Toddlers & Milk

Archived Q&A and reviews ▼

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Questions

Litre of milk daily for a 2-year-old?

March 2016

My latina kinswomen feed the two-year twins about one litre of milk everyday to the exclusion of food. The bottle is the twins method of falling asleep, and/or going back to sleep when they wake up at night. They wake up two or three times per night. The twins mother and her live-in mother are from South America and do not believe in sleep training. The twins doctor reports an iron deficiency. My son has conceded interfering in the parenting decisions for ''the sake of peace in the home.'' In the two days I am helping, I gently suggest food, less milk, offer raisins, etc. Any suggestions.

Concerned American Grandparent

When my son was two, he drank even more milk than that, and ate very little food (a few Cheerios, some grapes). When he started preschool, he couldn't drink that much milk, so he cut down, and ate more food--though he still drinks quite a bit of milk. He is tall (two inches taller than his father already, at 14), thin, and very healthy--almost never gets sick. Milk is a good food. The thing I'd be more concerned about is the kids going to sleep with a bottle. That can rot their teeth out. However, I'm not sure how much luck you'll have trying to get the twins' mother and mother-in-law to change their ways, so you might have to just grit your teeth and accept it as a cultural difference. Milk-fed family

Hi,I'm from South America and stopped feeding my kids during the night at the age of 2 months. I ''ferberized'' my babies at 4 months. Your south American daughter in law is doing the opposite only because she can and want, it has nothing to do with her place of origin. #bigotry

26 month old only wants milk, not solids, for meals

Feb 2015

Before I email my pediatrician, I wanted to get some first-hand advice on my son's preference for milk over any solid foods during most mealtimes. For about a year now my son has turned into a very picky eater, pretty much rejecting all vegetables and fruits except for carrots, peas, and avocado. He'll eat plain pasta and rice, but only when he feels like it. For the past two months, he has been requesting a bottle of milk at mealtimes (yes, he is still on the bottle; I have not had the time nor energy to wean him). Any suggestions of breakfast/lunch/dinner and/or water/water-downed juice is met with an emphatic ''NO'' and will escalate to tantruming if he doesn't get his bottle of milk. I'm usually able to get some solid foods in him during dinnertime if I spoon-feed him (while he has his bottle in hand), but the daycare provider will not do it (her point being that he needs to be able to regulate and feed himself, which I totally understand).

I'm worried about his diet--comprised mostly of milk--and worried that this will lead to iron deficiency. Anyone out there have a similar experience with their kiddo and can offer some advice on how to get him to drink less milk and eat more solid foods?

Overdosed on Milk

I know it will seem like this is impossible, but you simply don't give him the milk. You are the parent. Let him have a tantrum. Let him have 10 tantrums. He doesn't get the milk until he eats the food you are serving for dinner. You are teaching him that if he has a tantrum he will get his way. Not good. You are in for a hard road if you teach him this.

It's best if you don't get angry, just stay calm and firm. You set the boundaries and stick with them consistently and though it might take a long time, eventually he will start to eat real food.

Our 3-year-old can be fairly picky, but at about your son's age, we started serving her what we ate. No special kid meals. Hungry kids will eat--as long as they don't get milk first! They will follow your example. Ours picks the pasta out of the vegetables, that's fine, eventually she'll eat the vegetables.

We had a phase where she wasn't eating enough at dinner and wanted to eat as we were tucking her in for bed. Since it is important to us that bedtime isn't delayed and that she eat enough for dinner we did not give in to her tantrums. She had eaten enough, she'd be fine, and eventually she started eating more at dinner. Decide what's important to you and be loving, calm, and firm in enforcing those boundaries. Don't give in to the tantrums!

We had the identical problem when my son was about that age. The bottle had become a comfort object, but then he would fill up on milk and not be interested in new foods. Our ped suggested 2 things - first, give skim milk if you are not already. Now that he is 2 the fat is not so critical, and skim will fill him up less than 2% or whole milk. Second, start gradually diluting the milk with water. Again the goal is to keep him from filling up on liquids. We tried this and it worked for our son - we moved gradually to about - 50/50 water and milk. (Gross, but he didn't care.) it took us a bit longer to get him off the bottle completely, but once he had less milk he was a lot more willing to try solids. Good luck! If they are hungry, they will eat!

Feeding kids can be so tricky! I love the book How to Get Your Kid to Eat: But Not Too Much by Ellyn Sater. I know you can find it on Amazon and probably at the library or your local book store. My situation was not the same, but similar in that my toddler son was a picky eater and only wanted consume milk and cheese. What was great about it for me, is that I could use essentially the same method for my older child who loved all food and would overeat herself into a stomach ache. Now my son eats many more foods and my daughter understands when she is full and will stop eating on her own. Been there too

The way to get him to drink less milk and eat more solid food is to give him less milk. Yes, it will lead to tantrums. Yes, weathering those tantrums will suck for you as much as him. No, they will not damage him. Yes, for exactly the reason you mention it could damage him to have so much milk. I've had to give a toddler a transfusion because excess milk led to such severe iron deficiency anemia. Your son is two years old -- he's not in charge of how much milk he's allowed to drink, you are. Decreasing the amount of milk he drinks (no more than 18-24oz/day) will almost certainly increase the amount of solid food he eats. It may not do so at that particular meal or even that same day, but over time it will improve. Do not worry if he goes a few meals, or even a day or two, being stubborn and hardly taking anything in -- his body will not allow him to starve to death in the presence of plentiful food. It's more urgent to get him off the milk than to change the vessel he takes it in, but if you just want to get all the painful suckiness over at once, it's often the case that kids drink less (of anything) from the cup than the bottle. pedi who's seen this before many times

15 mo old passion for milk

June 2012

Hi. My toddler daughter cannot seem to get enough milk! We're up to a gallon every 2.5 days or so. She eats solids fairly well if she's hungry enough, but it seems like every hour she asks for another bottle. She's big-- 98th percentile for height and weight, so maybe she just needs lots of calories. But it seems excessive to me. She also refuses to drink milk out of a sippy cup. (Water and juice are fine, weirdly). Has anyone had this happen with their baby? What should I do, if anything?

Whoa, I think that is way too much milk. Our doctor said no more than 16 oz per day. Toddlers need to get most of their nutrition and calories from food. I just stopped giving it to mine on demand, gave her water instead and she was always happy to be distracted with some yummy treat, like fruit, cheese, yogurt, crackers, etc. It didn't take long for her to develop the habit of expecting milk in the early am and pm only. Best of Luck

This is general pediatrician advice. There will be other viewpoints. This is a very common issue- babies find the bottle comforting but your baby is now a toddler and sad to say, it is time to wean her off bottles of milk. She is a well-grown baby and has high caloric needs but she should be working towards a toddler diet and milk by cup. She should be moving toward regular mealtimes and not having random bottles. The comfort aspect is a nice thing, but milk by bottle is a leading cause of tooth decay (teeth are bathed in milk which has natural sugars and sticks to teeth), poor weight gain (when milk is preferred over a full diet because solids have higher caloric density) and overweight (if they eat a full diet for age with bottles on top). The sippy cup can be hard to start for some, start with the non-leakproof ones that are easier to drink from. If she loves milk it will be a tough few days until she is willing to get it by other means than the bottle but she will if she has to. If she loves the bottle, ditto. Let her have milk by cup and water by bottle to uncouple the two instead of going cold turkey. Let her have one milk by bottle per day when she seems to need it most- the only problem being if its bedtime, its not great for the teeth, but you are not going to do this forever and she has the bottle in your arms and not in the crib. Its a process of growing up like anything else. baby doctor

FYI, my son's pediatrician said that we shouldn't be giving him more than 16-20 oz of milk per day. I've read 24oz in other places, so you may want to look into it. There are concerns about what it does to the lining of the stomach in too high of amounts. Mom of a Milk Lover Too

People will tell you that it's bad for your kid to drink that much milk, but really, don't sweat it. Dairy is not the evil food product that some people make it out to be. My son pretty much lived on milk until he was about three--he wasn't very interested in solid food (though he ate some), and he drank as much as 64 ounces of milk a day. We tried cutting down his milk and he lost weight (he was already thin), so we just let him have lots of milk. When he went off to preschool at age three, they of course didn't keep him supplied with milk all day, so he just naturally cut down, without any big fuss. Now he is a tween who's tallish and slender, smart, and extremely healthy--in all his 11 years, he has missed ONE day of school due to illness. He eats a normal diet and drinks maybe 12-16 ounces of milk a day.

I *would* try to get your daughter off of bottles soon, because they're bad for the teeth (both the position of the mouth while sucking, and the way it makes milk pool in the back of the mouth) but even that isn't of major importance in the scheme of things. We got our son off bottles by spending a weekend with friends who had a baby and telling him that the baby needed bottles and since he was now a big boy (I think he was close to two) we were going to give his bottles to the baby. He took it pretty well.

Oh, by the way, I only buy organic milk. We don't know for sure that it's better, but I figured it couldn't hurt. Milky Way

My daughter was a milk addict. Seriously. We were worried but could not get really any other food in her. At her 3 year birthday we told her the bottle fairy was coming to take the bottles because new babies needed them. The fairy left some cool sippy cups and a stuffed doll. She did ok with it. We talked about it before it happened and I got rid of the bottles so we wouldn't break and give in. After she would still drink milk but much less. Now I wish she would drink some (she is 5 now). Do not stress to much it will evolve. All kids are different. Anon

20 month old demands milk all the time

Sept 2009

My 20 month old wants milk all the time. She has a tonne of food allergies and can eat rice, fruits and veggies safely and soy milk. She demands milk as soon as I pick her up from daycare, in the middle of the day or night, evening and as soon as she wakes up. She even demands milk within 10 minutes of drinking it. She eats her solids alright but my biggest concern is she is drinking about 20+ ounces of milk. We try to add water to her middle of the day or early evening milk demands. But at 20 months isn't 20+ oz overkill? Any ideas on how I can gently move her away from her milk demands, especially the middle of the night ones. anon

My son is also a big milk drinker, at 26 mos he would love to drink 20+ oz a day. We have done a couple of things. One is cut most of his milk with water as you are doing. Another is to replace some of his milk with water (such as the cup he drinks on the way home from preschool ''sorry, no milk in the car''). He gets one 9oz cup (usually cut with water) at dinner and if there is left over he can have that at bedtime (otherwise water if he asks for it) but we do not give any beverage from bedtime till morning. He cried a bit and fussed the first few nights and now I just say ''milk all done'' and/or ''no milk now, time for sleeping'' and he accepts that. Once or twice he has been clearly not feeling well and needed something to drink at night and we gave him water. Good luck. mother of a milk lover

14 month old won't drink milk or eat enough dairy

April 2009

Help! My 14 -month old won't drink milk. For background: he still nurses twice a day and is a very picky eater in general (won't try new foods, very sensitive to slight differences in taste/textures, etc.) At 13 months, I decided that for my sanity I needed to wean him off of daytime feedings, as he doesn't take a bottle and won't drink breastmilk from a cup either, and I want to go back to work. With his ped.'s OK, I weaned him to yogurt (YoBaby brand - lots of sugar, I know - but he won't eat any other kind) and cheese. She said that as long as he was eating the equivalent of 2 cups of milk in dairy products day, it was OK that he didn't drink milk. So, I made sure he ate 8 oz. of yogurt and 1.5 oz. of cheese every day.

Unfortunately, he has suddenly gone on a ''cheese strike'' - he refuses to eat it. So now, his only source of dairy is 8 oz. of YoBaby yogurt a day (he won't eat more yogurt than this a day - and even if he did, I'm not sure all that sugar would be good for him.) This is only half the amount of dairy he should be eating. I am terrified that he will also start refusing yogurt as well. Suddenly refusing to eat certain ''favorite'' foods happens often with him. Other sources of calcium such as soy milk (flavored and unflavored), tofu, and broccoli have also been offered (and rejected) numerous times. In desperation, I even tried flavoring milk with some NesQuick, thinking that he would like it if it was sweet - but he refused this too. He even rejected rice pudding made with milk and cereal made with milk. To make things worse, he also drinks very little fluid during the day. Besides 2 breastfeedings, he drinks on average 4 oz. of water or water/juice mixure TOTAL for the entire day (taken a few sips at a time throughout the day.) Even if he liked the taste of milk, I don't see how he will drink the recommended SIXTEEN oz. of milk a day! (Unbelieveably, he has plenty of wet diapers, so his fluid intake must be OK.)

So, my questions are: 1.) What can I do to tempt him to eat cheese again? 2.) Any other dairy alternatives to try? 3.) How can I get him to drink milk or soy milk? 4.) To those of you with good milk drinkers, how much do your children drink a day and how much at a time? How do I get him to drink more than a sip of anything liquid at a time? Any suggestions or sympathy for to any or all of the above questions will be much appreciated! Dumbfounded by dairy

We had the same problem with my son but supplemented with liquid or chewable calcium tabs from the health food store. He is 8 now and his teeth are great and bones seem fine. tiara

hi, we had a dairy-hater as well. Have you considered using a vitamin? You can get gummi calcium vitamins at most health food stores, or Walgreens (check to see if your son also needs a source of vitamin D). You might also try an enriched cereal, such as Cheerios (read the box for calcium content), or calcium enriched orange juice (some bread is even calcium enriched, I believe). Personally I would go nuts struggling to get someone to down 16 ounces a day of something they don't like!

ps. now that my son is 6, he eats almost everything, including lots of foods that I won't eat, but he still doesn't like milk at all. Gradiva

My big and healthy three year old nursed for 14 months, did not drink milk except for in cereal for a long time, and now maybe has the 16oz. but certainly not every day. Try feeding your kid beans--they love picking them up, well-cooked broccoli, really good whole wheat bread, and stop worrying so much! I know a lot of other kids who never really guzzled milk. Try different kinds of yogurt (mine likes Brown Cow [whole fat]) and Strauss. Wait on the cheese and try again later. Try not to stress out about it, just keep offering a variety of foods, and remember not to force it, just keep trying. You may have to throw out a little food, or eat it yourself, but try to stay steady about it, the kids pick up on if you're stressed about the food. And remember, they will eat if they are hungry, they don't starve themselves. Not so much milk over here

It's such an interesting question. I used to live in southern China where, 20 years ago, noone drank milk. There were no cows, no milk, yet the people there had gorgeous large teeth, extremely strong bodies and lived into their 80's. Brain function (which is affected without enough calcium I've read) certainly wasn't an issue either. Because of this experience, and because my children chose vegetarianism (I won't allow them to be vegans as young children, so we do eat dairy of some sort every day) at a very young age, we have never forced milk. My girls are also of Chinese descent and it's widely known that many people of color are very lactose intolerant. Lists include Asians, African-Americans, Native Americans and some Hispanics. You can read alot about this online.

My one girl says now that when she drinks milk, she feels slightly ill and the other one just can't handle it, ie ''it's too rich, mommy''. There are so many online discussions about this (I've pasted just one link for you below), but my biggest tip is that there are so many other dairy and non-dairy choices, I'd let go of the ''glass of milk'' until a later time, or not at all. It may also be the texture of your yogurts that are a turn off, so try different versions of yogurt products. Watch out for all the sugars!

I'd let go of the cheese issue since your child is trying to tell you something strongly. Now that my girls can talk , they say they despise cheese unless it's just a little and on a pizza, saying the same words : ''too thick'', ''makes me sick'', etc. I know my kids are fine without this milk focus since they're getting dairy elsewhere and eat tons of veggies every day as other sources of the calcium. good luck!

Again, if your pediatrician says ''milk is a necessity'', please do remind them that there are entire cultures that have thrived, not just survived without ANY milk sources for thousands of years. Most people never think of that!

Take a look at this: http://www.parenthood.com/article- topics/the_great_milk_debate.html Others Thrive Without It

Arrrrgggggg! Enough already with the dairy. Humans should not be consuming dairy products in any form. They are disgusting and unhealthy and are designed only for young cows. Notice that even adult cows don't drink cow's milk. So stop the milk madness. It's all marketing from the American Dairy Counsel brainwashing people into thinking they will die without all that mucus they get from dairy products. You and your child do not need dairy - AT ALL. Your child understands this innately and that's why s/he is refusing to eat that crap. Give your child mostly plant foods and everything will be fine. And read Diet for a New America, John Robbins. sean

Hello, My child was the same, he is lactose intolerant and never eats dairy, now gets calcium pills every day. Check for a milk allergy or lactose intolerant. Good luck.

Healthy children need to drink milk and /or eat cheese (it's a challenge for an adult to be healthy on a diet sans dairy, but it is possible, for children it's much more difficult).

Perhaps the best and easiest toddler foods of all, yogurt falls into the dairy category and is loaded with calcium, potassium and even a little protein--all necessary for healthy human development. Most children will love yogurt and it now comes in many varieties and is even drinkable! Our solution to a child who didn't get enough dairy at just about the same age was to purchase Brown Cow yogurt (yes the one with the cream on top--fat is necessary for brain development) and stick a straw it in. He loved it, and it worked until he learned to eat cheese cubes and other foods.

It also should be noted that humans are omnivores meant to both consume meat (animal products) and vegetables.

One last word: one's best resource for their child's nutritional needs is the pediatrician. Ask for a complete list of foods your child needs at your next office visit and outline foods your child is reluctant to eat. Most times your doctor and elevate your worries interlay and remind you that food comes in phases to kids and they tend to add to their diets ad little at a time. I hope this helps. Linda

Just had my 18 month pediatrician visit and she confirmed that it is OK for my toddler to go without dairy. My daughter is Asian, and has not ingested enough dairy for me to really figure out if she is lactose intolerant or not. she does not like milk or cheese. Her foster parents used to put formula in her rice cereal, but she does not like any kind of ''mush'' since I've known her. She went through a phase of eating yogurt (YoBaby) but when I tried some other brands she rejected them and now will not eat the YoBaby either. She does eat plenty of broccoli and other calcium-rich veggies and fruit. In her sippy cup she often has miso soup or chicken broth. I make the chicken broth from healthy chickens and really stew the bones so they give up the calcium. She eats tofu and eggs. My pediatrician said that was fine. My 2 cents is limit the sugar and don't worry... Things change fast and maybe she will try more dairy soon. Good Luck. JuliaM

2 year old is not drinking any milk

April 2008

My 2 year old son is not drinking any milk. I am really concern for his growth and proper development. Any advice you have is greatly appreciate. Thanks pamela

My daughter also refuses milk. My pediatrician says not to worry, lucky for her she is not a baby cow. We're the only animal that drinks the milk of another animal. No longer worried about milk

Kids don't need cow's milk. Try goat's milk, hemp milk, or almond milk instead. non-dairy momma

He may be lactose intolerant or he may just not like milk. No one ''needs'' milk and most of the world's people do not drink milk once they are weaned from breastmilk. Water with nutritious food is just fine. You could also try giving him a glass a day of fortified soy, rice or almond milk, but as long as his diet is fine, he doesn't need anything but water. Anon

Don't worry about milk. My boys hated milk, NEVER drank it. They are over 6 feet, have great bones, beautiful teeth and are smarter than smart. Find other ways to supply calcium and vitamin D. If your child will eat other dairy products - cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, or things made with milk - and dark greens - broccoli, spinach, - and add a daily vitamin if you want. This milk thing has been pushed by the milk advisory board and advertising in the US. Your child will be fine with a healthy, balanced diet and drinking plenty of water. Milk, Schmilk

Quick question - is he drinking other things besides milk and water? We opted to keep juice out of the picture for as long as possible, so as far as my almost 2 and a third year old knows, the only options are milk and water. (And hot chocolate for special occasions). So whenever we ask him what he wants to drink he usually chooses milk - I think because it's more exciting than water. (Interestingly, he does choose water some of the time.) If yours is also drinking other things and you are really worried about the lack of milk, you could try cutting out the other more exciting choices and see if milk becomes more interesting! happy with no juice for now

Toddler refuses milk now, but loved it in bottle

March 2008

We weaned my daughter (now 22 months) from the bottle cold turkey two months ago. At that time, she was happily enjoying 12-14 oz of warmed cow's milk a day. Also at that time, she happily and easily drank water from a sippy cup. Now that she's weaned, she WILL NOT DRINK MILK. Period. I mean, I've tried cold, warm, with Ovaltine, chocolate syrup, strawberry flavor, blended into shakes...I've tried in 5 different sippy variations, in an adult glass, with a straw, in a ''juicebox'' style container, etc. Nothing. And this is the same milk she used to love in the form of a bottle. She still loves her sippy of water, by the way. So we give her what calcium we can in the form of those gummy bear supplements from Costco, as well as a small amount of yogurt, cheese, and pudding. But my question is, how big a deal is it that she's getting zero milk? Her pedi. seems to think we simply aren't trying hard enough to get her to drink it, which is kind of an irritating response especially since it hardly addresses my concern. So I thought I'd try for some peer input! Thanks very much! Deb

Hi, you've already tried everything I thought of while reading your question, so my thought is that you've actually tried too hard and turned it into a 'thing' (power struggle). She knows you want her to and enjoys watching the floor show while you scamper around trying to figure out how to get her to drink it. She might be retaliating for taking away the bottle. I say that because when we took away the bottle from my daughter at age 2.5, she NEVER took another nap, she just refused, and boy that was tough because she really needed it. So they can be very strong-willed about the bottle. Anyway here is my advice: stop talking about it completely. Tell her once very calmly and lovingly, if you would like some warm milk, please let me know. Then drop it completely!! I would think she will come around but only when she doesn't 'lose face' by asking for it. And that will only happen when enough time goes by where she sees it isn't an issue any more. Also this is not totally related but my son lost his bottle he initially refused milk too. We got him to drink it by putting in very small amounts of ovaltine and warming it up for his sippy cup. We called it warm chocolate milk. Not ideal but he also was very skinny and really needed the calories. Then one day around age 4, I said, do you want warm chocolate milk or fresh cold milk? He said fresh cold milk and never asked for the chocolate milk again. Go figure! He is 10 now, with great teeth and health and weight so I guess the little bit of chocolate didn't hurt him. anon

there are plenty of vegan babies out there getting enough calcium. if you Google 'non dairy calcium sources' you'll get all kinds of ideas. as an aside, there are lots of folks who believe the FDA dairy recommendation is totally inflated & not based on science-- more about the dairy industry being in bed with the FDA. there are many cultures/countries that do not have dairy in their diets & they are healthy! good luck! vegan mama

What about upping other sources of dairy and not worrying about milk? Cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, smoothies...all of these things can help with calcium intake (as can other non-dairy sources) without getting into a high-stress situation over milk consumption. If he/she hates all dairy, try lots of tofu and broccoli! Milk isn't the only way!

We are having the same problem with our toddler, who has rejected the 4 new sippies and 3 new varieties of milk we've offered, saying they ''taste strange'' when they're not in a bottle. Irritatingly, in the past she's been willing to drink milk from a sippy when we're traveling, but only because she knew her bottle was waiting for her back home. We can get her to eat some cheese and yogurt every day, but not very much, nothing like 16-24 ounces of milk. So, what did we decide to do? Worried about calcium, tired of the pediatrician's unhelpful suggestions for coaxing her to drink, and feeling that two 3-minute sessions/day with a bottle weren't going to damage her for life, we decided to let her go back to the bottle (after about 8 weeks of resistance, missing her bottle, refusing all milk, etc.). And that's where we are now: With an almost 3-year old who has two 5 oz. bottles a day, and seems very happy with it. (I wonder: Is the bottle-sucking related to her new/old habit of putting everything she touches in her mouth? Hadn't she outgrown that a year ago? Maybe not...) Bottles are Not All Evil

My daughter did the same thing. She is now 5 and has never again drank milk. She eats yogurt and cheese everyday and lots of other calcium rich foods. I don't think she needs to drink any milk. It really is a cultural expectation. I have had to deal with a surprising amount of emotional comments about this, especially from my relatives in the mid-west. Just do the ''How to get your kids to eat...'' approach. Offer it over and over and let her decide if she will drink it. She can be healthy without it.

Will she still take it in a bottle? If so, and you really want her to drink milk, give her a bottle. If you are asking if she really needs to drink milk, there is lots of advice about alternatives to provide the missed nutrients (in real food - not just supplements). But really - why not just let her have a bottle! Lots of kids world wide get their milk by sucking for a lot longer than 22 months. I promise she won't take it to college. R.K.

Why are you not giving your toddler milk in the bottle? We still do, and our son is three. Every night before bed, and before brushing his teeth we give him a bottle with a little maple syrup. I know that many cultures nurse until the baby is four, so I figure our son has at least one more year of bottle. But I am going to give him a bottle as long as he wants it. Also have you tried milk on cereal? Finally, yogurt is a much better form of dairy than milk. I don't know how much calcium it has, but if it has enough, I would give cheese and yogurt, rather than milk. Good luck

It is not a big deal that your toddler is refusing milk. In fact, her body may be telling her that it doesn't want it, that it doesn't agree with her. There are actually good reasons not to drink pasteurized milk; here is what the Weston A. Price Foundation has to say about pasteurized milk: ''The kind of milk this highly decorated campaign endorses is pasteurized or ultrapasteurized, homogenized conventional milk from cows in confinement fed a diet high in soy, grain, bakery waste, pesticide-laden citrus pulp and even pellets containing chicken manure. Pesticides, antibiotics, trans fats, estrogens and similar toxic substances can end up in the milk. Pasteurization or ultra-pasteurization is a quick-heat process that destroys enzymes and immune factors, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamins C, B12 and B6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer. Even worse, modern conventional milk has most of the nourishing butterfat removed, and nonfat dried milk – a source of carcinogens and dangerous oxidized cholesterol – added.'' Check it out: http://nourishingourchildren.org/parents/real- milk.html and www.westonaprice.org. Good sources of calcium are raw milk, bone broths (you can get these at Three Stone Hearth in Berkeley-- http://threestonehearth.com), sesame seeds/tahini, broccoli, and nettles. Tracy

Ahhhh... Been there! Here's what we tried. We have those Nalgene looking bottles by Camelbak. They're adult size, come in different colors, and for some reason our 2 year old daughter loves drinking out of them. I think she sees us using them and digs that it's a big girl cup. They have a built in straw and ''bite release'' top to suck the liquid through. It's so great. She can walk around the house, drink oodles of milk, or water and virtually no spilling for clean up detail. They are $12 a piece, but it's a great way to have ''to go'' bottles for adults and kids and if your child won't use it - you always can! REI has them online so you can look at them. Good luck! erin

How much milk for 14 month old?

Nov 2007

Our almost 14 month old has drastically reduced the amount of milk she drinks in a day. She used to drink 4 bottles a day of 6 ounces each, totaling 24 ounces. Our pediatrician said this was the upper limit so we weren't worried. I read about how once she transitioned to regular milk at a year, we could start offering her milk with meals, in a cup. We did this and now offer her 4 ounces of milk in the morning with breakfast, 4.5 ounces of milk with lunch, 4.5 ounces of milk with her afternoon snack, and 6 ounces of milk in the evening before bed. The first three feedings we offer in a cup, and she usually takes 3 ounces, 4 ounces, and 4 ounces of what is offered. The before bedtime feeding is still offered in the bottle and she drinks all 6 ounces. She is now down to about 17 ounces of milk a day, from her original 24 ounces.

How much milk should she be drinking at this age? Should she be drinking solely from a cup now (meaning eliminate the last bottle feed)? When should she be drinking milk (with meals only)? How many times a day? Wondering About Milk

There might be people that tell you to cut out the bottle at night, but I just wanted to say that we still give our son (over 2) in a large sippy cup (really just a bottle with a plastic nipple!) almost 8 oz of milk mixed with carnation instant breakfast before he goes to sleep. It certainly helps him sleep, but mostly we do it because he has always had weight problems (he is in the lowest percentage for weight, though his height is normal). So, I think the answer to your question depends very much on your child's weight gain. If your child is not underweight, or is overweight, maybe water before bed would be better? mom to a skinny kid

why all the milk? you can calcium from many foods and kids are not baby cows!!! I'd say don't worry about it. BUT-yes - get rid of the bottle all together. getting our calcium without milk

I can't comment on the quantity issue, but no, I don't believe there is any reason you have to force your kid to give up bottles yet. 14 months is still really young to stop sucking. R.K.

I think she's drinking enough milk, but check with your doctor to be sure. and I think it is fine to still use a bottle at 14 months - I didn't start cup until 2. If I were you, I would not be measuring everything quite so precisely - down to the half ounce and all. Her consumption will naturally vary from day to day, and you'll just make yourself crazy.

It isn't necessary to get everything she needs from only milk. Cheese and yogurt count too. I know several kids that don't drink much milk, but have a lot of cheese and yogurt and their doctors said that's fine. anon

14-month-old won't drink milk from cup or bottle

Nov 1999

Does anyone have advice for a 14 month old who won't drink milk from a cup or a bottle? He still breastfeeds a few times a day. I've tried whole milk, soy milk (different brands and flavors) and he doesn't seem to like any of them. (I should add too that he never was a breast milk drinker from a bottle or cup.) He does eat quite a bit of yogurt but I'd like to get him in the habit of drinking some milk. Is there some tasty flavor I could add? Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks! I just want to clarify that he will happily drink everything but milk from a cup or a bottle. It's only milk that he doesn't like. Any suggestions appreciated!

I could have written this letter! My 14 month old does not drink milk in any form either (only breastmilk). He also doesn't drink juice, but will drink two to three cups of water a day. I spoke with my pediatrician about it and she said as long as he gets breastmilk he will be fine. She said that yogurt and cheese (cottage cheese, firm, etc.) helps. Basically, the benefits to milk are that is a cheap source of protein and calcium. Well, she pointed out, he could get his calcium from fortified orange juice (I think it's fortified with the same ratio of calcium as cow's milk?). She also pointed out that it is possible to fulfill his protein needs in other ways, like meat, beans, eggs, or tofu. I guess you just have to be creative. My son no longer takes breastmilk from a bottle during the day while he's with his nanny, but he usually gets plenty of cheese and yogurt.

I have tried plain, carob, and vanilla soy and rice milk and regular cow's milk to no avail. I plan on trying again later on. I do make his cereal with fortified rice milk (since that's what we drink), so he gets some nutritional benefits that way. I know some people give chocolate milk to their toddlers (!) to get them to transition to cow's milk but that is not something I want to do.

There are studies that show that the nutritional benefits from breastmilk get more concentrated as the baby gets older and nurses less often. I don't know how exactly, but you can probably find out at www.lalecheleague.org. Good luck.

You toddler very likely doesn't really need milk. You make want to read about milk consumption for this age -- as far as I understand babies this age don't need more than 16 oz of dairy per day, which would include yogurt, cottage cheese, other cheeses, and any foods which use any of the above. If he's eating well he's probably getting all the nutrition he needs. If he's breastfeeding a couple of times a day in addition, he may be getting all he needs.

However, if you're really wanting him to have milk, you may try an herbal tea mixed with some water and milk -- I know one baby who loves drinking this mixture.

My daughter also drank almost no milk at that age. She would drink juice and water from a cup. I tried milk in both bottles and cups, but she really was not interested, so I put the bottles away (This is great now, since I'm not struggling to wean her from bottles at 18-24 months like many of my friends.) She was still nursing 1-2 times a day, and we continued to offer milk at meals. I completely weaned her at 15 months, and within days she was drinking 8-16 ounces of milk per day. She was apparently getting enough milk when breastfeeding, but when that source was gone she replaced it with whole milk. So I guess my advice is not to worry about milk consumption while you are still breastfeeding. I would provide plenty of opportunities to drink milk and other liquids from a cup so he knows how to use it (you did not say whether he drinks anything else). I would hesitate to add anything to the milk, or you may never get your son to drink plain milk.

I had this same experience with my son and short of putting all sorts of flavorings and sugar in it there was not way to get him to drink milk (and that didn't even work most of the time). I decided to give up and on his pediatrician's recommendation give him Organge juice with Calcium - he's nine now, still won't touch milk except to get his rare bowl of cereal wet, he does eat yogurt and sometimes cheese. I'm convinced milk is just not for him and his body knows it so I don't push it.