Moving on to Whole Milk

[rosegeorgia21]

My son turned 1 a few weeks ago and we've completely transitioned him onto whole cows milk, my question is is there a certain amount he should be having in a day? As it feels like he always wants more, he eats 3 meals a day but always seems to want milk all the time. his stools are always tiny and really hard and crumbly so I'm unsure if i may be giving him to much?
Thanks! X

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

He should be having around 300 ml a day of full fat milk.

If is stools are hard and crumbly, is he drinking plenty if water and have you tried giving him diluted fresh orange juice with his breakfast? Does he eat plenty of fruit and veg?

[Jannt86]

Mine is 21MO and still has at least 2 8oz bottles a day. She's a dairy freak and loves milk/yoghurt/cheese. If she's eating her main meals reasonably well then I was always of the understanding that the nutrients in dairy is good for young children so just crack on. If you're worried about it substituting her weaning too much then that might be the time to start restricting. If his stools are hard then you need to get some fibre down him. A bit of orange juice as suggested or any fruit or maybe switch to brown bread/pasta for a bit xx

[rosegeorgia21]

@JiltedJohnsJulie thank you, he loves fruit and veg, so I'm not sure it's that, maybe he needs more water or juice, I do offer it all the time but he doesn't always accept it. Thank you for your response x

[rosegeorgia21]

@Jannt86 thank you.. il try brown pasta and bread, he loves milk so much I think il be cruel to be kind and restrict it a bit x

[Jannt86]

I wouldn't go crazy with the high fibre stuff as it may send him the other way. Maybe try 50/50 bread and a combo of white and brown pasta to start and see how he does. And I definitely wouldn't restrict his milk too much at this age and would stick to whole milk as it has the mosy nutrients. It's good for him! You're doing nothing wrong x

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Brown bread and pasta aren't recommended under 2 as they need all of the calories they can catch

[NoMorePoliticsPlease]

No there is not a set amount of milk as the nutrients will also be in cheese and yougurt etc. Wholemeal is too filling so risks them eating less of a braod diet. Bottles should have been consigned to the bin by now. Whole milk can be introduced with weaning at about 7 months as long as it doesnt constitute the main milk intake which should be breast or formula

[NoMorePoliticsPlease]

He should be having three meals a day and the milk should be with the meals not between. He should also be drinking plain water. Constiption is usually down to not enough water and fresh vegetables and fruit at every meal. As other posters have noted wholemeal is not recommended . The essence is not to look at individual food groups but to look at his whole diet as balanced and varied

[NoMorePoliticsPlease]

Only give juice in very small amounts and well diluted with water. Some of the recommendations on here are more appropriate to adults

[Jannt86]

Each to their own. I don't see any issue with my kid using a bottle once or twice a day when she drinks perfectly well out of an open cup the rest of the time and was never breastfed due to being adopted so enjoys that comfort. The jury is out about wholemeal. If they're eating a nice balanced diet otherwise and not filling up on it then I wouldn't say it's a total nono at this age. I stand by what I said. there is NO need to restrict their milk at this age especially not if they're weaning effectively. As you can see there's no clear answer as with many things in parenting so just do what you think is right by your child OP. She'll likely grow up happy and healthy either way

[Jannt86]

Here is the official NHS advice which will be evidence based. As you can see it advises NOT switching to cows milk until around a year old for their drinks although it can be added to cereal etc and it advises that wholegrain CAN be introduced but it's recommended not exclusively for the reasons stated above. Good luck xx

[rosegeorgia21]

Thanks everyone. Il steer clear of wholegrain foods then for the time being. He does still drink from a bottle but I'm slowly transitioning him to a breaker I just don't feel comfortable giving it to him in bed at the moment as he chokes a bit sometimes. At the moment he maybe has 5/6 8/9oz in 24hrs - is that to much? do I or don't I restrict him?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

8 to 9 floz a day is absolutely fine OP.personally I wouldn't give him a beaker or bottle in bed at all as the milk can add to tooth decay.

Much better to give him his milk before bed then clean his teeth. If he's one that zonks out straight after milk, you could clean his teeth then the milk after?

There is lots of advice on this thread, if you'd like a bit more information this guide from the Caroline Walker Trust includes sample menus, recipes and portion sizes

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Almost forgot, if he's constipated, try some high water foods like soup, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries (you can use tinned), melon and jelly.

Mine still love tinned fruit, jelly and custard for pudding now

[rosegeorgia21]

@JiltedJohnsJulie he has his teeth done then zonks out with milk after - generally doesn't wake up til 6am but if he does wake in the night he doesn't settle without milk ! Thank you x