Is Milk Necessary?

generally drs. advise WHOLE FAT milk until age 2. I don't know if it is too late, but I would have suggested mixing breast milk w/ the cow's milk, because the taste is different and may take her a bit to get used to. Did you warm the milk so it is more like breast milk? was she used to the cup/bottle?

Try Meyenberg Goat's Milk (or another brand). My sons drank that for about 4 or 5 years and loved it so much. Since your baby is so young, you won't have to explain "what kind" of milk it is - mine was older so we had to have a special name for it! It's rich and yummy and he loved it. Our doctor said it was perfect for all needs. It's a bit expensive - but worth it. If your store doesn't carry it - ask them to special order it and they probably will. These days, so many people prefer other milk than just from cows. Good luck with the constipation. That's a tough road. When she can, fruit with seeds plus water is good as a staple to keep that in check.
M.

Hi Colette :)

My son NEVER liked milk and I am right along with you in your feelings about it. To make it worse, my friend told me more about the milking/meat process and how the cows are treated from what she read in The Skinny Bitch book- what really is in it etc.... It was absolutely mortifying. So, why don't you try Rice Dream's Rice milk. It comes in flavors. I would get your little one used to that. Also, my mom talks about Hemp milk. I think it is available from Trader Joe's. I've never tried it, but she says it's very good and is from the hemp plant and packed with protein and vits the body needs. I've been hearing alot about how soy is turning into an allergen for little children and it's not good to supplement their diet with too much of that now either. I would keep the diet as fresh as possible. My son's bones are strong and healthy and there are other ways to supplement for the cow's milk, which I think would be healither for your child since she already show sensitivity to dairy. The children born these days just "know" many things we are coming to find out. Trust her little body and let her reactions speak for her. If she doesn't like milk, then just let that be and find another alternative- just like you are doing, which I think is great. Our food and personal use products are SO filled with toxins that we don't even realize... just follow your instincts without question. :)

Warm wishes,
Jennifer

Although calcium is very important, another thing you have to take into consideration is the "good fat" in whole milk. These healthy fats are crucial to good brain development at this age - so if you do decide to not give your daughter milk, be sure to research what else you can give her to make sure she still gets those "good fats" (ask you pediatrician to be sure!) and make sure she eats plenty of fruits, veggies and drinks lots of water to prevent the constipation...

My two year old daughter has never had cow's milk more than just a sip. She just doesn't seem to like it. My Dr told me also to give her yogurt, which- you guessed it has given her constipation. She actually has quite a bad condition that exists even when I don't give her yogurt, and is on medication for it. Pretty much anything with calcium tends to constipate, although there are many new "fiber" options that might work for you. There is Live Active cheese that contains a large amount of fiber, as well as fiber yogurt. That way they are getting both calcium and fiber at the same time. My nephew was also not a milk drinker until the age of 4. There was no adverse effect on him either. My daughter is also on a multi-vitamin that she started at the age of 2. She was prescribed infant vitamins prior to that, but I didn't use them much because she had such a strong reaction against them. Hope this helps!

Hi Colette~ We are a dairy free family and none of my children have suffered. As long as she is getting green veggie's and proper nutrition you need not worry about the calcium intake. I use Rice milk, I agree not to put her on soy, it is not as good as some people think. Rice milk is wonderful, supplies calcium, taste good and is easy to store. You can also purchase a calcium supplement, Standard Process makes one called Calcium Lactate and it is wonderful. You can grind it up and put it in cereal for her. Yogurt and dairy products are very constipating so if you want her to have yogurt, I would try the Fage' greek yogurt, it is a little less harsh.

Good luck to you and your sweet baby!!

We have never given our 3 children milk. In fact, I haven't had it in almost 20 years. They are healthier than any of their friends and have no food allergies. We give our kids (well the 2 boys, since I'm still BFing our daughter) a teaspoon of liquid calcium nearly every night. The sleep well and don't end up with growing pains or excessive mucus production from the dairy. www.notmilk.com

SP CalLactate is great, but it's only one source of calcium, just like the liquid calcium I mentioned above so as your daughter gets older, she'll need a more complete source of calcium.

I use CalMag+ for me and sometimes grind this up for the boys. www.worldlifesupplements.com and if she's still constipated, she may need more natural magnesium or add a PB8 to balance our her intestinal flora.

Hi Colette, My boys have neither one had dairy products as we found out early on that they are allergic. Rice milk is a great drink, make sure you get the one with added calcium. Rice Dream is our fave - vanilla. We do use soy products as a dairy replacement and have had no issues whatsoever with them. When/if the day comes that you are ready to try them, there are a multitude of calcium containing, healthy soy products available at Trader Joes and other stores. (Cheese, yogurt, etc.)I am not against dairy products and I do consume them myself, but I have read a lot about how our bodies are not designed to digest dairy and it is really quite terrible for us humans. So maybe this is your daughter's body's way of telling you "No way!" - go with it! Also, pears are really good for helping with constipation. Good luck!

My son had the same issues we bought the Lactose free milk and he never had another problem.

It is called lactaid milk. and it has all the same benifits of reg. milk but without lactaid which causes the constipationa nad what kids have such a hard time digesting. Try this and see.

I don't believe cows milk is healthy for humans. My almost 6y/o DD drinks rice milk since she was 1. As for calcium, so many foods are fortified these days, especially cereals. She loves eating ceral (Cheerios, Chex, Puffins) plain, no milk. Other veggies have calcium too... leafy greens, broccoli, etc. Do some research.
Good luck.
M.

When my son was having digestive issues with milk, my pediatrician told me that taking him off milk would be okay as long we gave him a calcium supplement. I'm not sure what kind of supplements out there would be okay for a 1-year old but you may call your doctor for a recommendation.

A lot of children have a hard time digesting milk. As my pediatrician pointed out, humans are the only ones that drink the milk of another species, so maybe drinking cows milk may not be the best for our children's constitution.

Hi Colette, In my opinion yes, we all need milk. and in my daycare it is state requirement, so we use Organic milk. J. L.

They have rice milk that you can try too.

You can buy goat's milk at Trader Joe's, you won't have a problem with that. They carry goat's milk yoghurt also, but I don't recomend any yoghurt till they are two. Good luck,
V.

Here's some info on goat's milk from Dr. Sears site- http://askdrsears.com/html/3/t032400.asp

If you follow the link on the top of the page, you can get a free sample of Meyenberg's goat's milk. You may find it worth trying. My son is very prone to constipation and it has worked well for him.

Good luck!

I would keep milk in her diet. My daughter was nursed and at one, she didn't like milk either. Give your daughter whole milk and mix in some ovaltine or nesquik at first and down the amount each time. After one week, our little girl was drinking milk just fine. Not a lot, but about one sippy cup worth a day. In the beggining we also gave her pedi-a-sure to get her calcium intake and vitamins.

I hope this helps, good luck!