13-month old won't drink anything but milk

[jamcit]

hi
my 13 month old little boy drinks three bottles of milk a day totaling between 16 and 18 oz. He also eats very well (he's a healthy 27 pounds). My concern is that he refusing any water or juice, let's not even talk about the cup versus the bottle.

so quick routine review:

645-7 wakes and drinks between 5 and 7 oz
745-8 breakfast of yogurt, mashed banana and baby porridge with cheerios and cut up fruit
10-11 sleep
11:30 lunch of finger foods, one pot and fruit pot/yogurt
1:30-2 drinks 5 to 6 oz
2 to 3:30/4 sleep
5 dinner of pasta/rice plus finger foods and yogurt
6:45 bottle of 8oz
7 bed

I give him a sippy cup of water and he just bangs it around. Any attempt to actually bring it to his mouth results in it being batted away and clamped lips.

Reason for immediate concern: we're on day 5 of a stomach bug and i want to get some clear fluids in him. I've been watering down milk but still want to resolve this milk only problem once he's well. I did get about 2 oz of diluted apple juice in him from a bottle yesterday.

So questions:
1) I've been taking the philosophical, it will happen approach as i found with my first the minute i started to worry about something like this it just resolved itself. should i just relax and continue that?
2) OR drop that midday bottle and just offer clear liquids all day, guessing that the thirstiness will win him over.

Also at what point to you bring that morning milk into a meal accompanying thing, as opposed to a mini meal/snack in itself.
Like i said, he's normally a very very good eater, downing at least two generous meals a day. So I'm not worried about the milk replacing food calories.

We also have a cup/bottle issue that I've also been philosophical about, but wonder if i should start forcing the issue.

Thanks for your input!

[jesie]

Hiya, my DS is the same age and still having his 3 cups of milk (sometimes 4 but he's dairy free which is the only reason) he does however drink his water.

G has water on offer at all times and he will get it himself throughout the day. he has it before breakfast and also with his meals. Does yours have it during meals?

You don't want to be giving anything other than milk or water from a bottle as its bad for teeth, however I can see why your doing it if your trying to introduce something new, you just don't want it to turn into a habit cos its bot good long term

Does he get his cheese and yogurt etc making up his dairy daily allowance? If so I would stop his mid day milk. If not encourage more dairy products and stop the say time milk.

DS has breakfast then milk (when having milk first he refused breakfast)
If he gets up and has breakfast before 8 he will have a "snack" of milk at 10
He'll then have a snack of biscuit and fruit with milk at 2
Milk at bed.

So for snacks, he us yet to have food in the morning as milk is enough to last him until lunch, whereas in the afternoon he can't last until tea so he has food too.

If DS was allowed dairy, I would still offer milk at these points but less, and add food in there to bulk up the am snack.

Sorry if i'm rambling LOL

So in all....

If I were you I would cut out day time milk to encourage water or even squash (then gradually weakening it if you don't want him to have squash, but it is enticing him in), then once he is drinking fluids in the day, I would personally add a little milk for snacks BUT you don't have to, you can just keep to water or squash.

I hope that helps a little