How much milk? dd 15 months old.

[marilyn73]

DD is 15 months, and just dropped the last BF (bedtime) this week.  She's always been on the low end for milk intake, but has always been growing well and gaining weight etc...
Currently, she has a sippy cup with whole milk at meals, and water in between - and until a few nights ago, a short BF at bedtime.
My concern is the amount of milk she takes in a day - usually only a total of 14 oz. 
Her other calcium sorces are 1/3 c yogurt per day, and a hefty slice of cheddar cheese.
Is this enough?

Today I added an extra sippy of milk after daycare before supper which she did happily take - still only 14 oz though as she only had a few sips at breakfast.

[caz2107]

Not sure what the 'recommended' amount at this age is but my LO (16 months) has 5oz growing up formula at night and the occasional drink of milk in the day, he likes cheese and yoghurt so I make sure he has a portion of that each day, so we're actually having a fair bit less than you, be interested to see what others say xx

[marilyn73]

I just tried to do an online search - I found 16-24 oz, 16 oz or even a little less, BUT I had a friend say 3 Cups!, and another confirmed 16-24 oz.  I know it's quite important for proper development to get enough calcium....just wondering what other moms think.

[brenda2]

hi marilyn

i think most on here would recommend 2 milk feeds at this age, so if that is 8 oz per feed it would be about 16 oz.

my dd2 (12.5 mo)  takes between 15-20 oz of milk.  sometimes this is in 3 feeds and sometimes just 2.  if she takes 3 feeds usually it is less per feed.  today for example she took 7 oz in the morning, 7 oz at lunch and 5 oz at bedtime so total of 19 oz, this is on the high end for her.  yesterday she had no milk first thing, 8 oz at lunch and 8 oz at bedtime so 16 oz total.

if you cut out the bedtime bf did you replace it with a sippy cup of milk?

i think what you are doing sounds about right.  alexandra also eats a lot of yogurt (3 servings today) and a lot of cheese.  but we are really having a hard time with her taking any meat so i tend to push the dairy (and eggs and beans) so at least she is getting some protein.

[marilyn73]

Hey Brenda,
The way day goes for milk since I'm back at work is:
7:15 -7:30 - breakfast in highchair - 3 oz milk in sippy cup (doesn't want more)
12:00-12:30 - lunch in highchair - 3-4 oz milk in sippy cup, plus yogurt/cheese
5:00 home from daycare - sippy of milk right away (because lately she was gulping quite a bit of water after the outside play at the end of the day)
6:00-6:30 - supper with a few oz more of milk - 3-5 at most.
6:30-7:00 - bath and get ready for bed
7:00 bed - tried a sippy of milk - totally uninterested, but will take a couple gulps of water.  This is why the BF was dropped in the first place - dd would rather get in her sleep sack in her crib and suck her thumb.

So, in total 12-14 oz max I think,

Marilyn

[brenda2]

it may be the sippy cup is why she's taking less.  all my friends who have switched early to a sippy cup have quite a cut back on milk intake for a while.  alexandra is still having her milk in a bottle and i think they tend to take more this way.  my other friends who have switched early to a sippy cup have also noted declines in milk intake that then goes up after time.  just IMO from what i've noticed maybe others have a different opinion.  avery (almost 3 y) who has her milk in a sippy cup probably takes 16 oz at least of milk in a day  - she loves her milk and will polish off a cup and ask for more.  we have to cut it back and limit her or she'd drink and not eat.

also you are giving milk only at meal times, she may be more interested in the food and not wanting the milk at these times.  if you gave milk in between meal times would she take some then?  like if you gave her milk mid morning in replace of or with a snack?  or before of after meals so she can concentrate on the milk.

alexandra does this:
6:45 milk 5-8 oz (lying on our bed)
7 breakfast
9:30 snack
11:30 lunch
12:30 bottle 5-8 oz and then  nap
3 snack
5:30 dinner
7 bottle 5-8 oz and bed

love the thumb sucking, alexandra does it too.  i usually have to pull out the thumb and stick the bottle in lol!

[marilyn73]

Hey Brenda,
I've recently tried giving Abby milk when she's really thirsty, instead of water as I had been (like after a hard play outside in the sun) - definitely worked - got nearly 4 oz in before supper time. In past months, she'd usually chuck the milk in favor of water when I would do this.
I know Abby would heartily take a bottle of milk, but at this point now that we've weaned all but the sippy cup, I'd rather not go that direction.  I did debate this at length with Allison though - and we were never sure what to do.