Getting my 13month old to drink whole milk.?

Question

Any suggestions to having my 13 month old to drink whole milk, because he hates it. I am still giving him the rest of the formula I have at home.

Answer 1

Your supposed to start with 3/4 of formula and 1/4 whole milk for about a week, then 1/2 formula and 1/2 whole milk a week , and then try whole milk. Also, if he is used to having his formula warm, he may prefer the milk warm too.

Answer 2

I had asked my son's pediatrician about this, because my son had issues with it and refused to switch to whole milk. The rest of us drank 2%, so I asked his doctor , as well as a nutritionist. They said of course that whole milk was better because of the nutrients, however, if he refused it then the 2% was better than nothing at all. Skim was a definate no no. However, they told me that the fact that he was still getting the formula was a bonus, on top of the fact that his pediatrician gave me vitamins that would help with his vitamins. So don't freak out and think you have no option because people say DONT GIVE HIM ANYTHING LESS THAN WHOLE! - it's not a horrible thing, but you do need to make up the bit of loss in other ways.
But I wasn't sure with my son if he just decided the taste of the milk was so weird he was refusing it or what, so when I ran out of formula one day, I just refused to get any more, and he took a day to get over it basicaly. The worst time was bedtime. But after about a week, he was totally fine with the 2%.
The difference is that formula not only tastes different, but whole milk is very thick, and not all kids can deal with that. They have done studies on this, and it is a huge hype to go in favor of the farmers, that milk is the only place you can get your calcium and vit. D, etc etc. It's not true. It is very good for babies, simply because they can not eat the solid foods we can. But if you can find a way to make up that difference then there is nothing wrong with starting him off on the 2%.
So don't panic! Change is a little rough sometimes, but a child will make the switch, probably easier than you might think.
Just be watchfull of any reactions when he starts with the milk, since some kids can still have an allergic reaction.
Good luck!

Answer 3

Someone said to give him skim milk. Don't do that! He needs the whole milk for a reason! Skim milk is no healthier for a 13 month old baby! Offer him half formula with a little whole milk and gradually add more of the milk and less formula. It's just a taste preference.

It takes some time but it'll get better I promise. It's the only thing he has control over so he's testing what he can get away with.

Answer 4

DO NOT give 2% or skim milk unless directed to do so by your doctor. The reason you give the whole milk is that they need the higher fat content.

What I did with my daughter was to start mixing the milk and formula. Here is how we did it.

Day 1-3: Make the bottles with 1/4 milk and 3/4 formula
Day 4-6: Make the bottles 50/50 milk to formula
Day 7-8: Make the bottles 3/4 milk and 1/4 formula
Day 9: All milk

Days 1-3, your child should not notice the difference. If they do, they may be have a loctose intollerance. In that case, buy the LACTAID whole milk (it is what our doctor suggested in case our daughter rejected the bottles).

Make sure you are using regular milk, not that organic or buttermilk stuff.

Answer 5

ARGH, don't listen to people telling you to use 2% or skim...any Pediatrician will tell you that a child under the age of 2 needs the fat content in whole milk unless they are extremely over-weight. You are using the right milk...ANYway, back to your actual question: First you can try mixing the formula and milk about 20% milk and 80% formula for a few days or even a week, then gradually decrease the amount of formula. If this doesn't work, my Pediatrician also told me that it is better for them to have milk with a little bit of no-sugar added Nesquik than no milk at all...so if you need to put a teaspoon-tablespoon in it to get him to drink milk, it is better than him not drinking it at all. I would ask your Pediatrician what he/she recommends also, but that should give you a start! Good luck!!

Answer 6

I suggest not adding chocolate or strawberry, very unhealthy. I always put 1/4 milk 3/4 formula, then half and half, then 1/4 formula 3/4 milk, then only milk. It helps them get used to the taste of the milk. Also, children shouldn't have skim milk this young, wait until they are around 2 years old, then give them 2%.

Answer 7

First, you try giving her small amounts in a fun cup--maybe one with a favorite cartoon character--or use a special straw. You also can flavor the milk with a little fruit-juice concentrate, or make a smoothie with milk and fruit. Finally, you might try adding a small amount of chocolate or strawberry syrup to the milk.

There are also a number of commercial formulas that are milk based or soy based that are appropriate for toddlers--check the labels.

If she still balks at drinking milk or formula, milk products like yogurt and cheese will give your daughter the calcium she needs. However, unless enriched with Vitamin D and A, these products won't give her quite the same nutrition

Answer 8

Wean him off of the formula. When you make his bottles/sippy cups, use 3 parts formula to 1 part milk for a week. The next week, mix them 1/2 formula and 1/2 milk, then 3 parts milk to one part formula. After that, he should be used to milk. If you normally heat his bottles, try heating his milk too. If you give it to him cold when he's used to drinking warm bottles, that might be part of the problem.

I've often wondered why some babies don't like whole milk. You'd think after drinking formula (which tastes like a can, lol) the milk would taste sweet to them. :)

Answer 9

Someone said to give Rice Milk; DO NOT do that! Rice milk is basically water, sugar, and calcium. It DOES NOT have fat or protien and should not be given to children under 2 years of age.

My advice would be to continue with the formula for a while; it's not like it's going to hurt him. I agree with offering other dairy like yogurt and cheese; so long as it's full fat yogurt and cheese, it's all the same nutrients (some yogurt even has vitamin D added), and the yogurt has active bacterial cultures that make it easier to digest and also just healthier all around.

And there is nothing at all wrong with organic milk if you can find it; if anything it's healthier.

Answer 10

This is how my husband and I weaned our son:

For the first 4 days we used 6 oz. formula and 2 oz. milk in the bottle
Next 4 days: 4 oz. formula and 4 oz. milk
Next 4 days: 2 oz. formula and 6 oz. milk
Then it's all milk after that!!

When we were on all milk I put it in his sippy cup and I put it in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds to take off the chill a little bit. His formula was always at room temp. and he drinks his milk much better when I do that.

Have you talked to the Dr. to see about lactose intolerance?

Good luck!!