Is this enough milk for a 1 year old?

[LHightower]

Hello everyone,

I am in the process of weaning my 1 year old son and am concerned about him getting enough cow's milk.  I have read that he needs 16 oz per day but can't seem to figure out how to fit this in to his routine.   :?  Here is his current schedule:

6am Breast milk (will stop at the end of January)
7am Breakfast- solids
8am-9:30am nap
10:30am Snack with water
12:30-2:30 Breast milk before nap (some days will only take 1 side)
2:30pm Lunch (usually yogurt plus other items) with water
5:30pm Dinner with milk in sippy cup
6:15pm Bedtime
10pm Bottle of breastmilk (5 oz)  (will stop in January, too)

I know he is quite old to still be getting a "dreamfeed," but I have continued this so that he can meet his milk quota for the day.   I would like to stop this in January as well but I also don't want to get in the habit of giving him a bottle of milk before bed.  (Seems he is pretty much unaware of it at 10pm    but atleast he is taking the milk)

Once I stop breastfeeding him am I supposed to just substitute cow's milk instead of the water at his meal periods?  What if he won't drink it?  Due to his age, I really don't want to start to offer bottles during the day.  Any ideas?  I should also mention that he sleeps 12 hours at night.  (4 before the dreamfeed and 8 after)  Thanks for your help!

[tylersmommy]

Once he gets the hang of milk and the sippy, his milk intake will probably be fine. When Tyler was new to milk, I offered it at each meal (except breakfast, that was always water) and snacktime. I'd also bring the sippy out at random times during the day and have it available for him to sip from (insulated sippys work well for this). Once he got used to it and drank enough milk, I didn't have to offer it near as much.

If he doesn't want to drink milk period, take a look at the Eating for Toddlers forum. There's an announcement at the top of it that has strategies for getting your DS to drink milk. Also keep in mind that yogurt, cheese, and other dairy foods count toward his daily milk intake. I wouldn't introduce bottles during the day. Even if he never drinks a sip of milk, it's possible to still achieve his daily 16 oz through other foods. HTH!

[LHightower]

Thanks for your ideas, Melissa ~ I will definitely start offering the milk (in a sippy cup) with meals and snacks.  Originally, I was hesitant to do this because I thought that the milk might fill him up and he wouldn't take the solid food, but I think his milk consumption is more important right now.   

I will also check out the Eating for Toddlers section that you mentioned.  I could certainly use some new strategies to make milk more interesting.    Plus it is always helpful to know that other Moms out there are dealing with the same issues!    :lol:

[tabrenna]

My son will be 1 next week and I give him a sippy cup of milk with all of his meals and snacks and also just before bed.  He probably drinks 16 - 20 oz a day.  If he finishes a 4 oz of milk at one sitting, I will then offer water.  We are just introducing diluted oj with breaky but he still seems to drink the same amount of milk.  It has not appeared to have impacted his food intake at all.  He loves food.  Good luck.

[NikiB]

I have heard that the minimum amount of milk for a 1 year old is 12 oz and that includes all milk and dairy products like cheese and yoghurts.  My daughter is almost 1 and has two milk feeds per day, about 8 oz each plus yog and milk in cereal and cheese either with her meal or as a snack. I'm sure your little un is getting plenty and if you're worried chuck in an extra yoghurt.  Milk is definitely important but so are nutrients from other foods. Be careful your LO doesn't become a milk fiend!

[LHightower]

Hello Ladies~ thanks for your thoughts.  These past few days I have been offering milk (in a sippy cup) during breakfast, snack time (2x per day) and dinner time.  So far, so good... while my son doesn't drink all of the milk, he is consuming about 3-4 oz. each time.     The only drawback is that it does seem to be impacting his solid food intake.  Now when he sees the sippy cup, he makes a "mmmm  mmmm mmmm" sound and reaches for it!  Perhaps I don't have to worry about his milk intake afterall!   :lol: