stopping the bottles!

[meanmckean]

hi all
my 15m/o daughter drinks water from a sippy, or a nuby with a straw, but if you put milk in it she looks appalled at the idea.
i am keen to at least drop the midday bottle but if she doesn't get enough milk she becomes very crabby - this is mostly likely due to the fact that she is not a big eater and probably gets a bunch of calories from the milk.
i might add, that i don't give her milk before food, so she is topping up with the milk.
any tips?!

[Lolly]

How much milk is she drinking in a day? She only needs about 12 oz a day to get her needs met so to be honest I would just stop the midday bottle first and offer her the milk in a cup with her meal - you can try an open cup or a straw cup too. If she wants it she will drink it eventually providing she knows there is no other option - so no giving it back as soon as she throws a strop Once you stop that bottle you can do the same for the first one and then bedtime, most toddlers only have morning and bedtime milk once they turn 1 anyway.

I think you are right that she is eating less because she is holding out for milk or having too much so you may have a few hungrier days while she adjusts but if you offer snacks, and foods she likes at meal times she won't starve herself.

What do you think?

Laura

[meanmckean]

i think i am being wussy because her sleep gets effected by lack of food and she is also a fussy eater.

[Lemonthyme]

I think 15 month olds don't have sleep affected so much by food.  It's easy to blame it on food.  Have you tried yoghurt?  Milky sauces?

[Lolly]

I know, but until she has a need to eat more food she really wont!

What's happening with her sleep? Once they get to toddlerhood, hunger isn't often a cause for nightwakings - what's her daily routine like at the moment?

Laura

[meanmckean]

her routine is:
6.30 wake and 3oz milk (from bottle)
7.00 breakfast - has 3 mouthfuls of cereal
8.30 45min nap (bit of extra milk as worried hasn't had enough breakfast)
9.00 A inc, snack at some point (half banana or satsuma/break stick)
11.30 lunch (which is usually involves me trying 3 different things until a hit on something she will have a bit of)
followed by 7oz milk
12.30-2.30 nap
A inc a snack sometimes but not always interested
4.30 dinner
5.30 9oz!!! formula
6.30 bed

i know she is having too much milk but she won't eat.  also, on nursery days if she doesn't get a good hit of milk she is beside herself when i pick her up, even when she has eaten all the food and had water.

[Lolly]

I would think on Nursery days she is over tired causing the meltdowns rather than lack of milk. What are her nights like - is she having any milk overnight?

I don't think the bedtime milk is an issue, but I really would just offer that lunchtime milk in a cup with her lunch. If she knows the milk is coming that is probably why she isn't as interested in lunch. Also she is snacking her way through the morning which is also why she isn't so interested at lunch. I would also give her breakfast first and then offer milk in a cup and something like toast/ fruit as a mid morning snack. We offered breakfast first with my DD when she hit 13 months as she wasn't eating her breakfast - remember the milk in her foods also counts as her dairy intake, so 3oz then milk in cereal, then another drink of milk before nap and that's a good half+ of what she needs in a day already!

Laura

[meanmckean]

yea she is a bit over tired but when she has a big hit of milk she copes much better 
will bite the bullet on the next 4 non-nursery days then brief nursery next week.