughter is only 28lbs, so don't freak about her weight.
Make sure she is eating a healthy diet, lots of leafy greens, fruits, veggies, and grains. Give her cheese and yogurt and she will be just fine. Dairy is not necessary, at all.
My son hated milk from day one even though he drank stage 1 and stage 2 formula just fine. He's 5 and he still doesnt drink a lot of milk - some with his cereal maybe. It's hard to know why she stopped drinking it - maybe she got a glass that tasted bad. I remember we bought a gallon and the milk tasted like soap. yuck. My son will eat ice cream, carnation milkshakes, cheese, cottage cheese etc.
You'll just need to keep offering it to her and if she doesnt want it, find other things to make up for the nutrients and calories. You should probably also consider a Vit D supplement. My doc said they need 600-800iu/day but of course, talk to your own doc about what's best for your child. I use a liquid form where all I do is put 1 drop on their gummy vitamin or whatever else they are eating.
She might have gotten some sour milk? You could mix it with instant breakfast or like Julie B. mentioned use it on cereal and supplement with yogurt etc.. DON'T let her know you notice or make a big deal out of it or she will latch on to it.
You could buy her a special "milk cup" when you guys are shopping... make it into a positve though... not an if you drink your milk...
We are the adults but sometimes we can't even outsmart our two year olds! I wouldn't worry. My kids are grown and they stopped and started eating and drinking different foods all throughout their childhood... Imagine my dismay when my daughter, now grown boasts of her aspargas, carrot and spinach concoctions she drinks daily from the juicer I bought her! The same daughter who turned her nose up at corn! Alas! I give you hope... your daughter will drink milk again! ;)
If it's only been 2 days, I would not push the panic button. My daughter went on a "milk strike" around 21 months and it's only been recently that she's decided that milk is yummy again (she just turned 4) and will drink it willingly without it having to have any chocolate flavoring (we would only use the tiniest bare-minimum amount). She got plenty of calcium from other dairy sources (loves cheese and yogurt) as well as fortified orange juice. I also would also make sure she drank the milk used in her cold cereal and would mix it into oatmeal. Keep in mind too that if she fills up too much on milk, she won't feel as hungry to eat actual food and regular meals. A multi-vitamin supplement that provides calcium and vitamin D, as well as an omega-3 fatty acid supplement would be a good idea too.
Toddlers are funny with their eating habits too. DD had been a rabid blueberry fan for the past 3 years - now she won't touch them. Hopefully eventually she will decide she likes them again!
sometimes,kids go through phases. I would try some soy milk. It has plenty of protein and they have different flavors like vanilla and chocolate. Make sure to feed her some yogurt and string cheese. Do not make a big deal out of it. She will be fine. I have a four year old who weighs 32 pounds on a good day. He loves his milk too but also went through a time that he did not want to drink milk and I gave him soy and then he drank milk again and still drinks it. May be she had an upset tummy after she drank the milk. It will be fine. try what I suggested.
