13 Month Old Won't Drink Milk

If you give her juice, brush her teeth immediately after and get a prescription for fluoride.

Milk is not completely necessary, and there are other ways to get calcium/vitamin D.

I had to use flavored milk with my oldest daughter. She refused formula when she was a baby, I breastfed her until she was about 14 months old. No harm with that just I could not get her to go to milk, her favorite then and now is chocolate. It is worth a shot, they make sugar free mixes and stuff.

L - I think the major reason for whole milk is the amount of fat that is really important for brain development. What works with my two is putting a little of vanilla creamer. My son, who is 12 months, would not drink formula when I switched from breast milk at 10 months so I put a little creamer in and that was it. Now he drinks whole milk or formula with or without "special milk". My daughter, 3, doesn't like chocolate milk but she loves vanilla. Hope this helps.

Oh my goodness. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were talking about my daughter. I posted a very similar question several months ago. I was so worried about her not getting her milk once we stopped with the formula but was encouraged by all these wonderful moms that as long as she's eating such things as yogurt and cheese on a regular basis she should be fine. So, I stopped pushing the milk altogether. Once in a while we would try Ovaltine. She is 18 months old now, and the other day she wanted a taste of what I was drinking—it happened to be milk. She gobbled it up and drinks it just fine now. So just be patient and before you know it, maybe she'll find a taste for it.

When my daughter quit nursing I was concerned about her not getting enough calcium. I talked to a friend who had a health food store at the time she said if she liked ice cream let her eat that and yogurt and she would get enough calcium. She is almost 20 now and still doesn't like milk at least to drink. She is pretty healthy.
Good luck and enjoy your little one.

Little ones instinctively know what is good for their bodies. To offer a completely different perspective--cows have four stomachs and digest things twice. Cow's milk is great for baby cows, but baby humans? You be the judge. There are lots of ways for her to get vitamin D, Calcium and protein that don't include dairy. But most little ones will happily eat yogurt and cheese. As long as she's getting enough liquids to drink she doesn't have to have milk. They have chewable vitamins with calcium and vitamin D. You could also try goat's milk, or cook foods with milk. We don't do any dairy at all (allergy). My four year old eats broccoli, spinach, etc. He's never had cow's milk and is incredibly healthy. :-)

My doctor (and most others I think) says it is totally fine to give them flavored milk. The small amount of sugar that they get is completely off set by the good benefits of getting enough calcium from the milk. The effects of sugar is burned off quickly, but strong bones last a lifetime.

The good thing is that cow's milk is for baby cows. There are lots of foods that contain calcium and other nutrients found in cow's milk. You may also want to try vanilla rice milk, mu kiddo loves it.

My son stopped drinking milk as well, just a little later. He was about 2. As much as I hated to, I started giving him chocolate milk, but I mix it myself and put just enough chocolate in to change the taste a little. He also eats cheese and yogurt. They also have calcium supplements for kids. They are like the gummi vitamins. The only problem there is they have a lot of sugar of course, but they only take 2.

L., it IS very important for children 12mo - 24mo to have WHOLE MILK in their daily diet. Reason being, more than the calcium, the fat content helps to promote healthy brain development which is HUGE during their second year. I agree with the other moms that suggested putting chocolate in the milk to make it more enjoyable for her... chocolate won't deplete the nutritional value of it, but excluding it from her diet would definitely NOT be in her best interest.

Where are you giving her her milk? I have to give my 14 month old girl her milk in her crib, otherwise she's too distracted by everything else to drink it. Also it's easier because she can just lay down (easier to hold up her sippy cup).

Try chocolate milk, and if she really does not like milk don't worry, just feed her other things with lots of calcium, does she like yogurt or cheese? Good luck!

Try putting a little chocolate syrup or strawberry syrup in the milk, I have friends who have had to do this, they call it "pink milk" and slowly start putting less and less of the flavoring in the milk.

She can still get a great dose of calcium from yogurt w/ little sugar, and cottage cheese. These babies still need the fat found in milk, so do we. Try watering the milk down a bit until she's used to it.

Hi! We had the same issue with one of our twins (now 9 years old). Once we stopped the bottle, she would not drink milk. I gave her cheese, yogurt and also mixed Ovaltine in milk to make it chocolate. She started liking cottage cheese when she got a little older. I buy Orange Juice with Calcium in it. They also have kids calcium supplements (I got ours at Vitamin Cottage) that are flavored like a vanilla milkshake and are in animal shapes. She has not had any adverse effects of getting her calcium from other sources. I hope that helps a little. I was also very worried at the time. ~ M.

My dd was allergic to milk (shes grown out of now) but the doctors told us to get soy milk vanilla and she loved it as well as the chocolate. If you don't want to use soy and she likes chocolate milk get those carnation breakfast drinks and that will give her the protein and calcium she will need. Also I don't know which sippy cups your using, but she may not agree with it. My dd would only drink certain things with a straw cup. I hope this helps and gl.

I wouldn't worry about it. None of my 3 kids were crazy about cow's milk after weaning, so I just had them drink/eat yogurt for their calcium. Yo Baby makes a good organic yogurt and it's in a smaller container for little person portions. Or you could also try soy milk, my sister in law uses that. Good luck.

Milk is not the best source of calcium anyway. I would respect the wishes of your child on this, as perhaps her little body doesn't do that well with milk, and she naturally objects to it.

Here is a list of other food sources that are best for calcium ingestion:
Spinach
Turnip greens
Mustard greens
Collard greens
Blackstrap molasses
Swiss chard
Yogurt
Kale
Mozzarella cheese
Basil, thyme, dill seed, cinnamon, and peppermint leaves
Romaine lettuce
Rhubarb
Celery
Broccoli
Sesame seeds
Fennel
Cabbage
Summer squash
Green beans
Garlic
Tofu
Brussel sprouts
Oranges
Asparagus
Crimini mushrooms

My son is the same way, but if I put carnation instant breakfast in it he loves it. Sometimes I will put the smallest amount of french vanilla coffee creamer in it instead and he likes that too. Just something to change the flavor a bit.

I'm going to validate some previous suggestions of adding chocolate or strawberry to her milk. We use Ovaltine because of the added vitamins and minerals and have previously used Nesquik because it's slightly lower in sugar than other brands. My pediatrician was the one who suggested it - not because of the calcium but because of the fats in the milk that their brains still need to develop. He also suggested full fat ice cream too. We also do smoothies when the mood strikes me. If you're worried about calcium intake, just make sure that she's getting plenty of vitamin D either through her diet or getting her 10 minutes of sunlight per day. Good luck!

Once she is weaned from breastmilk or bottle, then she doesn't have to keep drinking milk at all. Just give her plenty of water to drink (nothing sugary of course) and juice, like 1/4 juice to 3/4 water..

My twins are almost 3, and from the time they weaned, the only milk (not by their choice, but on purpose) that they ever got was whatever went in cereal, or mashed potatoes, or whatever.
Cows milk is for cows- we don't HAVE to have it.

Fortunately there is a lot of calcium in veggies- especially broccoli, spinach, and other green leafy veggies. My kids love broccoli- and there is WAY more calcium in one serving of broccoli than there is in milk- you just see milk advertised more because the national MILK council puts a lot of money into making you believe it is the best source of calcium- LOL!

Good luck- and try not to do too much of this chocolate syrup and ice cream thing- all kids love yogurt- just get regular vanilla yogurt, mix in some fresh fruit- berries, bananaas, etc..

EDITING: People are talking about having the FATS in the milk- yes, IF you are going to give milk, only use whole milk for ALL children- not only because of the fats, but that is too much to get into- HOWEVER: the best source of the good brain-developing fats are Omega 3's and fatty acids, aka- FISH OIL and you can do this in FISH (not fish sticks, but real fish) or capsules- just poke a hole in the side of the capsule and let them suck out the oil and chew up the capsule if they want to, too! Also, for you pregnant and breastfeeding moms-- take your fish oil everyday! You will surefire difference in the developmental rates of your little one!

If she can have orange juice, try OJ with calcium.

Yes, my son did not have an easy transition to cow's milk. I read in Dr Sear's Baby Book to try goat's milk first. He is now on cow's milk.

My now 3 year old has refused to drink milk since he was one. I do YoBaby yogurts (has whole milk) and string cheese. They have drinkable yogurts that have a little more flavor than milk. As long as you get enough calcium in her diet it doesn't matter if it is milk. Good Luck

Yogurt: yobabies, stonyfield yogurts, gogurts and lots of cheese. Both yogurt and cheese are more easily digested than milk. You can also get calcium fortified orange juice.

There are other sources of calcium (cheese, yogurt, etc.). Try flavored milk (chocolate, strawberry, etc.). Try ice cream or milkshakes or smoothies. She's at an age in which she is exercising her independence. Eating is one thing she has control over. She'll probably grow out of it. Make sure she's taking multivitamins and staying hydrated with water. She should only get 4 oz. of juice a day. Stay away from soft drinks.

It depends on how important it is to you to have your daughter drink milk. That is a personal choice - either way is fine. It's true that there are plenty of other sources for the nutrients found in milk. It's also true that it is one of the easiest sources of things like calcium & vitamin D. If you really want to encourage her to drink milk, only offer her milk for awhile. If she is thirsty, she will drink it. If that becomes too painful or difficult, or it's just not that important to you, go with one of the other many great suggestions you have gotten for substitutes.

We don't drink much in this family and have been told not to worry. My youngest son is intolerant which we didn't figure out until 2 years. but I had a feeling as he would dink milk...so I didn't make him. My daughter was intolerant when a baby and was on soy. So she only drinks it ever so often or on cereal. Otherwise, we eat calcium rich vegetables. Also, my daughter is now four and she does take a suppliment from Vitamin Cottage. Also, if your daughter still tolerates the yogurts, etc. push that. Just don't drink more then 6 oz of juice a day (mine don't tolerte the fortified OJ either). stick with water. they get used to it. Basically, both our Pediatrics and GI doctors said they don'thold a lot of value in milk. If they won't drink it, it is quite likely their bodies don't like it. Just make sure it isn't a power struggle thing...she is probably too young for that. Offer her water or milk every meal except juice for breakfast if having cereal and snacks.

My son at first did not like milk. We put chocolate like ovaline or nestle in it. It got him to drink it better. Now he loves milk so you might want to try that.

try chocolate or strawberry milk! and don't tell her it's milk

I'm skeptical that milk is so great for calcium. I've heard that the calcium does not absorb very well. And with all the milk that Americans drink (it's in absolutely EVERYTHING), why is there so much osteoporosis?

Milk makes me sick to my stomach so I drink Rice milk now. For a 13 mo old I would do try ready-to-eat cereals are fortified with calcium.

Orange juice & yogurt are my go-to's for calcium... cheese for those who aren't lactose like me.

Hi L.,

No worries. My kids didn't really like milk at first either. I just made sure they go calcium from other sources. They love cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt. Cereal is also a good place to find calcium. We mostly just drink water. Juice is a treat for my kids and they actually ask for WATER even when other choices are available. As long as she eats a balanced, healthy diet she probably doesn't need milk.

My little girl did the same thing at about 11 months. The good news is that there are lots of other sources of calcium-- yogurt, cheese, even broccoli, spinach, and tofu, and she is old enough to eat all of those things. Most likely it is just a phase. My little girl started drinking milk again after about 5 months, but still prefers it with strawberry or chocolate added (another trick to try).

when my dd weaned she wouldn't drink milk either...I think it is because she was breastfed and the milk always tastes different but milk is milk. we talked to our pediatrition and he said not to worry about it, give it to her any way she would take it (I have had negative responses to this advice but here goes...haha) he said, give her ice cream. put chocolate syrup or strawberry syrup in the milk, don't fight her or make it an issue or it will become a negative in her mind. she loved yogurt, he said great, keep that up. so we did that...she is two and a half now and she drinks milk. so I guess it worked. lol.

Milk is not all that great. My son went to water and it was great for him. Supplement with vitamins and other things if you want to. It is not the end of the world.

You may want to try putting a little chocolate milk in with her milk. If she drinks it you can gradually decrease the amount of chocolate you put in her milk until it is just regular milk. You can also try mixing her milk with formula for a while. You can give her mostly formula to start and then gradually increase the amount of milk.

Sounds familiar. In addition to using other means of milk products, we did goat's milk (incredibly expensive) or added chocolate milk or syrup to it. It just took a short time to wean away from the chocolate. We never used much and cut back gradually. Now at 23 months, milk is our DS's favorite drink even without the chocolate. I think he's been off the chocolate for about 3 months. We let him have it longer than you'll probably need to due to health problems. The extra calories were good for him. Congratulations! Have fun with your birthday girl!

try adding strawberry or chocolate to it. another suggestion is to add some vanilla to it. or turn it in to a smoothie. here is one of my recipes= milk, yogert and can fruit. blend and serve. you can also add milk in what you cook for her. she wont notice at all.

Warm milk is gross, so I don't blame her not wanting it that way. Try maybe putting some carnation instant breakfast to sweeten it up (but it has lot's of vitamins). Give it to her and let her take her time to get used to it. Change with kids can be difficult. Try even using one of those cups with a straw, my kids LOVED drinking from a straw.
Give her yogurt, cheese, spinach and there are numerous things that are loaded with calcium. The importance of milk also comes from Vitamin D. She will just get used to it.

My son did the same exact thing at 14/15 months. We ended up just giving him plenty of cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, milk in cereal, etc. and he did just fine!

We also gave him the vitamin and calcium fortified orange juice and grape juice.

she'll be fine without the milk. it's not a necessity of life. at 13 months she's probably eating a good variety of foods. but it can be a very convenient snack or addition to a meal, especially if it is a regular part of your family's diet. my oldest son wouldn't drink milk from a sippy cup or lidless cup when we first took away the bottles, but he would drink it from nuby cups with soft mouthpieces. you might try those if you haven't already. i think they're a good transition from bottles.

I had a similar experience. When I weaned my baby from nursing at 1, he wouldn't touch milk. I tried adding Carnation breakfast or chocolate flavoring, nothing worked. So, I just kept offering him milk several times throughout the day. After a while he came to love milk. Offer her calcium through other sources and keep trying the milk. She'll learn to like it eventually.

Hi L.,

One of my friends had this exact problem with her little girl. Her doctor suggested that she give her orange juice that was fortified with calcium. I think too that it was low sugar juice, not sure. The only thing was that the little girl ended up pooping more. lol. Just a thought, perhaps also you should talk to your Dr. when you get a chance.
L.