New here...just a question about extendend nursing and ped.

[CattiBrieDourden]

Hi all!

I am nursing my 15 month old daughter. She still nurses 5-6 times per day, but she also eats A LOT of solids. Anything and everything I give her she eats.

Except milk. Regular milk. Chocolate milk. She loves yogurt, but she will not drink a cup of milk. I asked my pediatrician about this yesterday at her 15 month well baby visit. I said I was trying to get my daughter to drink milk instead of nursing all the time. I'm not ready to quit, I'm just ready to cut down a bit. The pediatrician said I can not be making enough milk to provide her with what she needs (which I know to be false) and to just keep offering her milk in a cup instead of water or diluted juice, which I had been giving her.

Our pediatrician has been good so far, except for her outdated breastfeeding advice. I'm not looking to change doctors, I just wanted to see what if anything I can do to get my daughter to drink some milk. I don't really want to force it on her, because I don't like milk at all, unless it's really chocolatey. So, maybe it's a taste thing?

Like I said, I'm not ready to stop nursing completely, but I'm ready to tone it down a little. I'm new here, so please don't be too harsh!!!

Thanks!
Cat

[veganone]

There is absolutely no reason for a baby to drink cows' milk. Your milk is fine, and if you are looking for the nutrition from milk, yogurt is nutritionally the same thing. Give her water and don't worry about it. IMHO anyway...

Lots of kids (mine included) don't do any dairy at all. Both for ethical reasons and because she's intollerant.

[jecombs]

I wouldn't worry about her drinking much milk. Just make sure she is getting calcium from other sources, like yogurt, cheese, brocolli, spinach, etc. I also make sure DD gets plenty of fish and avocado, to assure she gets those brain-building fats that she needs!

My DD doesn't do much milk either, so I understand why you're concerned!

[lillymonster]

As long as she gets fat (from your breastmilk) and calcium (from yogurt and breastmilk and other veggies) she doesn't need milk for any reason.

Most kids that don't like milk is because they can't tolerate it. Yogurt is better because it has probiotics that are easier on the stomach. If you want to wean or lessen nursing, maybe try hemp milk instead. It has the same consistency sort of, and has calcium and vitamin D and you can use it in cereal or for baking.

[veganone]

Originally Posted by lillymonster

If you want to wean or lessen nursing, maybe try hemp milk instead. It has the same consistency sort of, and has calcium and vitamin D and you can use it in cereal or for baking.

Oat milk, too. We use that. Same protein as hemp milk, with calcium and vitamin D. We use it for cooking too.

[lillymonster]

Originally Posted by veganone

Oat milk, too. We use that. Same protein as hemp milk, with calcium and vitamin D. We use it for cooking too.

I have used oat milk too, but I find it too sweet? Is that possible? Maybe the vanilla seemed sweeter to me than hemp. Both are better than rice milk, IMO. Rice milk taste blech

[veganone]

DD loves the oat milk, but we use the plain (not vanilla) one. I actually like oat and rice, but HATE hemp milk. It has a weird pepperminty flavor that I dislike. But I haven't had cows' milk since I was 7, so I'm not comparing any of them to it. Maybe that changed my tastes.

[scrappingmom]

as PPs have said.. it's truely NOT something to sweat in teh least. IN all reality of teh places to get the nutrients you'er aming for in milk... cow milk is probably your least usefull option... most available yes and most preached but not most usefull.

I havent had cows milk in over 20 years but you know what i ahve had a couple broken bones that healed in a week rather than 6 weeks "as expected".

she could be shunning it because it tastes "weird" compared to yours or it could be ehr only way to let you know it DOESN"T do HER body good... she could ahve problems with it that arent as prevelant once teh milk is processed(for lack of a beter word) into yogurt, cheese etc.

PM and I can give you ALOT of info on milk that ISN"T preached... i dont want to get into it as it can become an issue for some people... not sure why but whatever lol.

and yes.. your milk DOES provide as needed provided you eat reasonable... your body will suck out what it needs to raise LO's even if it means robing from you and running you down. Might be an opportunity to educate, slowly and gently, your doc. Especially if you like(her?) I had to do this with mine but he's been a good student! hehe. it takes TONS of education fro you firt though :-) when possible, find info mentioned IN a medical journal they are likley to get! all this "alternative thinking" is there .. just most main stream docs wont take the time to read it either casue its a small article or they dont think it will apply to their practice or... who knows why.

[BnInTheOvn]

my daughter just started drinking milk in the last 2 motnhs or so... and she's almost 22 months. She hated it before, and even now she wont drink a ton of it unless it's choc. milk. I just put the slightest bit of chocolate in it and she magically drinks the whole thing.

Like everyone said, dont worry about it... but some ideas for sneaking it in....


Make a smoothy -- mix in strawberries, blueberries, bananas, etc. and blend it up. you can ad yogurt too to make it a little thicker (like a milk shake).

Mix it with her oatmeal / rice cereal instead of water or breastmilk.

give her cheerios and milk, but at 15 months she might not be ready to do that... Annalise loved it though, and once the cheerios were gone the milk has the cheerio flavor so she would drink it.

[Kiddoson]

My 8 year old and 15 month old don't drink any milk. In fact none of us do. We use some on cereal and for cooking, that's about it. It's not really normal to drink another mammals milk.

[hollytheteacher]

If my ped recommended giving a 15 month old CHOCOLATE milk, I'd be switching peds!!

[ShadowMoon]

Cows milk is not a necessity unless you're a calf. DS will drink some other things such as plant based milks, but even these are not vital as long as you child is taking in enough calories and nutrients from a variety of sources. (and still bf'ing!) Water is enough as far as liquids go.