Which milk alternative can I use for 12mo?

[mokey_cat]

Hi everyone

Im looking to start giving DD milk in a cup now, she hardly drinks any formula except a small bottle at night and completely refuses her formula if in a cup.  She is sensitive to dairy and gets excema, sore tummy etc so we avoid cows milk, cheese, yogurts etc.  What soya milk is she able to have.  In her cereal etc we use alpro soya but I think its quite low fat  so was not sure if this could be used as a main drink?  Are there better alternatives?  Its a nightmare getting her to have any calcium!!

TIA 

[Buntybear]

As you are in the UK I think soy or calcium enriched oat milk are readily available. Coconut milk is also recommended on here a lot but haven't found it yet! Rice milk is NOT recommended.

Not sure on the fats in soya milk. I know oat is low so I maybe sure Olly has plenty of fats elsewhere - avacado, salmon etc.

[~ Vik ~]

Soy milk is all low fat, no matter what brand. High in protein though. We use organic soy milk (So Nice brand) for Dylan and supplement fats in other ways. I use avocado, fattier cuts of meat, coconut milk is cooking and coconut oil in baking.

If she's tolerating the soy milk you're using now I would just carry on TBH and add supplementary fats into her diet. I found coconut milk and oil in the allergy/gluten free/organic section of our grocery store and a local health food store. xx

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

We did soy milk from about 18 months and made sure to get the extra fats in her diet...I did get alot of flak from the health nurse as apparently here it is recommended for mpi babies to be on soy formula until 2 years old!  I did actually end up putting her back on formula once a day as she was self limiting her diet to the point it was hard to hide the good fats in it! Flax oil or ground flax is another good one, I add the ground stuff to pancakes and she used to not notice if I stirred a little flax oil in her applesauce.

[Jimbob]

My ds has coconut milk that has calcium added and he really likes it. I get it from Tesco, it is kept in same place as the rice milk and oat milk at our store.

Kelly

[firsttimemummy]

We use the red Oatly (caluim enriched one) - dietician said it was fine as Murray never had weight-gain issues (it is low in fat)

[~*~Louisa~*~]

Coconut milk can be found in tescos and holland and barret the main brand name is Kara, it is also very healthy for mummys I drink it as on slimming world I can have 400ml of it (more then you can have of skimmed milk!) so ALOT healthier then Rice milk

Shops do there own brand calcium enriched soya milk, they reccomend unsweetened as sweetened has added apple juice so its not ideal on the peggy wegs

[firsttimemummy]

I assume your LO is fine with soya? A number of people who can't tolerate dairy struggle with soya too - it used to give Murray a burnt bottom, and, sometimes, loose stools too.  My brother, though, had tonnes of soya milk and was always fine with it.

[Buntybear]

That is interesting Louisa - it can't be that high in fat then if it is good for losing weight! I always thought of coconut milk as being really high in fat   always steer clear of thai green curry when watching the calories!

[mokey_cat]

Thanks everyone!!

She is fine with soya milk in cereal, soya yogurts and margarine.  We tried a dairy trial and its been a nightmare.  She is just refusing all milk though  so Im struggling to know what i should be doing.  Today she had 2 oz of formula.

She refuses the soya milk from a cup too so I might try the oat or coconut.  I have seen the oatly one so know for sure I can get that.

Any other tips on getting more milk into this girl???     Or should I concentrate on foods that are high in calcium? 

[~*~Louisa~*~]

The drink is part water so its less calories then the tinned one iykwim

The fats in coconut milk are VERY healthy fats

If it has creamed coconut in it though now thats very high in calories as its pretty much coconut fat

[Buntybear]

Laura - could you try porridge? I seem to be LOADS of milk in it to get it creamy enough. I would try for high good fat and calcium foods whilst she is off milk. Of course plenty of other fluids.

[firsttimemummy]

Have you tried making milkshakes for her?  Just puree some fruit and add it to the milk (no need to add sugar or anything else).  I also used to freeze pureed melon with Murray's dairy-free formula (Neocate) and he had them as ice lollies

[Jimbob]

Banana milkshakes have always been a big hit with my dd.

Kelly

[mokey_cat]

Thanks for all the ideas.  I have not been on BW much recently, but its so nice to come back and have you lovely ladies giving me me help!! 

I have tried the porridge with soya milk the last 2 days and managed to get her to take almost the full days calcium in that  Plus some soya yogurt and custard stuff. 

I have bought the coconut milk and oat milk, but she wont have any of it so I think I might keep offering it to her with a meal to see if she eventually drinks some.  I would prefer to do the oat or coconut as my DD1 seems to get rotten excema when she has soya milk so if I could get one that they both could have it would be great.

Im going to try the smoothies tomorrow, and hopefully make some ice lollies too (great idea!!!) when I can find the wee sticks.

Is it likely to be a phase or do you think she just does not like milk anymore?  She is a teeny wee thing and I worry about her growth, but developmentally she is doing well so I guess I should try and not worry so much