My 2.5 y.o. DD has just been demanding cow's milk around the clock lately. "Mommy, I want some milk". Over and over all day. We don't do a lot of juice in our family, and she is showing a strong preference for milk over water. She seems to be going through a growth spurt lately, and is pretty fixated on food in general.
However, along with working on some pretty significant milestones lately, she has also been quite crabby, very impatient and vaguely unwell. Three days ago, she was throwing up flem and mucus in the morning (one reason I wanted to reduce her dairy, if she had a cold). Tonight she had rather loose stools, verging on diarrea. Oh and for the last two nights she has been up until 11 pm, and her sleep has been very disrupted. She does not seem feverish, and is her high energy self throughout the day.
I have two possible theories. One is that she is sensitive to dairy and or milk. I read somewhere that sometimes people crave foods that they have a sensitivity to. She was a colicky baby, and my husband has theorized that milk might have been a factor (I BF exclusively, but ate dairy during this time, so she would have gotten it from my milk).
Another theory is that she is just going through a rocky growth/ development spurt, and she is just craving more calories than water provides. It is true that she is experiencing some leaps in imagination and communication lately. I have also read how during these growth/ development stages, toddlers can be quite cranky and have disrupted sleep patterns.
So far I am just limiting her cow's milk to meal times, and letting her have soy milk at other times. She is not really drinking enough water, IMO. I may institute a new rule, that she may only have water to drink if it is not a mealtime. She is pretty good at eating a ton of fruit to aid hydration.
I am wondering if we should go dairy free for a bit and see what happens. If it is a sensitivity, and we do an elimination diet, how soon will it become obvious that this was the problem? Will it be obvious? I am also thinking of reinstating uber-watered down juice (I am reluctant to do this, but....)
Any ideas? Anyone else been through this?
However, along with working on some pretty significant milestones lately, she has also been quite crabby, very impatient and vaguely unwell. Three days ago, she was throwing up flem and mucus in the morning (one reason I wanted to reduce her dairy, if she had a cold). Tonight she had rather loose stools, verging on diarrea. Oh and for the last two nights she has been up until 11 pm, and her sleep has been very disrupted. She does not seem feverish, and is her high energy self throughout the day.
I have two possible theories. One is that she is sensitive to dairy and or milk. I read somewhere that sometimes people crave foods that they have a sensitivity to. She was a colicky baby, and my husband has theorized that milk might have been a factor (I BF exclusively, but ate dairy during this time, so she would have gotten it from my milk).
Another theory is that she is just going through a rocky growth/ development spurt, and she is just craving more calories than water provides. It is true that she is experiencing some leaps in imagination and communication lately. I have also read how during these growth/ development stages, toddlers can be quite cranky and have disrupted sleep patterns.
So far I am just limiting her cow's milk to meal times, and letting her have soy milk at other times. She is not really drinking enough water, IMO. I may institute a new rule, that she may only have water to drink if it is not a mealtime. She is pretty good at eating a ton of fruit to aid hydration.
I am wondering if we should go dairy free for a bit and see what happens. If it is a sensitivity, and we do an elimination diet, how soon will it become obvious that this was the problem? Will it be obvious? I am also thinking of reinstating uber-watered down juice (I am reluctant to do this, but....)
Any ideas? Anyone else been through this?
