Our son hates fruit so much that he completely rejected a fruit milk shake Chris made for him and me the other night. The only ingredients were vanilla ice cream (which John loves), strawberries, and bananas. John eagerly sidled up for a spoonful, took one taste, and declared it "thbttt!", refusing to try any more of it.
Do any moms want to chime in with tips on how we can encourage John to drink a mama's milk substitute? If I weren't pregnant, my milk would be sufficient for a toddler and, in fact, far superior to other kinds of milk, but my supply is going to go away because of pregnancy hormones. So, I've been working for about two months on having John try other kinds of milk. So far he has rejected vanilla-flavored rice milk, cow's milk, cow's milk with chocolate, and goat's milk. I've tried these things cold, room temperature, and mildly heated. The cow's milk with chocolate did hold John's attention long enough to take a few long sips, but he's never been willing to drink it again. He does enjoy drinking water all day long. And he does enjoy drinking milk with a spoon from his cereal bowl. He won't eat yogurt, including the "drinkable" kids' kind; I haven't tried offering him kefir yet. [Edit: Also, John will not drink juice. I don't particularly wanting him drinking juice since it's mostly sugar water, but I have offered it as an experiment.]
So moms, any tips? Has anyone else had a kid who refused cow's milk? If John dislikes milk, is it possible to get him the right nutrients from enough cheese as long as he drinks enough water for hydration?
I wish I had an answer for you! It was the hardest thing for me when DS weaned prematurely at 20 months due to the pregnancy. He won't drink milk other than a sip here and there. I don't worry too much about it since he's a big cheese eater and I can coax him into the occasional bowl of yogurt or yogurt popsicle. Have you tried that? A little plain yogurt mixed with the tiniest amount of fruit juice? At first I froze them in ice cube trays with straws, but then I found molds at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
ReplyDeleteHang in there, and if you come up with a solution, please share! I'm trying to do the best I can until the baby comes, then I'll pump for DS, or tandem if he so desires.
Another thought: I think there are some leafy greens that are a good source of calcium. Maybe sneak some of those in?
ReplyDeleteWe rely on water too for hydration, and that's just fine! DS has recently discovered the glory of ice cubes!
Shoot, I just reread your post and noticed what you said about yogurt. Might be worth trying frozen, though...at the very least you and Chris will have a tasty and healthy treat!
ReplyDelete(My last comment, I promise.)
Have you tried whole milk cottage cheese?
ReplyDeleteAnd you said you've tried yogurt...have you tried the Stonyfield Farm's YoBaby yogurts?
ReplyDeleteKatherine,
ReplyDeleteAs you know I know next to nothing about breastfeeding, but I know my SIL breastfed my nephew all through her pregnancy (she weaned him the last month of her pregnancy..he is almost 3 btw). I THINK, although not positive, Kori from MK breastfed at least Rebecca through her pregnancy (and breastfed Jack through her pregnancy with Rebecca). So maybe worth asking her?
On another note...we never drank milk in our house (no one likes it) and we are all fine.
Hope you find some good tips!
Jamie
Courtney: See, our sweet boys know what good milk is! I will add it to my list to try homemade yogurt popsicles. Unfortunately, John won't eat many vegetables, so I don't know how I'd get him to eat leafy greens. He does quite like brocolli, though, and I think that has good calcium (I'll check).
ReplyDeleteRebecca: I'll try cottage cheese! I have tried YoBaby yogurt with John and he doesn't like it. I only eat whole milk yogurt myself and YoBaby is the only whole milk brand our current grocery store carries.
ReplyDeleteJamie: Maybe I will post this question on MKs. The thing is, even women who nurse through pregnancy are usually "dry nursing" (the milk is dried up) until the new baby comes, so the nutrients should be replaced in the baby's diet. Some women like our wonderful Rose don't lose their supply, but it's rare.
ReplyDeleteKatherine,
ReplyDeleteI don't really have any advice for you since Carli transitioned to milk quite easily and loves yogurt. I only gave Carli breast milk for her first 7 months which I pumpled and it was heavily supplemented with formula since my milk supply was so low. I'm hoping things will go better this time around.
But, I posted a question for you on an awesome blog that I read http://prayerofhannah.blogspot.com. If you have time, check out their blog. I will let you know if I run across any advice!
Are you feeling any better?
When is your baby due? How far along are you? (Sorry I ask every time, I can't remember!)
Take care!
Mariah
What if you added more chocolate to the chocolate milk ? Like 2 spoonsful of ovaltine or something
ReplyDeleteI say skip the milk as we're not really meant to have milk in our diet after weaning. I have some who hate the stuff, except over sugary cereal, and then it's not really worth it, is it? I would concentrate my efforts on meat, vegetables, cheese, and fruit last. But make sure he gets plenty of fat with the first 2.
ReplyDeleteHow much of the milk does he drink with the spoon?? Maybe rather than putting the milk in a cup, let him drink it with a spoon? A little wacky, but toddlers sometimes lean toward the wacky. Another thought...maybe he prefers the taste of cereal flavored milk. Perhaps fill a cup full of the leftover milk from your bowl of cereal. I know, another oddball idea, but sometimes the unconventional is the victor in these little battles.
ReplyDeleteKatherine, my milk always dries up - pretty quickly i might add. I've never had one who wouldn't drink reg. cow's milk though so i can't help you there. Sorry, i hope you find something!
ReplyDeleteKatherine,
ReplyDeleteJamie is correct that I did nurse through twoof my three pregnancies, but you are correct that I had no (well, next to none...I never completely dried up while pregnant with Rebecca) milk, lol!
While I did have some success with Rice Milk with Jack, I did not give Rebecca any liquid milk or milk substitute after she weaned (she was 15mos). She ate a good amount of cheese plus natural fats like butter with an otherwise balanced diet and remained incredibly healthy.
In terms of fruit, have you tried either dried or dehydrated fruits? Maybe John might enjoy one of those. I'd be more concerned with/focused on veggies though. Fruit is fun and tasty, but green veggies are better for you anyway :-).
Katherine -- have you tried oat milk or almond milk? Both taste different from cow's milk and are super nutritious. You can make them yourself if it's hard to find. Probably recipes online.
ReplyDelete