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Original poster

How much milk does your 2 yr old drink and is it out of a bottle?

30 replies

quokka · 30/05/2006 08:41

Just put my foot down and stopped using a bottle for my 2 yr old ds and he has stopped drinking milk for 2 weeks. He used to drink at least 14oz a day. I have tried all of these different cups and beakers and nothing has worked! Thinking of going back to the bottle but don't want to back down. Maybe we're being as stbborn as each other!

OP posts:
Auntymandy · 30/05/2006 08:44

None of my children have ever had a bottle. The ammount they drink varies from day to day. If they are having a good varied healthy diet, is the ammount of milk vital?

zubin · 30/05/2006 08:45

My Ds is 2 and still has a bottle of milk in the morning and one before bed, have tried all kinds of beakers but he won't even contemplate them, although he drinks from them and open cups during the day. He has about 7oz in the morning and the same at night. My hv said that they shouldn't be drinking out of a bottle beyond 12 months but I really don't see any harm in it and I think it is more of a comfort thing than anything. He has never had a dummy/sucked his thumb etc and I just think this is his equivalent

moondog · 30/05/2006 08:48

My 23 mth has never had a bottle either (well,on about a dozen occasions when very small with EBM) and doesn't drink milk at all.
I've never offered it.We don't need milk-any of us-after a certain age.

hasbean · 30/05/2006 08:48

Have you tried a straw to encourage your ds to drink milk? I found it worked wonders with my dd2. I told her she was to big for a bottle and after trying different beakers ect. finally found a beaker with a straw for her milk worked, though clean the straw as soon as they have finished their milk as it is impossible once it has dried !

Original poster
quokka · 30/05/2006 08:50

he sucks his thumb as well but I do think its a comfort thing. Just not sure if I should stand firm .

OP posts:
PrincessBoris · 30/05/2006 08:50

My DD is 20 months and has never had a bottle. She had a beaker from an early age and now drinks from a sports bottle.

She has more cheese than milk, but does have about 3/4 a pint a day. (roughly)

Original poster
quokka · 30/05/2006 08:52

tried straight straws curly straws, and even bloody bendy ones!

OP posts:
Original poster
quokka · 30/05/2006 08:53

Maybe if hes eating cheese and yogurt I should just chill out about.

OP posts:
sugarfree · 30/05/2006 08:54

I personally wouldn't go back to the bottle,but then I'm a stubborn old mule and just don't back down on anything.
I wouldn't worry too much about milk intake at this age.
Does he take yoghurts,cheese etc?

sugarfree · 30/05/2006 08:54

If in doubt,chill out.Good plan! Smile

Original poster
quokka · 30/05/2006 09:02

I do sometimes wonder who is more stubborn!

OP posts:
FlameBoo · 30/05/2006 09:02

DD uses her bottles as a comfort thing too... one day I'll be strong and take them, but I still feel mean at the moment for the dummy swiping and her nappies going Grin

I recall reading somewhere that humans can't actually absorb or use or something most of the calcium in milk (we're missing whatever is needed to change it or bond it - I'm so clear BlushGrin). I wouldn't worry too much - as long as he has a healthy diet.

Pretend he has a milk allergy Wink - then he'd not be having it anyway.

pucca · 30/05/2006 09:03

My dd is 2.4 yo, and still occasionaliy has milk before bed, won't drink it out of a cup but has it in a trainer cup i got from asda, it has a soft spout so not as bad for the teeth but still comforting to her.

She doesn't have it very often though, so i make sure she gets her yogurt and cheese every day instead.

Original poster
quokka · 30/05/2006 09:04

I like that :)

OP posts:
BettySpaghetti · 30/05/2006 09:08

My DS is nearly 2 -he stopped drinking milk a few months ago. He'll happily drink water out of a beaker/straw/cup etc but not milk.

I just make sure he has cereal with milk at breakfast and then cheese, yoghurt, cheese/white sauce(with pasta) or home-made rice pud etc during the day to get milk into him in other forms.

Its not something I worry about to be honest as he does eat well overall.

Twiglett · 30/05/2006 09:17

who knows? a beaker of milk in the morning and milk on cereal ..maybe a cup of milk (small plastic Ikea style cup) with lunch .. or maybe juice

she's never used bottles though .. straight onto beaker .. but she wouldn't drink milk out of it for a good 4 or 5 months

I wouldn't worry .. just load her diet with cheese and yogurt instead till she adjusts

expatinscotland · 30/05/2006 09:25

About a pint a day. The morning one is out of a bottle. Evening, a cup w/a straw.

Original poster
quokka · 30/05/2006 09:38

He has a pretty healthy diet, and at this moment he is eating a big chunk of cheese, and loving it Grin. I think I'll stop worrying, and with ds2 I won't use the bottle for so long!

OP posts:
BagelBird · 30/05/2006 09:42

Neither of mine drank milk from choice. As soon as I stopped the bottle and moved to a cup, they rejected milk altogether. I hate milk and have always done so, so not surprised. As soon as they were fully weaned and found water they didn’t want milk again. I worried a lot at first when DD1 did this but give her loads of yoghurt/creamy sauces/cheese etc and no longer worry. When DD2 followed suit and rejected milk from about 7 months, I just went with it. Both are happy healthy kids.
I would stick with it and not give in. If you do, he might learn that hunger strike will get him exactly what he wants with persistence. Next time he might stop eating dinner until you give him ice cream etc etc

Hayls · 30/05/2006 09:44

Practially none and never has. Stopped bf at 18mo and she wouldn't drink milk after that at all. She'll occasionally have a cup before bed and has it on her cereal but she'd rather have water. I make sure she eats loads of yogurt and cheese though.

saadia · 30/05/2006 10:48

Ds2 (2.3) has two bottles of 8/9oz a day. One after his afternoon nap and one at bedtime, I would let him have it for another 6mths or so or until he wants , whichever happens first, then will try switching to straws.

I'm quite obsessive about milk as ds1 refused bottles and cups and I ended up spoonfeeding him. Personally I think milk is very important. My nephew (now 6) always refused milk and has recently had to have 8 teeth removed. He hardly ever eats sweets/choc and my theory is that his teeth are weak from lack of calcium.

ghosty · 30/05/2006 10:59

DD is 2.4 and drinks a bottle of milk at bedtime. The rest of the time she drinks water from a cup without a lid so I don't have a problem with it.
Up until 2 she had a bottle after breakfast too but I watered it down and then binned it.

FioFio · 30/05/2006 11:02

This reply has been deleted

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Em32 · 30/05/2006 13:28

No plain milk at all - he has drinking yoghurts, yoghurt, cheese and milk on cereal. Won't touch the stuff in a glass. He gave up bottles off his own accord at about 19 months and wouldn't entertain milk as a drink in any form after that..... Seems to be surviving fine!

jamese · 30/05/2006 21:22

My DD stopped drinking milk for a short time after I stopped her bottles (at 2) I was determined not to go back to them even when she asked me. After 1 month or so she relented to drink milk from a cup with a straw and then happily took milk at night time from a beaker. She has now completely forgotten about the bottles (I told her I had thrown them away).

Basically I stuck to my guns, made sure that she had more milk in food, ie more cheese, custard etc and now no problem at all (she is now (2.5)