15 month old stopped drinking milk

[Don]

Hi Ladies,

My 15 month old LO suddenly stopped drinking milk like 5 days ago. He is used to drink 250 ml twice a day (morning, evening), this has gone down 100ml in the morning and that is it, he does not want to see it anymore. He eats yogurt and cheese and cottage cheese, so I know he is getting enough of Nutritious, but I would like him to drink milk as well. Also it was nice to sit with him together, while drinking his bottle that was the only cuddle time for, he is always on the go..... :-) I tried giving him cold milk during the day instead of water but no go..... I haven't tried to make it chocolate milk either, because he liked the milk itself. So I am not sure. Otherwise he is an excellent eater....... We did not change anything in his everyday food intake; the portions weren't increased and so on.

If you ladies have any ideas at all, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
D

[Texomamama]

My nearly 3 year old still gets a sippy with about 6-7 ounces of warm milk (with a little chocolate Ovaltine in it) twice a day.  For us, the temperature is a major factor.  She wants it warm, and it takes me 30 seconds in the microwave, so that's how I do it.  During the day and while out and about, if she asks for milk, she gets it cold (and rarely drinks it unless it is chocolate milk, which has tons of sugar). 

I don't see the harm in continuing to warm it up for as long as you need to.  Now, the fact that i add flavor to it, well that is something I am going to try and avoid when the next baby arrives

[~*Nicole*~]

He is probably just regulating his intake of calories. It is not unusual for caloric needs to drop as the rate of growth decreases. Toddlers don't grow at nearly the same rate as younger infants...so they need less calories in total per day. Try slightly decreasing his solid food intake and see if the milk picks back up. IF that is what you want. Otherwise it sounds like he is doing fine b/c he has a good balance of milk and a wide variety of solid foods that he eats and he is probably getting all that he needs.

[momtonb&ab]

will he take a sippy cup in the evening/morning instead of a bottle?  it could be less about the milk and more so that he doesn't want the bottle at all.....(which in the long run is a good thing!)  could you try warmed milk in a special new sippy cup?

[Don]

Hi Ladies,

thank you for the suggestions. I think I will try the sippy and getting rid of the bottles it is time to do it anyway.

Don

[Texomamama]

Just a word of caution, it was during (and because of) the transition from bottle to sippy that I ended up starting to flavor the milk.  It was what I needed to do to get her to drink it from a sippy.  Once I started it, I could not stop.  Even now, she will drink milk only if it is flavored.  Fortunately, I use very little of the Ovaltine so there is little extra sugar, plus it has vitamins.

So, if you don't want to end up as I did, you need to stick to your guns from the beginning and only offer white milk.

[~*Nicole*~]

DD had a preference for warm milk in her sippy at first as opposed to straight from the fridge cold. So I put it in the microwave for 10 seconds to take the chill out. Now she drinks it cold and plain. I would also avoid adding any flavorings!

[lilyo]

The same thing happened to me (sort of)! My 15 month old DS is on a full fledged milk strike (since Saturday night) and I have only been making it worse.
According to my husband, DS refused his bedtime bottle (which he usually loves and has never outright refused) because the milk was sour! We refilled with fresh milk but the damage was done (or at least that is what we're blaming it on). He refused the bottle altogether on Sunday, went to the doctor Monday for 15 month shots and he said not to worry about it and to get rid of the bottle anyway.
I figured since DS was refusing the bottle, why push it on him? So I switched to sippy cup. Well, that has been a disaster. He either takes a quick sip and makes a face or refuses completely. I've tried not to force the issue but honestly, I can't help myself. The bottle of milk at bedtime was key to the winddown routine. Without it, he barely sits still for a minute. I end up reading stories to myself and his lovey.
After quickly reviewing a few threads at work and speaking to my mother, I decided to switch back to the bottle (as of tonight) and stop stressing about weaning him from the bottle for another few months. I'd love some advice and would like to hear how things went with your LO.
Should I just relax and stop being so uptight about transitioning from bottle to sippy cup and begin offering the bottle of milk at bedtime again? And if so, how long should I continue to offer the bottle of milk if he continues to refuse? A week? Longer? And after that, should I switch to sippy cup?
I am hesitant about offering flavoured milk, that is DH's solution but I think its a slippery slope. DS loves the sippy cup for water and has been guzzling out of it for at least 5 months. But was never interested in taking milk in the sippy cup (breast, cow or formula). He previously drank chamomile tea out of a sippy cup (sometimes bottle when congested in place of milk) but has started refusing that too. I don't want him to be dehydrated and I want the old relaxed downtime back at bedtime that accompanied the bottle of milk... HELP!

[~*Nicole*~]

If I were you, I'd switch to the sippy now since he is still not interested in the bottle, but if you want to use sippy cups for all other drinks and the bottle for his night bottle, that's fine as well, but most pediatricians do recommend ditching the bottle after 12 months anyway...not that it's a huge rush, but you may as well. Also, if he never drinks milk again, he'll live. So, if a sippy of water before bed works as a substitute for his winddown routine, then so be it. You can keep offering milk whenever you want, but if he is eating cheese and yogurt and getting calcium and protein from other sources, he won't be nutritionally deficient if he refuses to take in milk. I wouldn't flavor it either, just becomes another habit you have to try to break later. You can try different cups or a regular cup with you helping or with a straw. Might interest him a bit.

[Don]

Hi Lilyo,

I don't have any good advice to you when to ditch the bottle and so forth. Only one thing may be as pp said don't flavor the milk.
I almost did, but stood my grounds ( I am fighting MIL at home sooo you can imagine, he takes care of LO while I am at work). But I did not let her flavor the milk. Now he drinks 250 ml in the morning, but none in the evening. I know why he has no time to sit down. :-) I guess the little guys are changing. In the morning he is hungry so takes it and drinks it real fast and off he goes takes care of business, but in the evening is a no go. During the day we make sure he eats cheese and yogurt and cottage cheese.
I will try a sippy cup in the September ( when MIL is gone forever ... :-))  ), will se how that goes. I heard that we have the switch to sippy when LO's 12 month. I guess it is fine if you wait up until 18 month. May be other people can help with that, who has more experience.

Our bedtime routine has been changed too. He does not sit with me anymore. I took out the noisy toys from his bedroom and we sit on the floor and do quiet play now. While he plays I sing to him, even though it seems he does not listen, but I am sure it goes into his little head. Or if you read a book as well same thing it goes there. I think they realized that after the milk and singing songs they have to be in bed, so they use the time what they can to play and explore.

I think you should just enjoy him and enjoy the bed time routine and change it. One day I am sure he is going to sit on your lap and listen to the bedtime stories properly, but this is not the age. Don’t stress about it.

Cheers,

Don