My 1 year old won't drink milk but still loves breastfeeding!

[Jo1968McCue]

My baby won't drink milk or eat cheese and I'm worried about her calcium intake. I am a first time parent with a wonderful 1 year old daughter called Sophie. We spend most of our time living in Germany with my husband as he works out here. There is no care system set up here like in the UK and I would appreciate any words of wisdom that can be thrown our way!! Sophie has been breastfed from the word go, it was very difficult and painful to start with but I was determind that this was the way to go. She loves feeding last thing at night and first thing in the morning with the odd suck inbetween. I try to offer milk every other day in a cup but I'm having no luck!! HELP!! Thanks alot for reading my message

my dd is on a dairy free diet so the only milk she gets is bm. i give her soya yoghurts with calcium. does your dd eat yoghurt, rice pudding etc. What food do you give her- if it's baby food have a look at the labels- loads of milk products.

We're the only species that drink milk after weaning- personally i don't think its necessary so long as she's eating a balanced diet. your bm still giving her loads of goodness

Will she eat things with milk in it such as breakfast cerael, yogurts, pudddings such as custard, rice pudding? You can make sauces - white sauce, cheeses sauce. Green vegetables have calcium in them. My children did not like milk as a drink when I stopped B/F. I really do not think it is a necessity.

Hi there
Good for you for sticking out with BF. My ds2 wouldn't take a bottle until he was 12 months old. He did eat yogurt once a day though.

If you really really want to get her on to milk, but as mears says it isn't strictly obligatory (by the way Mears is a midwife and very much respected and gives lots of great advice) (pixiefish aint bad either ) then you could slip her a bottle/cup/whatever while she is in the pushchair and you are off for a walk. In my experience they do like to have a drink while sitting there watching the world go by. This was how I got my ds2 on to a bottle at a relatively late stage

HTH

Agree with all the others that it's not necessary. Apparently calcium is actually better absorbed from other sources (like green leafy veg)than from dairy produce anyway. See the vegan society website (although I'm wary of soya for the reasons given in another current thread).

Didn't give my dd any dairy till she was a year old. She started off with petit filou but wouldn't touch cheese or milk. She finally started drinking milk when she was over 2 and now at 2.5 seems to like it. and has recently started eating cheese. If your dd is taking b/milk she should be fine. Good luck

thanks suzywong-

I'm not a midwife and the only things i know about food etc for babies is stuff I read on here, in books and advice from 'health food shop owning friend who's rather clever'. can't take any of the credit myself

Hi,

Much like the others said, it is not paramount that baby consumes milk per say. I wouldnt suggest introducing a bottle so late, beakers and cups are best at her age or you only have to wean her off them at later stage which can make it more difficult.

If she gets dairy in sauces, cheese, yog's, cream cereal or drinking yog', all should be well.

Thank you all so much for the advice, you really have put my mind at rest!! I was convinced that she was missing out but now I know better!! It's so difficult being out here as I had no where to get information from until I found this website. Thank you again.