Milk Drinker

Children can become iron deficient if they drink too much milk (it can interfere with iron absorption). I would suggest limiting the milk to 24 ounces/day along with a good variety of other types of food.

Hi E., If his ped doesn't se a problem, I would not worry to much,I was always a milk drinker I still am, milk is healthy especially organic milk, but I see no problem, if he is healthy ad happy, and it may mean he needs more nutrition in other areas, that's easily rectified. J. L.

One of the problems with too much milk is that calcuim blocks the absorbtion of iron. Your child could end up anemic--it happened to my daughter at age 2.

Our pedi says kids that age should get no more than 24 oz. of milk, ideally around 18. He's normally a laid-back, pretty liberal doctor & not big on restrictions, but he says too much means they are filling up on milk & not getting enough solid foods & other nutrients. I've seen similar amount recommendations in books. You might want to check with your pedi about this...Also consider if your son is drinking milk out of a bottle, soft spout sippy or even a hard spout sippy that it might not be an interest in the milk but in the sucking. When we switched our daughter to a hard spout sippy her interest in milk declined, though the amount she drinks of other liquids from that type of cup did not.

Milk being good for us is a myth. Does your son have ear infections? Too much milk can cause intestinal bleeding.
We tend to crave what we are allergic to. Try to give him almond milk and more water.
D. Merlin
Mother/author
www.victoryoveradhd.com

Is he getting enough to eat? My son would fill up on milk first and then would not eat very well. I would try limiting him to one cup of milk at each meal and if he wants more then give him more only after he eats his meal. The other thing to consider is that if your son is drinking milk all day then he is bathing his teeth in sugar all day long. Get ready for the dental bills because he will get a lot of cavities from doing this. It may be a hard transition at first but he should be eating more and drinking less. The another concern about too much milk can cause iron deficiency. Yes, milk is good for him, just not too much. I would say 24 ounces max per day.

My daughter is a big milk drinker too and I have had to make her cut back. I know that too much milk can deplete your iron. My pediatrician once told me that when I run out to go a few days before buying more.

I just read in Parents magazine that kids getting too much milk can lead to obesity. All the fat from the milk somehow messes with their hormones which increases the obesity risk. My son is just like yours so I found it interesting when I read that.

My son is 26 months and his pediatrician said our goal is 18-22oz a day, because more would lead to constipation.

I think a gallon is excessive. If we have anything excessively, we can end up poisoning ourselves. I would get some professional advice on this subject.

My pediatrician told me that too much milk causes iron deficiency and gastric bleeding. He says to limit (my 15 month old) to 12-16 ounces a day. It only makes sense that drinking too much milk replaces other foods that provide the vitamins/nutrients that your son needs. I offer 4 ounces when my son wakes up, at lunch & dinner, and before bed. If he wants more he just gets water, or occasionally juice. Good luck!

hi E.!
ask your pediatrician, but ours told me that our 3 year old son should be drinking 2 cups of milk per day, 3 cups max. so there is definitely a maximum amount - i'm just not sure what it is for a 21 month old.
good luck!
C.

I don't know that it's all that bad at that age, but if you are concerned with the quantity then maybe you should give him something in addition to milk. I also buy Almond milk (at Trader Joes) for my son because I don't necessary believe that a lot of cows milk is good for people, and dairy is in everything!

You are lucky that your son drinks so much! I had a hard time keeping my guy hydrated when we went to Palm Springs last weekend...

I remember my pediatrician encouraging us to limit our daughter's milk intake to 16-20 oz a day at that age...the reason being that if she drank too much milk, she wouldn't be hungry enough for real food and could become anemic due tro the lack of iron. I wish I still had that problem. Once we too the bottle away at 2.5 years she stopped drinking milk completely. She wont drink anything other than water..no juice, nothing. But that's another concern! I would talk to your pediatrician to be sure but make sure he's not drinking in PLACE of eating iron-rich foods.

I think he can definitely drink too much milk. And, drinking that much is going to fill him up, and he won't eat anything else.

It sounds like a dairy allergy to me. We usually crave the things we are allergic to. My son is allergic to dairy and went through the same issue.

Almond milk has just as much calcium as dairy milk and it is absorbed better by our bodies. If you are worried about a deficiency, give it a try. :)

have you tried alternative milk drinks? like vanilla almond milk by Blue Diamond? or just almond milk? i give that to my son sometimes..they also make a chocolate milk...do u offer other drinks? like different juices? i give my son lots of different juices b/c my doc told me myself not to drink the same drink all the time switch em up.

In my opinion (we are not milk drinkers here) that is too much milk in a 24 hr period. Or maybe a better way to say what I am saying would be - if it is interferring with eating a well balanced diet, if he is getting his fill on milk only, then he is drinking too much. I'm not a fan of milk but I'm not going to tell you to not give it to me. I would highly recommend though that he gets it AFTER meals, not before or during. Remember his tummy is tiny, so I'm not telling you to make sure he cleans his plate then let him have milk. Just make sure he is eating a well balanced diet, then give him his cup of milk once you are satisfied he's had a bit of everything you served up.

I would maybe mention it at his next check up.

M.

Im sure someone has already asked this, but is he eating solids throughout the day as well?
Here is a link that might be helpful. It provides a list of a balanced diet for toddlers. Also gives some do's and dont's which I always appreciate. Milk is mentioned in there as well.
:)
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/toddler/feeding_your_toddl...

Yes, I think a child can drink too much milk and not enough food. Milk is so filling, is he eating enough during the day or just filling up on milk? My Daugher still does that, but I limit it to a about 8oz per meal and I wait until she is half way done with her food befoe she gets here milk. I buy those cool small sport bottles of water and introduce those during the day to mix it up a bit. Good luck

Hello E.. I don't have an actual answer to your problem, but wanted to comment. When I was pregnant with my second child, I was in the same boat - I LOVED milk and drank about a gallon a day, sometimes more. My doctor told me I had to stop drinking so much, because it was causing me to gain weight. I didn't believe him because I only drink non-fat milk (just my personal taste preference - can't stand the thick stuff lol)and kept on drinking it. I realize that I was 21 and your son is 21 months, so there is a huge age gap, but I do think that for a person that small, it is excessive. Poor thing :( I know it's hard, but I would try weaning him from it a little at a time. Not weaning from it all together, of course, but give him maybe 16 ounces or 24 ounces a day? I really don't know the recommended amount for the little ones, unfortunately. Good luck to you!!

My little man is two and a half and would drink milk all day and night if I let him! I finally had to start filling his cup half way with water then the rest with milk. I still give him whole milk because he's on the low end for weight so the water doesn't make it unpalatable.
I also try to have him drink water between meals so he stays hydrated. You might want to talk to your doctor, but mine actually was the one who told me to cut back on his milk to see if he's eat more. He eats and drinks like an 18-year-old football player though so I had to try the watering down of his milk. It seems to have helped- we go through half the milk we were before!

If he's drinking constantly, you may want to talk to your doctor about having him checked for diabetes. I know it sounds scary, but it's better to find out and have nothing wrong, than to have it go untreated. Good luck! :)

I know most people grow up drinking lots and lots of milk and are completely fine. However, there are reports that say milk really isn't made for human consumption and is one reason why kids are so big. I hear that goat milk is more appropriate as you can tell by the size of the kid goat. Not too long ago my best friend's little boy was sick son and found out from the doctor that he had been consuming too much milk that lowered his blood cell count or did something to his iron levels. He's fine now. I don't want to scare you, like I said, most people are fine drinking milk. I would suggest you ask your doctor how much your boy should be drinking and limit it to that. Making smoothies in the blender is a healthy drink to consider and water is even better. Best to you and your family!

Hi E.....it's great that your son loves milk but one gallon is too much. The number one cause of anemia in children is because they drink too much milk. On the bright side....he will have strong bones. :-)
S.

Hi E.!

I used to LOVE milk as well. My mom used to buy 4 gallons a week (I had 3 older sisters). I know I was responsible for a lot of it disappearing. I can say my bones were fine & are today (I am 38) but I can also say, that I hated drinking water. I would rather drink milk back then (& now I am lactose intolerant-I miss it). I would just caution you to make certain your guy is drinking water & juice as well as the milk so that he is more well-rounded in his likes/dislikes. He can still have milk too, but how about...Ok, you can have more milk after you have this cup of ...whatever. If there doesn't appear to be any issues with his health - craving milk/drinking a lot of it, isn't an issue. God Bless!

Hi E.,
My son loves to drink milk too. When he was 2 and 3 years old he went through phases (2 or 3 weeks at a time) where he wanted milk all the time and seemed like he was drinking gallons at a time. Then just as quickly he would go back to a normal amount. He usually did this right before a growth spurt. However, you son may also need more solid food. You can insist that he eats before he drinks his milk. If he fills up on food he'll drink less. Once your son hits 24 months, switch to low fat or skim milk. You can also try to get him to drink water. It takes awhile for them to get used to it but once they do they enjoy water. My son asks for ice water most of the time now and usually only has milk with breakfast and before bedtime.

I hope this help!

E.,
Milk has a lot of sugar, so some children respond to that and will ask for it frequently. I went through that with my 2nd child. I had to limit the milk to 2 8oz cups a day, that I only serve AFTER she has eaten something. I would discuss this issue with your pediatrician to find out how much milk he/she feels your child needs.
The process of decreasing the amount can be tough, but worth it. Stay firm!

Good Luck,
T.

Hi E.:

Your son's growing - I would just let him drink his fill. It could be only a growth spurt thing. Or he could be like us. My son and I take a lot of milk, so I buy two large bags each week. I am not sure what a gallon is as I am used to the metric system, but my son and I go through 8 litres of milk every week. My son is three and a half.

Have a great milk-drinking week.

N..

Hi E.,
As a registered dietitian I can say that yes your son is drinking too much milk. My guess is that your son is still drinking from a bottle and can easily suck down 16 oz. of milk. The concern is that he probably is drinking instead of eating food and as mentioned by other responders, can become anemic and can be missing other nutrients.
By the time a child turns 1 year old, they should be transitioned to a variety of foods for their nutrition. When my daughter was being weaned from breastfeeding after she turned one, she would toddle over to me when she was hungry or thirsty (like I was the snack bar!). So instead I would find her a healthy snack or 4 oz. milk or juice in a cup.
As was suggested, you should speak to your pediatrician for recommended food amounts your son needs, which would include only 2 cups milk/day. I have a feeling that he is also feeling little left out with a new baby in the house and is relying on the milk for comfort. Good luck.

I don't think milk can really hurt him. I do know that one pediatrician I had took my daughter off milk because she was drinking it all the time and the sugars in it made her gain weight. (or so he said) That was when she was around 2. She's 5 now and has been back on milk for a couple years now. We tell ours kids milk is for meal time. They get a glass at each meal and that's it. I don't like the idea of it in sippy cups being carried around because my youngest (2) hides his cups and when I find them it is not a pretty site and the cups get tossed. Also, we taught our kids that between every glass of what they wanted, milk or juice, they have to have a glass of water. It works out really well.

I second Deborah, Tina, and Sarah on this. I would bet that your son is getting high off of milk (allergy response - dairy and wheat ingredients can turn into an opiate like effect in the brain which in turn causes behavioral issues (add/adhd, inabilty to focus, to prodcess information). Switch it to almond or rice milk or even hemp milk. Goat would be ok as well and start cutting back on the amount he is drinking overall.

If you are pouring a cup of milk, make it 3/4 milk and 1/4 of .... (other mentioned above) then do this for a few days then 1/2 and 1/2 for a few days, until you are not using the cow's milk. Best thing you could do for your child.

J.

Milk is high in calories, so after a certain amount of milk, maybe only a quart a day, have him drink water. Even at this young age, you have to think about calories because childhood obesity is so rampant. Not that you have to count calories, but a gallon of milk is waaaay too much for a 21 month old. Check with your doctor, but I'm sure he's not deficient in anything else, he just likes it! You wouldn't let your son eat all the candy he wants, so just say no to too much milk. Good luck!

i believe that they can become anemic from drinking too much milk. a gallon a day is an axcessive amount. my 18 month old goes through about a gallon a week (she drinks atleast 16oz a day thats all her ped said she needs) she also eats yougurt and shares my cereal in the morning. have you talked to his dr about this? this is what my daughter drinks in one day--
morning 10oz of milk
after breakfast 8oz of juice
nap 8-10 (depending on the cup i use) of low salt v8 or milk
at bed she gets 4oz of milk
and the rest of the time she gets water

i would try to cut your son down to maybe only having milk with meals. also talk to his dr about it if you havent already. good luck!

Hello, E.,

If it is raw, whole, unpasteurized milk, that is beneficial. Any other is TOXIC for ANY body.

See www.realmilk.org.

Also explore the Weston Price Foundation as well as www.mercola.com, on the subject.

It is time for us all to wake up about this. Our children are counting on us, aren't they?

Thank you for asking the question.

My very best,

T.

You really need to talk to his pediatrician.