No Milk!

[demottm]

So my 14 month old son is on a milk strike. He doesn't digest cow's or soy very well so he has been drinking almond and hemp. The last week though when I make him a bottle of milk he just throws it and goes for the bottle of water. There isn't any crying or fuss he just doesn't want the milk. He is a really good eater and since giving up the milk has been making up the calories with more food. So now he eats 5 or 6 times a day. I don't mind giving him more food, but I wonder if there is something in milk that cannot be provided from good, healthy food...lots of it.

[sapphire_chan]

Not really. You could check the nutritional content and see that he's getting the same things from other sources.

[just_lily]

Have you tasted it yourself? My friend's DD started rejecting her milk and it was actually because it had gone off a few days before the best before date. It was just a bad jug or something. They had whole milk for their DD and skim for themselves so they hadn't noticed it was just yuck. No wonder the kid didn't want it.

[NaturallyPeachey]

we don't do dairy in our house. My son gets the So Delicious brand coconut milk beverage. He really only drinks maybe 2-6 ounces a day of it. Plus if I make him cereal in the mornings I'll use it to make the hot cereal otherwise he's a water drinker. As long as your son is getting the calories and nutrition from elsewhere I'd say he'll be okay. It's more important that he eats whole foods then fill up on liquids.

[Ruthla]

Is he nursing? If so, he doesn't *need* any milk but yours!

Even if he's fully weaned, what he needs from milk is fluid, calories, fat, protein, and minerals. All of those things can be obtained from other foods (except the fluids, which can be obtained from water, soup, and/or juice.) Even almond and hemp milks arent' the greatest sources of calories, fats, or minerals, so he may even be healthier by skipping the milk.

[SparklingGemini]

No one needs milk.

[MamaMelis]

My kids don't drink milk either. DD is still nursing (21 mos) but neither one of them likes to drink milk out of a sippy and they aren't yet ready for non sippy cups. They only drink water. I don't worry about it. They eat plenty of dark leafy greens and yogurt/cheese etc so I figure their dietary needs are well met.

[demottm]

Thanks all! I feel like he's healthy...but my mom acts like all babies need milk. I am still nursing him in the middle of the night/early morning. So he gets that.
Thanks again.