One year old refusing to drink cows milk. Ideas?

[specialknickers]

My one year old has decided that he doesn't like milk. He's a big eater and never really refuses any food, so I'm a bit surprised to say the least. He still has one breast feed a day (in the morning) and takes cow's milk in his breakfast cereal (he has yoghurt and cheese every day too) but when I give him the white stuff, whether in a cup or a bottle he pushes it away. Last night I offered him some formula instead and he glugged down 200 mls no problem at all. So it's not like he's too full to drink a night time bottle.

I'm hoping to give up BFing completely soon, so I'd really like him to drink milk. He's also a big boy now and the last time I saw his doctor she told me not to give him formula.... Any ideas on what I can do to get him off the boob and off the formula and onto proper milk?

Perhaps he just doesn't like the taste? maybe try a different sort of milk like goat or soya.

If he's eating other sources of dairy food and growing normally, then I wouldn't worry too much about him not drinking milk.

He doesn't need milk. If he doesn't like it I wouldn't push it. He can get what he needs from yoghurts/cheese etc.

agree with gallic girl. My dd didn't like cows milk to drink, but I didn't worry as she had it on her cereal and ate other dairy products.

She's nearly 4 now btw, and drinks it happily!

Try mixing the formula with the cows in the same bottle in gradually decreasing quantities so he gradually gets used to the taste over a period of time eg a week. Got the idea from supernannys baby book and it worked with my dd1.

A quick google for other sources of calcium reveals quite a long list:

www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/diet_nutrition/calcium.htm

Thanks... I don't have a HV (live abroad) so I'm clueless about these things. I've read that he should have 300ml of milk a day at his age (13 months), so it's a bit vexing that he doesn't want to drink it. Especially since I've been relying on a big bottle at bed time to knock him out get him off to sleep...

If he likes formula then stick to that- the follow on milk. It's no more expensive than cows' milk anyway.

Don't push it if he is getting milk in other forms. He doesn't have to have cows milk if he is getting an otherwise varied diet. It isn't a big deal