14 Mo Old Wont Drink Cows Milk-any Suggestions?

Neither of my kids would drink milk before the age of two. I had no issues with this. Milk creates mucus... I gave mine Rice milk that was fortified with Vitamin D and Calcium. I did have one that could tolerate the "gentle ease" formula that they made for todlers so I gave him that.
There are a lot of people who don't drink milk at all and don't allow their kids to drink milk. I would concentrate on asking those people what they do for protein and calcium requirements in their kids.
Good Luck to you.

Put a little bit of chocolate syrup in the milk once he starts driking it slowy put less and less. See breast milk is sweet and cow milk isn't so therefore children don't really want it after they have breast milk unless you can sweeten it a little. Good Luck!!

My son was exactly the same when I tried to wean him. I started putting a small amount of sugar into the milk. As he got used to drinking it, I slowly reduced the amount of sugar. It only took about a week and he didn't get sugar from anywhere else except fruit. He is now a teenager and does not have a craving for sweets so I don't think the small amount he received did any long term damage.

Good luck,
L. D.

R..

I am also a stay at home mom with a 17 month old son. My deepest fear is the day we start the weaning process (2 year mark). Wish you all the luck, as everything in the books state that weaning a child before they are ready is a difficult process. Dread it! Any information you can pass this way from your own experience is welcomed.

Information you requested:

Daily amount of calcium

Age group Recommended calcium intake (mg)*
infants 0 - 6 months 400
6 - 12 months 600
Children 1 - 5 years 800

http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/conditions/osteopo...

All the information you need on calcium can be found on osteoporosis websites. The link above will provide a list of foods you can give to your child in place of cows milk.

Also, you have started out so great by providing your child with all the wonderful benefits of breastmilk. Please read about all the absolutely horrible things cows milk has in it today. NOT A GOOD SOURCE OF FOOD FOR A GROWING CHILD. This coming from a girl that grew up on a dairy farm. Cows milk aint' wait it used to be....see link below...it is a long documented research study, but well worth the read - if not in part.

http://www.notmilk.com/kradjian.html

oh yea, my son likes rice milk in his cereal. It is sweet like breastmilk:-) Happy Days to you & your little one!

My two year old still won't drink milk. My doc said as long as he was getting calcium elsewhere not to worry about it...there is cheese, yogurt, broccoli, you can do a search to find what has calcium in it. Hope this helps...

His body may be telling him it doesnt work for him.

Try soy, rice, almond, or goat milk. Goat & sheep milk is much more digestible for humans than our friend the cow.

Fresh is not "goaty" at all, if you can find a source (check for local farms). You can find it in most grocery stores these days. If not in the dairy case, than in the baking aisle near the condensed milk & shelf stable soy milks.

P

I used to add a little hot water to my son's milk. It took the chill off and he seemed to like it better that way. Good luck.

I know I got my kids to drink whole milk by adding flavor. The chocolate and strawberry quick or ovaltine works great. Dont add the reccomended amount just tinge it slightly with flavor. I know that it is an unheard of amount that they say put in a cup of milk like a tablespoon or something. Just tinge it so it makes it more appealing.

Try adding some of the drinkable yogurt to it. We had to do that and slowly weaned with less and less yogurt and more milk over time. Try and feed him some yogurt, cottage cheese, etc since he doesn't like regular cheese. Most kids like grilled cheese, try that too.

Hello, R.! Your son was born on my birthday! Having the first baby you always question what is right. My kids didn't have problems drinking milk, but I know many who have. I have always heard that cow's milk is for baby cows, not baby humans. Ask your pedicatrician and try something else -- my kids LOVE soy milk and rice milk. I even have a cousin who's child had allergies and they put her on goat's milk. Allergies went away and are still not back today after 10 years! I also did whole milk until they were 2 and then we went straight to skim! That is all my family drinks now is skim! But look for other alternatives and see if he will like it or not and check with your pediatrician. Also, remember that mother's milk is sweeter than cow's milk. Add some flavoring, just a little to sweeten it up.

You may want to try goat's milk, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, organic milk or lactose-free milk. They all have plenty of protein in them, though I would probably try goat's milk, organice milk, or lactose-free milk before I move on to the grains and nuts.

I know that sometimes I would put a pinch of strawberry or chocolate flavoring in my son's milk when he was in transition. (Say what you want, but he drank it.)

Hope this helps.

My son didn't like plain milk either. We just added some vanilla Carnation Instant Breakfast to his milk and he loved it. It's full of vitamins and nutrients. Also, does he like yogurt? That is another way to get the dairy into his diet. Good luck!

Don't add anything to the milk. It's just a stage. Keep offering. Tomorrow he may very well change his mind. Don't be too quick to accomodate his wishes or you'll get stuck doing it forever. Stop heating the milk, give it to him cold in a sippy cup and if he's thirsty he'll drink it eventually. Kids often get less milk than they need at this age. They start to thin out and gain weight slower. They become picky eaters. Don't be pushy about food or drinks. Toddlers resist pushiness and get even more stuborn. You now have a toddler instead of an infant and your parenting style much change. You have to show him what is normal and that you expect him to do certain things. Just remember that he takes his cues from you. Eat your broccoli like it's the best stuff in the world.

R.,
My first child was the same way. Breast milk has a natural sweetness to it. Cow's milk does not. What worked for me was adding a small amount of Ovaltine to warmed milk. It's perfectly safe and adds vitamins and minerals. Just use a tiny bit--enough to tint the milk a very light brown. I say this because it has sugar, and we don't want our children exposed to lots of that while so young. This was advice I received from one of my aunts.
Also, it was the cutest thing when my son would ask for his 'O-O-teeeeen'! We still laugh about it to this day, and he's 13 now. In case you're wondering, yes, I have a canister of it at the front of my pantry. My kids love coming in from playing in the cold and having some nice warm Ovaltine with mini marshmallows. It's a treat that they know is good for them and mommy doesn't refuse them. Hope this helps you!

You may want to nurse him a little longer to make sure he is getting the nutrients he needs from the milk. Three of my children weaned at age 1 and one of my children did not wean until age 2. Some children need to develop a taste for cow's milk because they say it tastes different. Try adding chocolate to the cow's milk. My youngest son loves chocolate milk. Just trust your instincts on this one. You are his mom and you will know what to do.

R., I nursed both of mine and my oldest didn't drink milk till he was almost 2. My 2nd child we added VANILLA Nesquick or vanilla flavoring as I didn't want to put chocolate and her notice the coloring and never want to drink regular milk, the vanilla gave it a little taste but no real color... she did much better drinking the milk and I just eventually added less and less of the Nesquick Vanilla flavoring.

are you trying whole milk or 2%...I know they suggest whole milk for 1 yr olds...but my son..was getting lots of gas...and he didn't want to drink...we switched to 2% as suggestion by health dept and he is fine with it now..might be worth a shot..

Yogurt is another way to get calcium in and usually kids love it. Keep trying on the milk, but don't make it too big an issue to your son.

.

my oldest LOVED his bottle and when we weaned at 13 months, he didn't like switching to plain cow's milk either. I warmed it, which helped a bit, but then I tried adding chocolate Ovaltine (full of vitamins/minerals) AND warming it to just above room temp, and he DEVOURED it! But he also like cheese and yogurt, so I didn't really worry as much.

my second son, however, never was big on milk (other than mine and I think he just like nursing for comfort). I tried everything with him, but he always preferred the watered down juices. I just tried to slip in some vitamin drops into his juice/food. There are all kinds of foods you can research and try that you don't think of as having calcium and all the good vitamins milk provides, but they do. Trial and error, and if he continues to gain weight and be healthy, do NOT worry! My oldest has always been picky and about the ONLY thing healthy he eats/drinks is his MiniWheats with milk every day! He is 12 now and very healthy and very strong!

God bless!

I never liked milk, even though I was forced to drink it, and come to find out as an adult, I'm lactose intolerant. Maybe that's why I didn't like it?

Have you tried soy milk? Or what about yogurt? It's a great source of calcium and, in addition, you get all those great probiotics.

My middle and youngest sons would not drink cows either. The pediatrician suggested putting a little chocolate or strawberry flavoring in the milk then make sure that they brush teeth afterwards. It worked and they would drink the milk. They also love grilled cheese sandwiches. When they were younger I would cut the sandwich in strips so they could hold it easier. Just make sure it cools enough so the cheese does not burn him.

Have you tried yogurt or cottage cheese? Yogurt is especially nutritious. I give my daughter plain yogurt, not the low-fat kind, and she loves it. Broccoli, leafy greens and some legumes have calcium, but not as much as milk products. You could try soy milk too. And keep reintroducing cow's milk a few times a week. Maybe he'll develop a taste for it.

Hi, R., congratulations on the baby! The first is always the scariest, do I let them cry, do I hold them too long...so many worries! By my third, even with heart issues, we pretty much just wait until he comes in bleeding before we react...he's now almost 5! I suggest speaking to your pediatrician. I've heard of kids not drinking milk because they prefer, and rightfully so, mommy's milk. Sometimes we have to "cruel" and either they will drink what they need to or do without, I promise after a little while, your baby will drink his milk. Mine have never been crazy about cheese but we go through 2 gallons of whole milk every 2 weeks...I have three kids. As little ones, they need the fat in whole milk to help their brains develop properly. I know several people disagree, but as a nurse, I prefer to stick to the tests and results. I realize there are issues with additives to regular cows milk....again, I say speak to your doctor. We worry so much about what we eat and then sit on our duffs and never get enough sun or exercise to put all those nutrients to work. As a side note, my children are not overweight and have never had an issue with weighing too much, quite the opposite due to being very active and healthy. I hope this helps and try not to worry too terribly much. Children have survived much worse situations than our new highly developed world. Take care!

Hi R.
I wouldn't worry too much that your LO won't drink milk. Many kids won't drink milk, much less, the amount they are suppose to have daily. My LO does drink milk ( he was BF as well) but doesn't drink the daily amount. So you need to supplement other forms of calcium in his diet. Foods like broccoli, cheeses, tofu and other foods that have calcium in it. You can google foods that contain calcium to get more ideas. Many foods have fortified calcium like cereals and juices. If you are still worried about the intake you should talk to his MD, he may need some kind of vitamin or they may have other ideas for supplementing.
Oh, you can try soy milk. Kids seem to like the flavor and it has calcium. Not the flavored kind like chocolate or vanilla, but the plain kind.

Good luck, P.

How about soy yogurt?

My children are the same way. They get their calcium and Vit D from yogurt and grilled cheese sandwhiches. GoGurt is fun and most kids like them. I also add powered milk to anything I can - mashed potatoes, rice cereal. It gives my son some additional protien etc. Also, you may try to make smoothies and use milk, yogurt, powered milk or a combo of both. Milk shakes may work too if he likes sweet stuff.

my 23 month old wont drink it either i just dont even worry about it shes smart and healthy

I told my pediatrician about this same issue that I had. He said that as long as they are getting protein from chicken, etc.. they are fine. I give my daughter mercury free fish oil and thankfully she like some veggies. She can get calcium from these sources. I put the fish oil in applesauce or other fruits.

He may be allergic to cows milk. Try Goats milk, it's not as hard on the digestive system.

Wow this sounds just like my daughter when she was this same age. I talked with the doctor and he said to try yogurt and cheeses. He said as long as she got 8 oz a day of milk it didnt have to be from cow's milk. i still tried daily to give her just a little cup of milk and eventrually she started liking it. My daughter also would not drink juice of any kind for the longest time. She only drank water. Now she is 18 months and loves juice and milk. Good Luck!

The more I learn about it, the more I think it's not such a great part of our diet, despite the government pushing it. I wouldn't sweat it, and just make sure he's getting plenty of fat otherwise, and some protein. Breast milk doesn't have nearly as much protein as cows milk. Do some research on it online - there's tons of info out there. I do buy milk, but I only use it in my cereal and for cooking. My husbands guzzles it - I can't convince him otherwise. My kids got diarrhea when I weaned them and they started drinking it, and now we think it's been causing one son's eczema (it went away when we stopped giving him milk). Anyway, either way I don't think it's something to worry too much about. A lot of kids will try to only drink milk for their diet - which isn't good. Many cultures in the world don't drink it at all.

Some kids just don't like milk. He may very well be one of them so I would try the Pediasure or some other dietary supplement to make sure he is getting the vitamins and minerals he needs. Maybe you can offer him yogurt instead of cheese and other dairy products. They have some very good baby yogurt products available that he may like. He may just be that picky. I wouldn't try adding syrups in the milk to get him to drink it, instead I would offer the chocolate or strawberry pediasure because it's healthier and itsn't as sugary.

chocolate!!!! Strawberry!!! flavors!! if that doesnt work, dont worry. Give him a multi-vitamin, or try yogurt, cottage cheese, fruit in cottage cheese. Many children have allergies to milk, or just dont like it. Dont push , just accept! Good luck!

Ice cream is dairy... add a little milk in it and make a milk shake although you don't want to do that too much.

The only other suggestion is to let him see you drink it often. Most of the time, they want what you have.

What about reintroducing the bottle and slowly cooling it making it right out of the refrigerator and then gradually adding it to a cup and taking away the bottle? Don't know if that would work or you would even want to try that, but it was a thought.

Good Luck

Hi R.,

Milk is not necessary for kids to be healthy. The reason everyone pushes it is for the fat content and the calcium. So many other things can provide that. Avocado is a perfect food and can give your little one both of those nutrients and more. Rice milk or even Almond milk can give the satisfaction of milk but tastes different and he may like one of them. If not, water is great. Most kids won't drink it and if he's drinking his water and getting the nutrients he needs elsewhere, why worry about the milk.

God bless,

M.

Have you tried pumping and then mixing it with the cow's milk? When we introduced cows milk to our daughter just after her first bday we mixed breast milk; 1 part cow's milk to 2 parts breast. Then once she got used to that, we upped the cow's part until she was drinking plain cow's milk. HOWEVER, I think the biggest part of her accepting cow's milk was that we used Organic milk. It is much sweeter, like your breastmilk and by cutting it with the breat milk it thinned it out some, again, like your breastmilk. By 15 months she had weened herself. Is there any big reason why you need or want to ween him right now? Maybe by forcing the weening on him he will just cling even harder and refuse the cow's milk.
There are many juices out there that contain just as much calcium as milk does, or at least close. Also, I'm sure he could start taking a multiple vitamin at this point. Ask you child's doc first though.
I see below that someone has recommened SOY milk for your infant, before doing so you need to reasearch just how UN-Beneficial SOY is for infants and growing children. It DOES contain hormones that may interfere with developement. There are also many medical conditions that do not react well to SOY products. I have Hypothyroidism and soy is s BIG NO-NO. Although my daughter does not have it, her docs do not recommened it for her. I'm not condeming soy, I'm just saying research not only the possible benefits, but also the bad side effects.
Good Luck!