MILK

It's been over a month since I took my girls off bottles and switched them to whole milk. At first, they did very well, but now, they refuse to drink milk. Sure, they may take a sip here or there, but rarely finish a whole cup of milk throughout the course of a day. The pedi is worried because they have both fallen off of their growth curves at their 1 year visit and we go back in 6 weeks for a weight check. Both girls are proportionate and don't look skinny by any means. I've stressed about it and tried everything the pedi suggested, but nothing has worked. So far I've tried chocolate milk, strawberry milk, banana milk (they love banana flavoring), formula in a sippy, formula in a bottle (pedi told me to try going back to the bottle for 1 feed/day, but they won't take it), milk in a bottle, warm milk, cold milk, milk through a straw. Nothing works. I have resorted to adding scoops of formula to applesauce and yogurt. That's the only way I'm getting it in them.

Any suggestions or even any reassurance that my kids will be OK without the milk would be greatly appreciated. I'm :headbang: trying to make this work.

 

Do they drink anything else? I know that there is flavored vitamin packets that you can add to water to boost there vitamin intake. Perhaps you could look into something like that? I say as long as they are hydrated and eat well than I wouldn't stress out to much about the milk. If they need the extra calories than you could always give them carnation breakfasts or something like that and cover your bases with suppliments. Best of luck

 

my girls quit drinking milk as soon as it didn't come with a bottle, and we've tried all kinds of stuff. my pedi was perfectly okay with it as long as they were getting in 3 servings of calcium per day, whether it be from cheese, yogurt, or even calcium-fortified orange juice. so we're doing all of the above, but my favorite method is that they love those danimals 'yogurt juices' we call them, so i pour 2 or 3 in a sippy cup and top it off with milk and then it tastes like a yummy shake and they drink them all down, plus they're getting in the yogurt too.

 

is your pedi concerned about their calorie intake (ie weight gain)? if so, that's not so much a milk issue as, well, a calorie issue. in the toddler guidebook for the SY there's a link to some info on high calorie foods for toddlers that might be helpful. as PPs mentioned, at this age toddlers can get the nutrients they need from a variety of dairy servings & don't need to rely on milk specifically. was there something particular about the milk itself that had your pedi concerned?

 

Max is a milk junkie, but Lily rarely finishes more than 1/2 a sippy cup. Our ped said since she drinks lots of water and is a hardy eater that right now we don't have to be concerned. Our only issue is watching Max because he will sneak over and grab her unfinished sippy cup after he has downed his and try to finish hers. Then he won't eat very well throughout the day. He is definately our little milk theif and he is quiet stealth about it too. It can be kinda funny some days; plus he was the one who fought the bottle his first 3 months of life. I agree with the pp about talking with your ped regarding your concerns.

 

I would agree that they could get their dairy from other sources like yogurt, pudding, cheese, ice cream. Have you tried adding Carnation Instant Breakfast or Pedisure to their milk? It could be that they might not wind up being big milk drinkers. I know it is frustrating and I hope they start drinking soon :hug: