1 Year Old Suddenly Refuses Formula/milk

As a child care provider I have seen this many times - the child suddenly just stops drinking much of anything. Just remember he will get "liquids" from foods like fruits, veggies etc so do nto worry to much about that. As I read your post though I am wondering if he is getting his one year molars and the sucking action of drinking from a sippy cup is causing him pain. Have you tried a regular cup with no lid - most toddlers are able to drink from an open cup with some assistance and with practice can do it quite well.

C.

My daughter nursed for comfort for a long time--i.e. supply was almost gone, but she would just nurse very small amounts. Just one small piece of data for you.

I wouldn't give up on the milk just yet. Is it possible he is teething or has an ear infection. If it has only been a couple days I wouldn't rule out something else making him not want to drink fluids. Have you tried a straw with him. He won't be good at it, but it may be intriguing enough to get more fluids done him. Good Luck

Respond to your baby's signals . Never rush into cutting off your milk production permanently. I always regretted stopping nursing at several times afterwards when there was no good source of food or comfort available for my baby and I had no milk left.

Timetables are not as important as what your baby is telling you he needs and wants. sometimes the baby is asking for the comfort of the total nursing experience more than just the food value. Twice a day is good to keep the balance. Better than once a day. And what happened to the information that babies thrive on two years of nursing? Are all the current books and pediatricians saying to stop at one year? This is what is the phase.

Hi J-
Although our K. can at times appear fussy about what they'll eat/drink, there are times that it's important to honor their choices. You concern points to a large myth- that myth is that our children need to drink cow's milk in order to be healthy/get enough calcium. Let me explain: Breast milk is the perfect food for our children, as most of us know. Breast milk also contains the highest amount of lactose of any other food. In the first year of life, our bodies make lactase, the enzyme necessary to break down lactose. As we approach a year old, a common time to be weaned from breast milk, we no longer make lactase. This may be why your son no longer wants cow's milk, which is high in lactose. His body may very likely be having a difficult time breaking it down.
As humans, we are the only mammals on the planet that consume another mammal's milk. It may not sound like a bad idea, however, we simply don't have the physiology to be able to handle it.
COW'S MILK IS THE #1 CAUSE OF FOOD ALLERGIES WHICH SHOW UP AS TUMMY ACHES, LOOSE STOOL, ECZEMA, LOWERED IMMUNE SYSTEMS AND EAR INFECTIONS.
I hear and respect your concern for your child getting the proper nutrients he needs.
As a physician who treats children holistically, I encourage you to explore "non-dairy sources of calcium".
And in regards to him getting enough fat- yes, you're right. He does need fat for his developing nervous system. The fat he specially needs are essential fatty acids, also known as omega 3. Nordic Naturals makes a great strawberry chewable.
Good luck and if you still have questions, I would encourage you to contact a local licensed Naturopathic Doctor in your area.

Dr. T. Fleck
Santa Cruz, CA

p.s. Any dairy products that you do feed your child should be Organic. Non-organic sources contain hormones & other chemicals that can be damaging to a developing system.

p.s.s. Soy is another common allergen in children. Try rice, almond, oat or hemp milk.

Whole milk yogurt should provide plenty of fat. My daughter is allergic to milk, but is still nursing when we're together (I recently stopped pumping at work). We use oat milk since it has much more protein than rice milk.

I would keep nursing and just keep offering fluids as often as you can. Maybe try a straw cup? My daughter really likes to use a straw to drink.