Too much milk?

[BrambleRoses]

DS (13 months) usually has around 20-30 oz of milk in a 24 hour period which I’m a bit concerned is too much.

He eats reasonably well, usually having porridge for breakfast and an orange or banana as a snack. He has a hot lunch and tea and a pudding after lunch (often but not always banana.) He will then have a yoghurt and perhaps a biscuit or rice cake in the evening. I’ve tried to offer toast or something but he doesn’t really seem bothered. Then has his bottle before bed. He usually wakes twice in the night and both times has a bottle.

It could be a growth spurt possibly - he is walking now and all over the place and he’s certainly not overweight but just wondering if he’s having too much milk?

I would start cutting out the milk in the night and see what happens to his appetite. At 13 months there is no need for a full bottle overnight let alone two. When he wales up just offer water and ride it out for a week. You might find that it sorts itself out

Hmm … I’m really reluctant to do that because he’s only just started sleeping reasonably well after about three horrendous months - he would wake two hours after being put in his cot and it would take hours to settle him.

Now he has the bottle and goes straight back down. He does refuse milk or food if he is full so I suppose I’m assuming he needs it … but then should I cut it in the day?

He has never been able to take huge amounts of milk at a time either.

How much is he eating for dinner, quantity wise? He’s possibly not eating enough hence waking for milk in the night, but of course it could just be habit.

What times is he having milk? At 13 months my DD was having 6oz 3 times a day, morning, before afternoon nap and before bed.

He has a bottle twice a day at nursery and he then has one before bed, with me. Then two more overnight (usually.)

He almost always eats all his food at nursery and I offer him plenty at home but while he’ll munch at a yoghurt or biscuit or banana he won’t really have anything like (say) toast or porridge or anything. He might gnaw a bit at some toast but most of it ends up on the floor!

www.srnutrition.co.uk/2019/08/milk-recommendations-for-infants-toddlers/

They don’t technically need milk at all after 1, but roughly 400mL (~14oz) of whole cows milk gives the daily requirements of calcium. I’m probably miss reading but in your first post you said he eats well (3 meals a day with snacks and gave porridge as an example), but in your next post you said he doesn’t really eat much and won’t eat porridge. Either way though, cutting down the milk might be a good idea. If he’s eating a really varied diet he won’t need all of it. If he’s only eating bits, reducing the milk may increase his appetite.

I agree with PP. it’ll be hard for a wee while but I’d start limiting milk overnight. You are right - he probably is hungry overnight. But that’s because he’s come to expect a lot of calories overnight. Toddlers are massive creatures of habit, for more so than babies. Slowly re-aligning his main calorie intake to daytime is completely reasonable at 13 months.

@AliceW89 - I mean after a certain time in the evening. He has three meals and two snacks and then gallons of milk!

I'd give less milk overnight with a view to cutting it out. They only need around 300/350mls of milk from 1 year. If he's filling up with milk he won't have room for solid food

Is he still on formula or cows milk?

Honestly I think you need to bite the bullet one night and not give him so much milk. Or at least dilute it. Might be a rough few nights but then he’ll start replacing those missed calories at night during the day.