16 months and still having 5 bottles a day!!

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Hi, just wondered if im alone ont this?? My dd 16 months has 5 bottles of 4 oz a day. she hardly has any solids. At breakfast time shes not bad, she'l have cereal or fruit, but lunch dinner and b4 bed she just wants a bottle. I make her all sorts of foods but she just picks at it and wants bottle. How can i ever wean her off if shes nto eating enough solids????

DD2 has never had the recommende pint of milk a ady, not even before she was weaned.

Mine were both totally on full fat milk by the time they were 1 but that was a financial decision.

Like little donkey Rach said they only need a pint of milk a day for their calcium from age 1. Actually I think it is a pint equivalent of dairy so incl yoghurt and cheese so tell your Mum that if she gives you a hard time. I would drop the lunch bottle first especially if this is the meal she eats the least of and keep the morning and evening ones going if you felt you needed to keep some bottles.
My dd was on cows milk from one year when I stopped bf. Much cheaper . Good Luck. It isn't easy but she won't starve. My dd still has days when she will only eat two meals rather than three and she is 2.9 yrs old and growing just fine. Food is such a hard one. As a mother it is the one thing you know is important and you can try and control, and that the lo's can totally refuse. I have got myself wound up about it so many times so I do sympathise. It is so frustrating to have them refuse something you have prepared...

In fact, the recommended minimum amount of milk is only 350mls (about 12 ounces) which is inclusive of dairy products, other calcium sources, etc. My dd rarely has milk but does like drinkable yoghurt, yoghurts, cheese sauces, cereal with milk, etc. She also likes calcium fortified orange juice (tropicana) and has that with her breakfast.

The actual amount of milk she is having (5 x4 oz) is 20oz and this is 1 pt of milk which is not really too much and is what is recommended at this age though that does include any other equivalent dairy products and milk used in cereal and cooking. I think the problem is though that she prefers it to solids and that she is having small amounts of milk often - maybe 2-3 slightly larger feeds of milk would be better.

Maybe start with the lunchtime milk - try offering juice or water with her lunch. When she has finished the food - even if she hasn't eaten much you could try ofering the bottle watered down - half water and half milk so she is only taking 2oz instead of 4 or maybe start with 3oz milk and 1oz water. After a few days reduce the milk more and see if that has any effect on her appetite in the evening. Over time you can cut out the milk at lunchtime completely.

One quite good reason not to give milk at the same time as at least one of their meals is that milk reduces the take-up of iron so if you eat meat with milk, iron up take is reduced and many toddlers have a problem getting enough iron as it is.

You do need to make sure she has plenty of yoghurt and cheese and that her other bottles of milk (in the morning and evening) are a bit more -say 5oz instead of 4oz as. I think if she has less or even no milk at her meals she may eat more solids. Don't cut her overall milk too much though as she is having the recommended amount, though many babies and toddlers get by fine on 16-20oz of milk as long as they eat a variety of other foods with calcium in.

I'd be aiming for a largish bottle of milk when she wakes up, breakfast which may be cereal (hence includes milk) but no milk to drink, lunch without milk, maybe a small drink of milk with an afternoon snack, no milk with her tea and a largish bottle of milk at night before bed.

I would concentrate on reducing the milk
amounts first before changing the milk type you give her or changing from bottle to cup. Small changes slowly are more likely to succeed with less of a struggle. Once she is drinking less milk in fewer feeds try changing to a cup or changing the milk but not both until she is happy with that and so on.

Ok... its a vicouse circle.

If you want her to start consuming more solids you need to STOP her having so many bottles so shes hungry.

You are right 20oz a day isnt that much, BUT i assume she has cheese sauce / yogurt / milk on cereal / other dairy stuff that counts as well.

If you STOP giving her so much milk she WILL start eating food.

You could giver her a bottle in the morning and once before bed, maybe 7oz each, and then she will make up the rest IN her foods.

also after a year or so they dont really need a full pint a day and 3/4 pint starts to be ok.

ok so shes just had her lunch,later then usual as i was waiting for dd to get hungry. She had a tiny amount, i made meat balls which she likes and a plate of mixed veg for her to pick at. She only had a tiny amount and now im stuck on wether ot not to give her a bottle as maybs she doesnt like the lunch i made????? She not moaning but im worrid as she really didnt eat much, about 2 tiny mouthfulls?

I say don't give her the bottle. If she says she is hungry later then try a bit of toast if you feel too bad to leave her until dinner time. I think she needs to learn that food will fill her up not milk. Good Luck. I don't think it will matter at all if she misses milk for a couple of days even.

Hi ya, thanksyou SKYLERtnightholynigh!! I didint give in, i just gave her a tiny cheese spread sandwich lol, shes a little moany but im gona try stick it out til dinner!! Thanks

Well done. It does sound like she has a very small appetite so try not to panic. How is it today?

Hi ya sky, so she did well last night, she had a tiny tiny bit of dinner so i did end up giver her just 2 oz, i had to!!! I went to HV yesterday and she suggested takign away morning bottle and giving cereal, then 2 nd feed keeping a bottle so iv done that 2day and all seems ok, this is supposed to work so she has more appeatite at lunch,hhmmm will let ya know lol!! Thank for advise again, everyones been so helpful!