Is 6-7 bottles/day too much for my 14 mo old?

Question

From what I'm hearing, this is about double the norm for his age. Can too much milk be bad?!? If so, can you please give me factual reasons why? They are 6-8oz bottles. And yes, he still uses bottles, I will be trying to transition to the sippy cup only soon. He eats solids and table food well, 3 times a day. He sips on water out of a cup during meals only. He's very tall and trim, not a chunky guy AT ALL! So I worry that if I start to cut out bottles, he will lose too many calories and end up losing weight when he's so thin already (takes after his dad!) Oh, and we're using Infamil "Next Step" formula for toddlers, not cows milk, because i fear he had a reaction to the real milk when we tried it a month ago. Are there any cons I need to be aware of for using this 'transitional' formula for all his bottles? My son is the poster child for a healthy toddler....so why is any of this bad? Thx for any input!

He is prob about 33" high and about 28lbs. He looks like a 2 year old! Def no where NEAR chubby. I worry about him getting less than the calories he needs, not more!

Answer 1

This sounds like way too much milk. Your little fellow is probably filling up on so much milk, he doesn't get the usual hungry signals to tell him he needs food. He is at risk of not getting proper nutrients. He may be thin because he's not putting on enough weight by drinking so much milk. Try cutting down - first of all by puttting in less milk in each bottle - and give him something solid with it too to help fill him out. He may be at risk of constipation and iron deficiency also. Get him eating more regular solid meals per day (he should have about 6) and have milk just as a little extra at night and one or two other meals. Check out some links below for some helpful info...

Answer 2

My son's doc says no more 30 oz. of milk a day, that gives him the reccomened amount of calium he needs w/out making to full of milk to eat agood meal. What I also do for my som is a give him milk at morning usually about 4, 6oz cups of milk. Then in the after noon he gets Gatorade, water or juice. That way he knows when to expect milk an when to expect something else. Don't give him the bottle anymore, just keep giving him the sippy cups, he will get the idea that is how he's gonna get drinks. My son was off the bottle at 10 months, he didnt even notice.

Answer 3

At this moment, I did not find any information saying that too much milk is bad. *Edited- Whole cow's milk beyond 24 oz can cause problems with Iron deficiency. Your toddler formula contains plenty of iron.
Whether you choose to use whole cow's milk or Toddler formula is your choice. They're both age appropriate.
However, if your child does not eat well at meal times it could be that he is getting full from milk. I've often heard suggestions of only giving milk at meal times and water throughout the day.
I currently feed my child more than 3x a day but I couldn't find any supporting info saying that's recommended. Perhaps try feeding him a meal in place of a bottle. You're child is meeting his calcium requirements and that's a great thing. Just make sure he's also meeting his other nutritional needs.
At this point he's also supposed to be making the transition to cups, but I see you're aware of that. Try using a variety of cups to see which he prefers.
As always refer to your doctor if you have serious concern.
I hope you can visit the below site. It might help ease your mind. Good luck!

Answer 4

Some kids just do a lot of growing at this stage. My son drank a gallon of milk a day until he was 3. He grew very quickly and had to have baby massage due to the joint pain, I would just talk to your doctor about it to make sure there is nothing wrong. If you are feeding a balanced diet then I do not think he will loose weight. He will make up for it in healthy snacks that you are going to offer in place of the extra milk...like cheese and yogurt. As for the formula, if you are not giving soy milk then the formula you give is milk based and I do not think he is reacting to the milk. You could start weaning him off if you want, however this is not hurting him, unless he is drinking this high calorie formula and not eating proper meals and snacks. You may want to increase the meals to 5 times a day and offer milk in a sippy during those meals and see how he goes. Good luck

Answer 5

I would start weening out the bottle and give him the cup more often. Try and give him more foods at mealtimes, or in between so he doesnt feel the need for the bottle. It could be that this is just complete habit for him and security. I took my children off the bottle at one years old, and put them on sippy's.
You stated you think he had a milk allergy, have you tried goats milk, or a different type of milk, such as soy? They also have vitamins you can give him, if you give him one of these. You might find that cheaper. You can also ask your pediatrician for ideas on what you could try w/ him.
As far as cons to the next step formula.. I have never tried them, but does it say an age it can be givin at? I don't see how it would be harmful, except for the fact at one point it may not give enough nutrition to your son, and really at this age.. He needs to start getting most of his nutrition from solids..
Good luck to you..

Answer 6

Well, this would be a question for your pediatrician really. It sounds like a lot of bottles, especially if it is formula. Start that sippy cup yesterday really. When he has to have a bottle put water in it. Put the milk in a sippy cup. I really am stumped on this one because you say hes thin. Normally all this would be formula for an obese child. I would ask a Paediatrician. They are the only REAL help for your question. Good luck and God bless.

Answer 7

I think I remember my son's pediatrician saying that drinking much more than 25 ounces of milk per day when they are that old could cause a child to have low iron/anemia. But I guess the next step formula probably has added iron. But along with iron the toddler formula probably has extra sugar that he doesn't need. And it is so much more expensive than regular milk. If he is having a problem with regular milk, like it makes him gassy you could try Lactaid milk. You will probably find that your son will eat more actual food if you cut back on the bottles, and his weight will be fine.

Answer 8

my son is 19 months and is down to 4 cups of milk a day and water after that
but at your childs age he had 5-6 i would say
my child wouldnt use the formula for toddlers he just didnt like it and went to half regular formaula and half cows milk till he was 14 months then went straight to cows milk
i would of wished he would of used the toddler formula till at least 18 months but he wouldnt
it sounds tome like ur child is doin fine cuz your child is drinking the toddler formula now he is probably geting more vitamins and things like that then my son
but i think ur doing just fine and u wil find by the time he is 18 months he will be down to about 4- 5 cups
just make sure this summer when its really hot to give him enough water my neice got so constipated when she was that age cuz she didnt srink enough water with her milk
and with the bottle thing i was lucky my child wasnt attached to bottles at all but if your is just try to replace one bottle a day with a sippy till u get to him drinkin from a sippy u have a couplemonths still ur child is still young dont worry so much i know its easy to say hard to do lol
best of luck

Answer 9

Too much milk can be bad, according to Nanny 911. It can cause the feeling of being full when you aren't. Drinking that much milk be a reason why he is thin, as dairy products actually help lose weight. Cut down on the bottles and replace them with water or 100% fruit juices, or whatever you want.

Answer 10

Formula is only for newborns - NOT TODDLERS!!! Give him real milk, in a sippy cup, toss the bottles and go on with life!!!
A child only needs a sippy cup at meals and water in between. No liquids at bed time!!!