How Do I Get My 2 Yr Old to Get off Formula and Drink Milk? She Hates Milk....

I kept my daughter on a combination of formula and whole milk until she was about 18 months old ( I wanted the DHA from formula since she was adopted at 14 months). I transitioned very slowly 1/3 milk 2/3 formula for a few weeks, 1/2 and 1/2 and then 2/3 milk 1/3 formula. I also have continued to warm her nighttime bottles of milk. I dont know if there is a really big difference between organic and store brand in flavor, but I stick to organic (T Joes usually ) or Garelick. You could also try soy milk, goats milk and see if you get anywhere with that. Does she like milk in cereal? I dont think she was very picky and you might have tried all the above ideas, but thought I'd share what worked with us.

M.

Try a gradual change. Start with 1/4 milk mixed with 3/4 formula, then after a week go 1/2 milk with 1/2 formula, then 3/4 milk to 1/4 formula, the full milk.
Double check with your pediatrician. There may be other options.

She doesn't need milk we only drink it to get calcium and vitamin D so as long as she will eat yogurt and eat cheese stop buying formula don't worry about the milk. Give her water and juice that is fortified w/ calcium. My youngest has a dairy allergy and soy allergy he drinks both rice milk and hemp milk people can get along just fine w/o cow milk besides cow milk was ment for baby cows.

J., i have 2 boys that just drink soy. our little girl is 11 months, and she will be intorduced to it soon (still breastfeeding). They boys love it. We use the vanilla soy silk. Good luck in trying!

Hi J. - counter to popular opinion, milk does not need to be a staple in anyone's diet! As a matter of fact, after the age of 2 people don't even need it as long as you supplement her with leafy veggies and other good sources of calcium, she'll be fine!
Hope that helps:-)
E. K.

My nephew hated milk. Years later they found out he was allergic. Sometimes a child only has a limited way to tell you something. Perhaps she is actually allergic. In any event, if you can get cheese, yogurt, etc., into her then you don't need to worry.

How about trying Vanilla Rice Dream?
It tastes good and is good for her.
Best wishes and God bless
Grandmother Lowell

My daughter will only drink skim milk. We tried her on whole, but it is just too thick for her. Maybe your little one would like the thinner skim milk, too!

Have you tried mixing formula with milk and slowly decreasing the formula?

Don't give her milk if she doesn't like it! It is highly allergenic and not at all necessary to supplement with. If you are concerned she needs more nourishment, look into unsweetened rice, almond or hemp milk, they are delicious! make your own milk (the book Nourishing Traditions has recipes for alternative formulas). There are many options out there, milk is not needed and can actually be detrimental to digestion and immune function. Green veggies and even a supplement called spirulina are excellent for nutrients like calcium, minerals and other vitamins. Good Luck!

I don't give my son milk. He doesn't need it. Cow's milk is designed to make calves grow very large in short periods of time. Cow's milk does actually have a large calcium content, however since our children do not have 4 stomachs or the enzymes to digest milk efficiently, they do not absorb much calcium at all. And after milk is paturized, the calcium molecules are cooked so even baby cows can't access the calcium. She'll get (so will anyone else) more calcium from a cup of green and leafy vegetables than she will a cup of milk. I would say if she doesn't like it, leave her alone and don't force it on her. Dairy consumption by humans causes lots of allergies and even diseases later in life because we simply were not designed to drink it.

Would we drink horses milk or dog's milk? Everyone thinks that's gross. Cow's milk is the same idea.

When switching my daughter from breastfeeding to milk it took 3 months. She didn't like the taste at first but warmed up to it. She still doesn't drink a lot of milk and as long as I get calcium in her diet in other ways her dr. said it is no big deal. Now that your daughter is 2 she should be on low fat milk and it is not as big of a deal if she doesn't drink a lot. The bottle however could be harming her teeth. I would put my efforts into taking the bottle, not getting her to drink her milk. That is if she has a well balanced diet. You may want to call her pedi too and ask. Good luck.

my son did not want to drink milk at all either... i would mix it in with the formula...at first only 5oz of formula and 1oz milk and so on after a while he was on just milk ... the last ounce was the toughest for me, he didn't want to give it up but he eventually did :) ..best of luck!

Have you tried soy milk? My 3 year old does like milk, but also really likes Silk. It's got just as much calcium as milk but a different enough taste that your dh may just go for it!

Why does she need to drink milk exactly? There's no magic to it - we've all been pushed by the dairy industry to drink lots of it, but since its primary purpose is to turn a 100 pound calf into a 600 pound steer in 6 months, it doesn't seem essential to children's nutrition! There are plenty of ways to get the nutrients it contains, and without the hormones and antibiotics plus whatever contaminants are in the soil under the grass the cows eat. There are juices with calcium, yogurt, cheese, soy products and many fortified breads and pastas. There is an excellent children's nutritional supplement in liquid form that is much more highly absorbed than vitamin pills (my daughter's pediatrician told her that pills are just a way to make expensive urine!) so if your child is not a varied eater, you can supplement without worrying about her getting optimal nutrition. There is nothing so special about milk - it's just that we were all raised thinking that there must be!

Trick her. Start with 75% formula 25% milk and work your way up to all milk.

For the first part of your question (how to get your daughter off her nighttime bottle), try substituting with water in a bottle. I realize it would be a very difficult transition (formula in a bottle to water), but you have to be firm and present no other alternative (do not give in; if she doesn't want the water, then its nothing ... don't start with a juice/water mix, as that's also a bad crux to wean from; the juice is also bad for their teeth). Offer her another "soothing method" instead (hold her; sing to her; calm music) until she drifts to sleep. Technically, kids don't need to drink before bed, especially if they drink enough during the day (stop ~ 1 hour before bedtime). Drinking less at bedtime will also make potty training easier in the future.

Since its actually better to not give her milk before bed (sugar content is high & not good for their teeth), water at bedtime is the best! If she eats enough food with calcium/vitamins during the day (yogurt/cheese) and if she drinks milk during the day, she does not need milk at night.

If you want to get her to drink milk during the day, and she hates the taste, try smoothies. Puree fruit (anything you have on hand) in a blender and add milk. My kids love it! If you want the nutrients through a substitute of milk, add yogurt instead. I even freeze it to make popsicles - a healthy treat!

Also, with the milk, could it be a temperature thing - is she more used to warm formula? Perhaps she'll take to warm milk instead?