won't drink milk

[shouldbedoingthewashingup]

My dd has just turned 1 and drinks very little milk - she was breastfed until I went back to work, two months ago, and I just can't get her to take anything like the amount she's supposed to. Have just had an almighty battle with her to have some bedtime milk and wonder whether a) I just have to keep at it or b) I am giving her a complex by trying to force her to drink when she clearly doesn't want to. Any advice?

[Habbibu]

Don't try to force things. Are you using a bottle or a cup? DD took ages to drink any real quantity from a cup, and has never had a bottle. Give her yoghurt and cheese with meals, and also add calcium by stirring Philly into pasta sauces (handy to cool them down too), for example. I think slow and steady is likely to be more effective and less stressful.

[shouldbedoingthewashingup]

have tried bottle, beaker, cup and even teaspoon (which actually is mostly successful). Am trying to get plenty calcium in in other ways - cheese, broccoli etc, so perhaps I shouldn't worry too much?

[Habbibu]

Do try not to worry - they're hardy little things and if she's getting calcium in other ways, she'll cope. Does she like to drink out of your cup? DD likes to copy me - ooh - she loves to drink the milk left when I've had cereal - might be an option!

[gagarin]

Neither of mine have ever had a drop of milk - they loathe it.

One will tolerate it on cereal - the other has dry cereal.

One will eat yoghurt - the other won't.

One will eat visible cheese - the other won't.

They both eat cheese in cooking & white sauce.

One will eat custard & cream - the other won't.

They are both absolutely fine

[bohemianbint]

Hi,

DS exactly the same, since he stopped breasfeeding he won't drink milk full stop. The closest he'll come to it is chocolate soya milk. I was told that so long as he's having it on cereal/eating cheese or yogurts or green leafy veg, it's not worth worrying about.

HTH!

[Brangelina]

My mother tried to force feed me milk when I was small and that only made me hate it more. Despite blanket avoidance of the white stuff all my life I'm perfectly healthy, never had any problems with either teeth or bones.

I'd relax IIWY, there are plenty of alternative (and healthier) sources of calcium such as green leafy veg, almonds (can be given in ground form at this age, just add to cereals etc.), sesame seeds and ergo tahini, pulses, dried fruit etc. etc. etc.

[FrayedKnot]

I wouldn;t worry too much.

DS was the same as once he dropped most of his breastfeeds (at about 13-14 months), he would rarely drink any milk.

My HV advised at the time that as long as he had calcium from other sources there was no need for him to have milk - she gave me a list of foods which are high in calcium - obviously other dairy products, bread, pulses, nuts, seeds, dried fruit. Leafy green veg such as kale (but not spinach for some reason) are particulalry good I think....if you can persuade a toddler to eat them

DS still doesn;t really like milk, occasionally has breakfast cereal, has the odd cup of cocoa, that's about it. He's 4, and seems to be doing fine without it.

[shouldbedoingthewashingup]

Ah - all very comforting! Thanks very much everyone!