Milk from a cup - how much should my 16 month old be drinking?

[Caznay]

I have just dropped my 16 month old daughter's night-time bottle, so she is drinking solely from the cup or trainer cup. She now drinks much less milk than she used to - how much milk should she be drinking? I would say that she actually drinks around 160ml (6 oz) a day. She eats plenty of yogurt and has a big bowl of cereal in the morning that I try and get as much milk as possible into...any advice? Have I dropped bottles too early? I seem to remember my health visitor saying that she should have a pint of milk a day - wow! How on earth can I reach that amount...

Hi Caznay, my 15 month old drinks milk from a cup, I cant tell you the exact amount as I dont measure (who wants another thing to get stressed about!) I feel he is getting enough by:

a cup of milk in the morning before/with breakfast
milk with his cereal

a cup at teatime (3pmish) with a snack

and a cup at bedtime.

He has a yoghurt every day

You'd be surprised how much it does add up. Some days he's not too interested, but then the following day really makes up for it and will ask for more.

They are now filling up on other foods, so the other side of the coin is not to give too much or they won't eat the foods you are trying to get them to eat.

Sounds like what you are doing is fine!

Thanks Ems - I suppose I was slightly anxious that I had made her give up her bottle too early (mother-in-law kindly pointed that out! - thanks). Funnily enough, this morning she gulped down a whole cup of milk and pointed for more, so hopefully I should be able to get enough down her!

Need advice again, folks!
My 16 month old is becoming a cows milk-a-holic! She used to hate anything other than breast milk while I was feeding but 4 months later she has decided cows milk is great. This is fine if I monitor what she is drinking but often she'll refuse her water (she won't drink cordial or juice of any kind but always drank loads of water)and demand 'more, milk, mummy'.She also eats a lot of yoghurt and cereal, taking her milk consumption through the roof! Is it true they should have a pint a day, I thought it was just half? Does anyone know of any health problems linked to eating lots of dairy products?
Thanks...

think I'm right in saying it's half a pint according to latest guidelines. On similar note, did anyone find their child had weird nappies and subsequent nappy rash from drinking too much milk? Not sure if my one year old just has a bug or whether it's his drinking habits that are to blame!

Yes Willow2, weird nappies-a-rama! I've noticed they are really pale and runny, and she's had nappy rash for the 1st time since being a new born. I think I'm going to have to cut out some of the drinks, it's hard though when she refuses to have anything but milk ( which is happening a lot at the moment ). I wondered if it may be worse as she's never drunk formula, you here a lot about lactose intolerance these days don't you...

Lizzer, unless you don't eat/drink dairy produce yourself, any lactose intolerance would have made itself known by now I suspect, because often the mum's diet affects breast-fed babies. The mums are usually recommended to cut out dairy produce for as long as they are feeding and this seems to work.
A lot of people who take nutrition seriously have reservations about eating too much cow's milk produce in particular. Often, people with a history of allergies, heavy catarrh, eczema etc, improve markedly when they switch to soy/goat's milk instead. So yes, there are a few chronic conditions with possible links to excessive dairy consumption. And some people just find it all a bit indigestible, which might explain the nappies? The other thing about milk is that if they want it before/with meals, it fills them up amazingly. When our son didn't seem to be eating well, we had completely overlooked this, and cutting it out in the hour before meals transformed his eating habits.
Calcium can be made up from other sources easily but I think I'm right to say that the vitamins A and D, abundantly present in dairy produce, are harder to replace. I should have a chat to your health visitor.

Oh Marina suddenly it's all become clear!! My little girl has stopped eating as well over the last few weeks when her milk consumption went up, I had put it down to her becoming more picky - had never thought of it like that before, you're a star! Yep, that's it now, I am definitely cutting down as from now. I'll talk to my HV too but last time I was complaining she would not drink any milk at all!!

Thanks for all the info on allergies too...

Hi Lizzer, me again! You have the female version of my son at the mo! We are currently having a cup of milk when we come downstairs first thing, that he continues with at breakfast (the Heinz cup full-ish). Water throughout the day and at lunch. Milk when he wakes from sleep at about 3ish and again to take to bed with him.

I dont give him anymore as I know it is a filler and I would rather the food came first.

Hi Ems,
Think I've cracked it now! Just started cutting down yesterday when a blinding idea came to me, mixing her milk with water, about half and half. Thought she'd be onto it straight away but she happily drank the lot, completely unnoticing it. So I'll try that if she refuses water full stop again like she has been doing. I know she still likes water because that's all she has in her cup at bedtime without trouble so I think she'll get the message soon enough ( I hope! ) At least it's a start... Hopefully will get it down to your son's level in the near future!