10 1/2 Month Old Won't Drink ANY Milk

Updated on January 10, 2011
C.L. asks from Palmyra, NJ
14 answers

My 10 1/2 month old son was 100% breastfed up until about 10 months old. We were giving him bottles occasionally of pumped breastmilk which he never had a problem taking. Then, around 8 months old he started to refuse the bottle and would only breastfeed. So I breastfed him full time up until about 10 months old when he started to refuse to breastfeed as well. So he wasn't taking the bottle and he wasn't taking the breast. We then introduced him to the sippy cup, which he will take, but only if it has apple juice in it. We've tried it with warmed breastmilk, formula, formula with karo syrup, almond milk, even strawberry pedialyte.... nothing. He will only drink apple juice.

The other part of our problem is, he seems to have a milk intolerance. The doctor says it's not an allergy because he was fine with breastmilk which is a milk product, but every time we've given him yogurt that is milk based or any kind of cheese (even lactose free), he vomits his entire stomach contents up. The doctor says he's simply not ready for milk products. So for his cereal milk we've been using a soy formula. So when I say that we've tried the formula in the sippy cup, I'm referring to soy formula. In the past week he has started to refuse his cereal too - which was our only means of getting any amount of milk in him (about 8 oz/day). And on top of all this, my husband is worried about the soy formula having too much estrogen and it making him "less of a man".

We did find a soy yogurt that he will occasionally eat but I'm worried about him not getting milk since I know he should still be on formula or breastmilk at this point (and introducing cow's milk is not an option). The doctor told us that he can get everything he needs from milk in yogurt or cheese but I'm also concerned about his fluid intake. I know he should only have 4 oz of juice/day but if juice is the only thing he's drinking, I'm tempted to give him more just to keep him hydrated.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. We will try anything, as long as it doesn't have cow's milk in it! Thank you!

In response to some of my answers (which by the way, thank you for!), he does eat solid foods. He eats veggies, meats and fruits no problem and he's also started to like the Gerber puffs. I know he's getting enough food, I'm concerned about the type of food because I know there are nutrients and vitamins he needs from milk and I don't want him to miss out on those. Breastfeeding is no longer an option for me as my milk supply dropped drastically when he started to refuse to nurse and since then I'm also expecting again and my OBGYN recommended to wean him off anyway. I haven't breastfed now in about 2 weeks. But while I was breastfeeding, I was consuming a decent amount of milk products and he didn't seem to have any problems with my milk except for gas which I'm told is pretty common in babies. He definitely didn't have the vomiting problem though.

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D.K.

answers from Pittsburgh on

For the liquid intake, try a regular cup rather than a sippy cup. We never did a sippy (seems odd to teach them to disregard gravity and then reteach it later) and he took to the regular cup pretty fast (only put a little in it and expect some spills). Some moms say that a straw works well - no experience at that age but worth a try. And water is WAY better for them than juice. So I would try water and milk/soy formula/whatever you pick in a regular cup.
Good luck

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D.C.

answers from Dallas on

First of all, breast milk is NOT a "milk product." Have you given him any solid foods yet? By 10 months, most babies are ready for almost any solid food unless there is some sort of underlying medical condition. Keep nursing him and try giving him some solid foods, not cereal or juice. He can also drink water at this point. Good luck to you!

2 moms found this helpful
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P.M.

answers from Portland on

Soy milk and other products, in moderaton and from organic sources, are probably not a problem, but there are some scientific/medical concerns both for and against. If you google "is soy safe for babies/toddlers/children," you can quickly review all the major arguments on both sides. Here's one well-written site: http://www.momlogic.com/html_pages/soy_dangerous/2.php.

In summary, phyto-estrogens (plant based) have no clear evidence of causing hormonal upsets in children, and may, in fact, offer some protective benefits. But they are part of a larger class of endocrine disruptors, which include chemicals in many toiletries, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and plastics, and as a class there are harmful effects. There is also concern about what we don't yet know about genetically-modified soybeans, which are a larger and larger share of the total produced each year.

But, as this article points out, some countries depend on soy as an important protein source, and males in those populations have no apparent developmental problems. So organic soymilk, in moderation, may be a good source of calcium and protein if your son will drink it.

Good wishes for productive research!

2 moms found this helpful

M.R.

answers from Dallas on

He's probably refusing any sort of milk because he has certainly learned by now that it makes him sick. Has his pedi considered that he may have acid reflux? Dairy products make this issue MUCH worse. If you, momma, eat or drink a lot of dairy, then your son is definitely getting some of that through the breast milk as well. You might do an experiment..... I'd say not to offer any milk products for a week, so that your son can have a break from feeling ill. I mean, he's not taking it anyway, right? And you should lay off of dairy for a week too, then try the breast milk again and see how it goes. That should give your body time to get it out of your system.

At least google "baby acid reflux" to see what you find. Good luck!

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M.M.

answers from Washington DC on

this is just a suggestion my grandmother does it for my nephew try putting some baby dessert in his bottle with whatever milk you are feeding him and see is he will drink it.(apples, bananas, pear,etc.) but maybe you should take him to a allergy specialist i'm not sure what they are reaaly called but things change all the time just because he once enjoyed milk doesn't mean his not allergic to it know. my cousin loves pizza and she's allergic to tomatos, and we never knew it but she start to itch when she eats it. so he could have a mild allergy to the milk...good luck i don't really know to much about this but thought i could help alittle

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

I urge you to take your son to a pediatric allergist and find out if he is or isn't allergic to certain foods and if he is or is not sensitive to certain foods. When a baby refuses consistently to drink certain things and especially when he vomits he is telling you that they don't agree with him. Don't force him to drink any of the milks.

The allergist can help you know how to provide sufficient nutrition. I suggest that he's missing out on calcium and good fat. These are just as important as hydration. He needs calcium to build strong bones and fat to build brain tissue. He can get these from foods other than dairy products but you have to know which foods are best.

My granddaughter had food allergies as a baby. She's outgrown most of them. I have adult onset food allergies. If I eat too much chocolate or too many nuts my stomach is uncomfortable and I feel not so good. The food has probably been upsetting his stomach for awhile before he reaches the vomiting stage. Vomiting indicates the food has reached to stage of being toxic to his system.

He may be reacting to something in the processing of the food or in the case of the cereal, he may have developed an intolerance to the cereal. Figuring out food allergies and intolerance is complicated and tricky. I urge you to consult with a pediatric allergist.

I suggest that he can get sufficient hydration with water and juices. If you don't already water his juice down you can do that. My grandchildren drank juice that was perhaps 2-3 T of juice to 8 oz. water.

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E.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

What about soy milk? You could try the Vanilla flavored soy milk. If he likes it, you could then try to sneak in some regular milk (starting out mostly soy milk + regular milk and then slowly add more milk and less soy milk until eventually it is all milk).
If you haven't had the vanilla soy milk before, it's really like a milkshake. My son absolutely loves it.

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M.S.

answers from Philadelphia on

My son (now 16 months) seems to react the same way to milk........He was always on Similac Sensitive, so I know he had a lactose sensitivity. He LOVES chocolate almond milk! Sometimes I'll add a tiny bit of cows milk in it to get him used to having milk, but most of the time I just give him the chocolate almond milk. It comes in a blue carton and is usually in the natural food aisles of grocery stores.

Good luck!

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G.B.

answers from Boise on

I disagree with your docotr saying he isnt "ready' for milk products. That makes absolutely NO SENSE. Like- his digestive tract isnt formed or something. You know from the fact that you breastfed him that he 'did' have a ready and functioning digestive tract.
Something has changed. Has he been on an antibiotic since he was born? They can change the flora of the gut.Were you on antibiotics or any other vitamin while breastfeeding-that could be a possibility.

In addition, I noticed a COMMON thread now is children that have adrenal fatigue- AKA low adrenal hormones. Low adrenal cortisol causes the body to stay in a heightened state of immune response- and hence food allergy, smell allergy, skin allergies, etc. Does the child have other 'off' symptoms that you have wondered about? There are specific symptoms that point to adrenal fatigue. (email me if you want to talk about them). Celiacs people are often sensitive to milk. Celiacs issues are usually always tied to adrenal disease/low hormone, look here: http://sites.google.com/site/jccglutenfree/notceliacs

Calcium can be found in many foods. Brocoli is a much better option for calcium than milk. Brocoli is a powerhouse of nutrition, is high in water after steaming, and doesn't have the excessive amounts of dead bacteria in it that pasturized milk does. Pasturized milk is said to hold quite a bit of puss, antibiotics and steriods. Milk and beef cows are fed recycled slop from food plants. Places like potato chip, candy, and cocoa processing plants give their "rejected" product to the feed lots for cheap. Feed lots love it because it puts on wieght and its cheap.

Sugar is also dehydrating. so drinking the juice isn't a better choice. However, humans instinctively have a tendancy to "self medicate" and self regulate. Your child already instinctively knew to self regulate milk because (?)it hurts his stomach.(?) Those who have low adrenal hormones (cortisol)have low blood sugar, and dosing with sugar increases glycogen to the brain, making them feel better. They will seek these things without doing it consciously. All they know is they get a sense of relief or feeling better after having it.

Another COMMON reason for vomiting in babies is a HIGH IRON INTAKE. If you are dosing with iron supplements thart could be the issue. Iron does not leave tissue, it builds up QUICKlY in babies. 30% of all pediatric death is from iron overdose, much of that , prescribed by doctors. Also think about this, baby formula and baby cereal is LOADED with high iron supplements.
Iron feeds bacteria. Bacteria must have iron to replicate. If a child had a bacterial gut infection called H. Pylori, Iron would just feed it, and I think it causes a milk sensitivity. My freind contracted H pylori and she got to where she couldnt drink milk anymore. Didi the child have an illness or stomach flu in his lifetime that could have been a point of some kind of infection of some germ?

Well there is several ideas. Bottom line, something has caused a change.

A.J.

answers from Williamsport on

Excessive soy is bad. Especially the kind heavily engineered to mimic other foods like milk, cheese etc. It should only be eaten occasionally, not a main food source like milk. It sounds like he's just not ready for the milk "yet" since he had no problems nursing while you ate dairy. He's only got a couple months left until he's 1 and will probably take the milk and yogurt better. I would keep him hydrated with watered down juice so the juice stays at 4 ounces with more water and not sweat it. The soy stuff isn't replacing the milk any better and luckily he's eating well, so he can still get his protein until he takes milk again. Be sure he's getting as much calcium, D, and essential fats as possible from his food in the meantime, but try not to stress. And be sure the milk is organic when it comes back-keep offering it.

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M.H.

answers from Philadelphia on

My son was brest fed but I did not make enough milk and he was always still hungry after I was empty. We tried every type of formula, he wouldn't touch any ofthem. Finally, we saw an older doctor who told us to try condensed milk with water added 1:3 and Karo syrup, 1 tbsp. Worked like a charm.

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D.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

Try vanilla soy. My son stopped drinking formula and out of a bottle when he was seven months old. I gave him soy milk out of a sippy cup and he seemed to do well with that. He also liked the yo baby yogurts which are good and do not have added sugar.

Updated

Try vanilla soy. My son stopped drinking formula and out of a bottle when he was seven months old. I gave him soy milk out of a sippy cup and he seemed to do well with that. He also liked the yo baby yogurts which are good and do not have added sugar.

Updated

Try vanilla soy. My son stopped drinking formula and out of a bottle when he was seven months old. I gave him soy milk out of a sippy cup and he seemed to do well with that. He also liked the yo baby yogurts which are good and do not have added sugar.

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D.C.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Tough one. My son is allergic to cow's milk, and is also 10 months old. Fortunately, we realized it early on and used Nutramigen formula to avoid upsetting his tummy, and I avoid anything with cow's milk in it so my milk doesn't make his tummy hurt. I guess that that your son has learned that milk makes his tummy hurt, including your milk if you continued to have dairy in your diet and that's why he's refusing it now. Newborns do have gas because their GI system is still getting up and running, but if your son was still having a lot of gas after 6 months of age, it probably was from the cow's milk in your diet. That's water under the bridge now, I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I mention it only because I don't want you to dismiss the very likely possibility that he's had a cow's milk allergy all along and that's probably what you need to address now.

If your son likes rice and/or oatmeal baby cereals, maybe try making those with the Nutramigen formula so that you are enhancing the nutritional content of them.

Maybe if you give him a break from all liquid forms of milk, then reintroduce Nutramigen formula, he'll give it a try. It is both dairy and soy free. If he won't take it warm in a bottle, maybe try cold in a cup so that it seems different to him compared to the milk he associates with an upset tummy. We also give my son cold rice milk in a sippy cup every now and then. It tastes mosly like skim milk and, like your husband, I don't want to give my son a lot of soy products so I avoid soy milks. And he likes it. But I make sure he's getting the Nutramigen formula in his cereals because it has more nutrients in it than the rice milk, and the rice milk is just every now and then for practice.

Good luck!

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S.K.

answers from Philadelphia on

There is nothing wrong with you or your son. It is ok for him to wean himself at that age as long as he is eating good foods, water is a great alternate to juice.
Fact: Humans are the only mammals in the world that continue to drink milk after being weaned.

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