My 13 month old will not drink milk. We made the transition from Breastmilk to cow's milk at 11 months (she was getting half, then 1/4 mixed in). Slowly, she started drinking less and less. We tried bottles, sippy cups and every straw cup out there. She drinks water out of a zoli cup fine, but once we put milk in it she won't do it. We have tried cow's milk, almond milk and a mixture of the two. She loves yogurt and will drink smoothies that we make or the store bought pouches. I'm fine making her a smoothie everyday, but am I creating a bad habit? She's starting a new daycare in the fall and I am wondering if she will drink milk during lunch and snack (they provide) because all the other kids will be doing it?? Sorry for the rant, but it stresses me out that she just won't drink it. I hate milk and I was hoping I didn't pass that along to her!
Anyone have any tricks or words of advice??
What do I do if she just won't drink it?
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My toddler never loved milk either. over time she drank more but the most she really ever drinks is 6 oz in a day. however she gets lots of dairy from yogurt and cheese. At 13 months, the pedi told me not to worry too much about it because she is getting most of her nutrition from food.
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Oh, she will happily drink it from a bowl if there has been some sweetened cereal in it. Like honey nut cheerios or whatever.
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My LO refused cow's milk for a couple months. I took him to the store and let him pick out a very special cup that was just for milk. He loves the stuff now, and we even have to limit his intake (at a year, it was a struggle to get him to take an ounce a day). It was definitely helpful to have a cup that was just for milk, so he knew what to expect. I'm not sure it's a magical solution, but it might help
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My LO was never a fan of milk. Hated it. She was fine with just having morning/evening nursing sessions, and never drank formula or cow's milk at school. We even tried chocolate milk and nothing. It's only at 28 months that she *might* drink milk on its own, but it's rare.
The only thing that worked for us were smoothies. I only added 1/4 banana to her milk, and that was how she got her milk. Of course, that set bad expectations when she asked other adults for milk only to be disappointed when got just that - milk.
Like @sleepymonkey, DD was a good eater so i didn't have to worry that she wasn't getting her nutrients. I actually preferred that she was getting more of her nutrition from food/meals.
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I'm struggling with the same thing. I don't think smoothies are a bad habit though. I kinda want to start that for myself.
I just keep trying. If she's getting the calcium from yogurt and cheese then try not to stress too much.
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@Freckles: that's a good idea to just add some banana. she loves banana!
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@brady80: When i added too much fruit like strawberries and blueberries, she had some really gross poops as soon as she finished her smoothie. I'll add more now that she's older. But when she was a younger toddler, i found that 1/4-1/2 banana was the right amount.
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My LO wouldn't really drink milk until I gave it to her in a open cup!
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@Freckles: thank you so much for that suggestion! She drank two cups of milk today!! That is more then she consumes in a week. And she asked for more. Thank you!!
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@brady80: yay!! High 5!
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@brady80: yay, glad she's doing better.
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My baby is 14 months and we had similar issues. I really had to dilute whole cows milk to make it work. We did 3/4 formula 1/4 cows milk for a while, before going to half and half etc... I feel like things eventually just clicked for him. He now takes 16 ounces of milk a day no fuss.
Most of my research showed milk is a lot more about healthy fat than calcium at this age so if you're giving her smoothies / cheese / egg /avocado to make up for the fat loss it should be OK.
I wish you could reason with babies!
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We're in the same boat. At almost 3, my LO still rarely drinks a glass of milk. We make sure she eats yogurt, smoothies, and cheese. I add spinach and chia seeds to smoothies to up the calcium. You can't force them to drink milk, so I try not to worry about it.
ETA: I did a lot of research about it 2 years ago when the milk hate started, and I'm now of the opinion that it's not a huge deal. It's possible that our daily calcium requirements have been overstated - I wish I could cite sources for that, but it's been awhile since I researched it. I have a friend who is a dietitian, and she said not to worry too much. LO's pediatrician was equally unconcerned.
I just keep trying. If she's getting the calcium from yogurt and cheese then try not to stress too much.
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