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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

How do i get DS 13 months to drink cows milk?

26 replies

fnm · 14/02/2009 21:40

DS hates cows milk, he will have it on his cereal but refuses to drink it out of beaker or bottle.
We have tried it warm, cold, dialuted with water and have tried the formula milk for 'toddlers'. But he will not have any apart from his usual formula.

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SlartyBartFast · 14/02/2009 21:43

have you added cocoa powder or drinking chocolate?

ilovetochat · 14/02/2009 21:44

my method was offer milk in favourite cup and water in an awkward cup, she chose milk.
otherwise just give him plenty of cereal, yoghurt and cheese.

LittleMissBliss · 14/02/2009 21:48

Ds was bf untill 13 months and hardly drank cows milk to drink with. I used to add a little sugar (because bm is so sweet).

After a week i halfed the amount of sugar until it was just a pinch and then none after two weeks, he just has it straight now.

LittleMissBliss · 14/02/2009 21:48

oh and it was warm milk to disolve sugar. and supose like bm/formula

LittleMissBliss · 14/02/2009 21:53

*start with not drink with.

Also don't worry too much about adding something sweet because formula and bm are both high in sugar, also fromage frais have shocking amounts of sugar in them.

I used to give them to ds with out batting an eyelid to sugar content. He would probably still have them now if they din't make him sick. (dairy intolerance, he can take ss milk, low fat cheese but not ff milk and ff cheese)

LittleMissBliss · 14/02/2009 21:54

*I not and [bangs head on keys]

Original poster

fnm · 14/02/2009 21:55

Thanks for the replies, no i havnt tried cocoa powder but he loves chocolate so ill give it a try, have tried a bit of sugar but he hated that and spat it out.
He loves yogurts and cheese so no prob there, just need him to drink milk other than his beloved formula!!!

OP posts:

Sidge · 14/02/2009 21:57

He doesn't have to drink milk you know.

You can either leave him on formula or just not give cows milk. There's no rule that says they have to have it.

Original poster

fnm · 14/02/2009 22:07

Thanks sidge, but a what point do you wean them off formula? he is eating everything we eat.
i could try formula in a beaker. maybe he will just outgrow it?

OP posts:

kjl · 14/02/2009 22:09

I wouldn't try to force anyone (of any age) to drink something they didn't like...

And cow's milk isn't actually necessary for humans anyway. I can't quite understand why there's such a fascination for it in the western world, as it's a very intensively produced substance and there are far better sources of calcium and vitamins elsewhere.

Try oat milk, nut or seed butter... etc.

I'm from a farming background myself and live beside a dairy. Since seeing what goes on in the industry and the state of some of the cows, I have drastically reduced my own use of the stuff (never used much before, and much less now!) and only buy organic.

My son is 15mths and doesn't get offered cow milk, just water. He still breastfeeds. Takes some yoghurt and a rice pudd now and again, but doesn't like cheese. He doesn't really like breakfast cereal either, either with milk or without.

LittleMissBliss · 14/02/2009 22:11

Sidge is right,

I'm not that clued up on formula but i'm guessing it has calcium in it. Plus if you can give calcium in the form of cheese yoghurts, cereal no need to worry.

I really wanted ds to get on with cows milk because i was TTC whilst BF with out much sucess, and with his dairy intolerance making sure he was getting enough calcium was a struggle, so the milk 3 times a day was a must really.

Sidge · 14/02/2009 22:13

If he is eating a good and varied diet then he doesn't have to have milk (formula or cows) at all.

If he has a bottle or cup at bedtime for comfort then I see no problem with that, he's still very young. IME (have 3 girls) they tend to self-wean from milk during their second year anyway.

LittleMissBliss · 14/02/2009 22:16

kjl- I think because cows milk is easily accessable and high in calcium (and can be added to cereal, make custard tastes nice to most children), which some of your examples aren't something you would pick up in your local shop

I agree about dairy farming it can be shocking! I'm a vege and must try to source more ethical cows milk.

Sidge · 14/02/2009 22:17

My DD3 has no cows milk products due to being intolerant, so gets her calcium and fat soluble vitamins elsewhere. This shows you some alternate sources of calcium:

Non-dairy food sources of calcium include:

almonds, brazil nuts, hazelnuts
broccoli, curly kale, okra, spinach, watercress
dried apricot and figs
mackerel, oysters, pilchards, salmon, sardines
pulses, sesame seeds
tofu
calcium-enriched soya cheeses and milks.

Original poster

fnm · 14/02/2009 22:17

he likes dairy products so i guess i will stop making a deal out of it and leave him as he is, i just thought cows milk was good for them but suppose if hes eat well theres no problems, he has two 8oz bottles a day.

OP posts:

Sidge · 14/02/2009 22:18

Forgot to say that the calcium in spinach is poorly absorbed so don't rely on it!

Original poster

fnm · 14/02/2009 22:23

Thanks for the samples, good to know cows milk is not the be all.
think ill relax a bit more now and leave it up to him

OP posts:

LittleMissBliss · 14/02/2009 22:30

sidge- did your dd get refered to nutritionist? my ds is only 15 months so they wont do anything for me, they said that they don't test untill children are three. I had a fulll blown allergy as a child and would not tollerate any dairy with out being severly ill, where ds can tolerate low fat dairy so think it's an intolerance not an alergy in his case. he's too young to eat nuts really but does eats lots of veg due to me living on the stuff and loves apricots. i know white bread also has calcium in it. So do some cereals. And boned fish.

LittleMissBliss · 14/02/2009 22:32

Also to add they just told me to keep giving him the forms of dairly that he can tollerate as they don't like to supliment children of his ages. How old is your dd if you don't mind me asking?

LolaLadybird · 14/02/2009 22:36

How about mixing formula with a tiny bit of cow's milk (eg. 5 oz formula, 1 oz cow's milk) and then gradually, over the course of a week or more, increasing the proportion of cow's milk? I used this method for DS who was v keen on formula and it worked really well.

Sidge · 14/02/2009 22:47

LittleMissBliss - she is now 2.5 but we discovered when I stopped breastfeeding at 13 months she was intolerant. As we went from breast milk to cows milk she became incredibly constipated, was frequently sick and developed eczema.

Our very good GP said she may well be intolerant and to avoid cows milk products. Funnily enough she can tolerate formula but not milk, cheese, cream and yoghurt.

We weren't referred to anyone but see a dietitian for DD2, so discussed DD3 when I saw her! She said most children grow out of it by 2, and if she didn't by 2 then probably by 5.

We avoid cows milk products, but she seems ok with goats milk on cereal but doesn't like it as a drink. We also avoid cheese etc. We don't need to supplement as she has one bottle of formula a day with no ill effects, and eats a good diet including broccoli (we eat loads!) and lactose free yoghurts.

(Sorry for the thread hijack fnm!)

Sidge · 14/02/2009 22:49

Forgot to say I declined formal testing as it's pretty awful especially when they're so young, and it's fairly easy for us at the moment. DD3 seems mildly affected too, it's not as if she's terribly ill with it.

LittleMissBliss · 14/02/2009 23:04

that's waht the dr. said that it owuld be too distressing for such a young child and to keep pursaveering with the cows milk. I grew out of it when i was 7 and drank goats and soya milk, ate goats cheese and soya based desserts.

Its frustrating because i would like some proper dietry advice but just make sure he has his milk, (we were on lacto free until i discovered he was ok ss milk). saying that about ssmilk, he has some little what i can only describe as milk spots on his jaw line which may be from the milk, but as they don't seem to be causing much harm i guess i'll stick to ss.....hard knowing what's right really.

I tried lactoree yoghurts but on reading the ingredients i think the secound ingredient was sugar (which seemed shockingly high when in the aerly stages of weaning at 8months), so gave up on that idea and opted for plain goats yoghurt with some jam or fresh berries if in season.

high jack over off to bed!

LittleMissBliss · 14/02/2009 23:11

Sorry keys were sticking typing a mess! Just to add i later discovered that fromage frais had just as much sugar if not more than some yoghurts and am not as suprised as i was, and everything in moderation is fine[simle].

Bigpants1 · 14/02/2009 23:41

all children develop at their own pace. if he likes formula, let him have it.i have 6 children and num. 6 still likes formula, so let her have it. my GP said, there is no rule book, and if child is healthy, no problem. its the same with toileting-they all do it at their own pace, and you see very few 5yr olds going to school in nappies.theres no rule book, kids are happy, its the parents that are stressed.i never believe little Tarquin potty trained at 8 months, was using cutlery at a yr, and accepted into Oxbridge at 3...

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