How Long Does It Take To Introduce Millk?

[Jenifer]

I've been trying to get DD to drink milk for 3 weeks and she won't take in more than an 1/2 an ounce on most days.
 
I've tried 3 different sippy cups, straight from a cup, warm, cold, in a bottle, mixed with breast milk ... and she still pushes it away.   

She is still breast fed (morning and night) and gets calcium from cheese, yogourt, etc.   But she needs to drink milk right?  Other than that, she drinks 6+ ounces of water a day.

How long should it take to get her to drink milk?

[linfran]

DS was bottle fed and we started with the breakfast when he was at his thirstiest.  Has she been ill or anything of late that could have upset the process?

I just ask because when we started ds got a stomach bug soon after which seemed to curdle the milk for him so we had to leave it until he got finished with that.

After six weeks he takes a sippy cup full of cold milk in the morning at or before breakfast and sometimes an afternoon one, although he is dropping that at the moment.  He drinks loads of water and eats a varied diet and isn't constipated so I'm not worried.  He still gets a bottle of formula at bedtime for two reasons - that is his snuggly time but also the formula has a bit more body to it and keeps him going till morning - he's a big lad and needs feeding a lot during the day so I'm damned if I'm doing it at night too!

[Jenifer]

No she hasn't been sick and I can't think of anything else that would have turned her off to it.  I have returned to work in the last two weeks .. but she wasn't taking it the week before that so I don't think that's it. 

Are you saying it took you six weeks to get your son to drink milk?

[Jenifer]

Anyone else have any advice / tips?

My Dr. told me today to limit water in order to encourage her to drink milk

[KathrynK]

Hi Jenifer
don't know where you are but here in the UK we are having a mini-heatwave, and in these circumstances, no I don't think you should limit her water in the hope she'll drink milk; that last thing you want is her becoming dehydrated.
I see from your ticker she is over 1yo- how old exactly? At 12mo many bottle fed babies (mine included) are on only 2 bottles of milk a day- morning and night- just like your lo with you bf. As long as she is drinking water she won't get dehydrated, and as long as she is having lots of cheese/ yoghurts etc she will be getting enough calcium, and your bm has so much goodness in it.
I would try not to worry and keep trying, as consistency is key. There are a couple of threads you could check out in the bottle feeding section on moving from breast to bottle which you should find helpful.

[linfran]

It did take him a bit of time to get used to it, then he did and enjoyed it, then he decided he couldn't be a*sed so there was a bit of stopping and starting and trying bottles then cups till we hit paydirt.

[RachelC]

My dd2 is 19 months old.  We have been trying to get her to drink milk since she turned 1... she won't touch it (still bfs 3X a day).

She will eat cereal (baby kind) with it mixed with milk... and she'll eat Cheerios that are soaked in milk.

Make sure she is eating the cheese and yogurt, she'll be fine... they don't HAVE to drink milk.

[A_C]

I was wondering about this too.  DD is 15 months and we don't give her milk. She is bfed twice a day and has lots of yogurt, cheese and milk mixed with her meals.

My dd2 is 19 months old.  We have been trying to get her to drink milk since she turned 1... she won't touch it (still bfs 3X a day).

  Wow Rachel..she is still bfeeding 3x a day?  That is awesome!

Ana