Trying to Ween from Breastfeeding, but Baby Does Not like Milk.

Ami,

I suggest contacting La Leche League - website - www.llli.org The ladies there will have different things you can try.

Good luck,
L. M

Hi Steve & Ami!
Try enriched rice milk. The consistency is a little more like breast milk. Also try a different sippy cup. Maybe that will help. Good luck!

Have you considered letting your child self wean? I was amazed when I saw all the benefits to extended breastfeeding - for both you and your child. Although if it isn't for you than I certainly wish you all the best in transitioning through this tough process.

Here are some links though if you are interested:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html

http://www.justmommies.com/articles/articles8.shtml

http://www.babycenter.com/0_extended-nursing-is-it-for-yo...

http://parenting.ivillage.com/tp/tpweaning/0,,40lb,00.html

http://www.earthyfamily.com/breast.htm

http://www.007b.com/wonders_breastfeeding.php

http://www.parentingweb.com/lounge/ext_nursepage.htm

Good luck!

Adding to pp...Try organic rice milk. It's the closest in consistency & taste to breastmilk, and less likely to be an allergen than soy or cows milk. I respectfully disagree w/pp who suggested cuddling as though nursing. Our babies know that milk in a cup is different than nursing from a breast. Cuddling in a nursing position, sitting in a favorite nursing chair, etc, are all triggers for nursing & may increase the likelihood of her refusing anything else.

I also reiterate what a different pp wrote--have you considered child-led weaning? Adding in the different fluids can encourage that process in a gentle way.

Good luck!

My daughter is going on 2 Aug.5 still does not drink milk. Her Dr said as long as she has some form of calcium it is ok. She drnk yogurt every morn. And she is doing fine. So I would not worrie. keep us posted . Good luck

have you tried soy milk? My son does not like milk, but he is good with the Silk soy milk... it is fortified, as well.

Has your pedi offered any solutions for you? And you tried mixing BM and whole milk together? Maybe try 2 ounces of whole milk and 6 ounces of BM and keep adding more whole milk over time to get her used to the taste. I would love to see what other moms say as I will be weaning soon myself. Good luck!

I had to warm it for the first few weeks. I also ended up using soy b/c my daughter was allergic to cow milk, it upset her belly. I gave it to her in 2 oz increments that way I didnt waste too much until she got used to the idea that it was something she "had" to drink. Now she will drink 9 oz at once - sometimes more.

If you offer him things like yogurt, cheese, other things made with whole milk - he should get the amount of calcium he needs. Also you can ask your doc about a vitamin d supplement if you are that worried.

Some kids dont like milk, my daughter would only drink it at a meal. Not during play - she drank water all day otherwise. It can take a while for them to accept it.

My daughter now 14 months had a hard time weening at 11 months but I just started with an oz of milk at a time...she refused a lot of feedings but my ped. said that evenutally when she was hungry she would eat and sure enough she did. We put milk in her rice cereal to get her used to the taste and used a sippy cup as she didn't ever use a bottle. Hang in there, it might take a few weeks but they'll take the milk eventually. Try not to get frustrated even though that's easier said than done!

My youngest is 25 months and still does not like milk. We give her calcium fortified OJ every day, sometimes she will eat cheese, high calcium veges, etc. If you have time to research it a little, you will find some info about how controversial dairy is. If your little one refuses milk, there are lots of other ways to get the proper nutrition.

Ami,

Our son was the same way. I breastfed a long time and he did for a while drink breastmilk and some formula from a bottle now and again (between 8-10 mos) and then wouldn't try it after that. Once he was a year (I was still breastfeeding him until he was 21 mos), he wouldn' drink cow's milk either. We still (he's 29 mos now) mix some drinkable yogurt in with his milk and that's the only way he'll drink it. Maybe try that!

Good luck,
B.

Hi- The same thing happened with our son. He would take a sip, cringe, and spit it out then gulp up his water. After about a month of starting each meal with milk, he started to come around(4-5oz at a time now). So- hang in there! Eventually she'll do the same I am sure. PS- He was breastfed up to and during the process.

i would try chocolate milk. breast milk is naturally sweeter, than regular. just until she gets use to milk in the cup. then use less and less chocolate flavoring, until she'll drink it plain.

You could try soy milk which also comes in flavors or rce milk which I think comes in flavored also. Good luck : )My first was allergic to milk which I didn't know until I tried switching her from soy based formula to whole milk. She outgrew that allergy at the age of 3. My second didn't make the switch to milk easy. I also had to mix formula (seen as she had weaned herself at 9 and a half months)with milk. But with time warmed up to drinking milk.

Hi Ami-
I can definitely relate! I started weaning my son around 12 months and he seemed to hate milk. I just started with one sippy cup of milk in exchange for our usual nursing time. He didn't like it. I was really worried that he wouldn't ever drink milk! I kept trying, sometimes switching up the time or the temperature of the milk and it didn't really seem to work that well. Then, we went on a short weekend trip, and I just nursed instead of trying to wean. After that 3 day hiatus, he took milk like a champ! I don't know what happened, but now at 14 months, he drinks 3-4 5+oz sippy cups of milk a day (and loves it!). So maybe give her a little break and try again... it's just something new. Good luck!
:) T.

For both of my kids, I breastfed until about 14 months. I gave them both milk mixed with the Yobaby whole fat drinkable yogurts. (about 1/4 yogurt, the rest milk) It worked like a charm. Also, I don't know what kind of cups your 4 1/2 year old drinks out of, but my 2nd son loves to go after my 4 year old's cup, and that works too - we just 'pretend' it's not his cup, and he wants it all the more!! Good luck!

have you tried the cups with a straw. their milk intake goes down as you well know. how is her overall diet is she eating fruits and veggies does she like yogurt that has calcium ice cream cheese etc all foods with vitamin d and calcium? i'd be concerned if her overall diet was compromised. breast feeding like bottle feeding is the sucking comfort and can be a challenge to ween. good luck sahm mom with home based business- arbonne- kids 13 11 8 and 14 mths K. d

Hi. I had just the same problem a few months ago with my year old son--he is now happily drinking soy milk, cold, from a sippy cup...Am not sure why he chooses the soy, but it works!
Good luck.

I would try an advent bottle and then warm the whole milk. She will drink it up. Cuddle with her as though you were nursing.

My son drinks rice milk bc he is allergic to dairy and soy. Try cheese or yogurt. There are many other ways to get calcium besides milk.

I had the same problem with my daughter at 13 months (she is 26 months now). No matter what I did she wouldn't drink milk. Her doctor suggested I stop breastfeeding and that she would eventually accept the milk I offered, but that never happened. I ended up giving her smoothies in the morning(yogurt, frozen banana, strawberries, milk) and she liked those. Also the Yo Baby yogurt drinks came in handy. All in all, her doctor said that if she ate a good amount of dairy that that would suffice. She will now drink a small amount at dinner, but I don't push it, and she's a healthy little kid. Hope this was helpful. Good luck to you.
- L.

I had this exact same problem, but honestly, I wasn't all that worried about it because my son (16 months old now) ate lots of cheese and yogurt. The pediatrician agreed with me. It wasn't until I had weaned him completely and he had no breastmilk at all for a week or so that I reintroduced milk to him, and he drank it slowly, but didn't reject it. Now he likes it on cereal and out of a cup. This was about 2 weeks ago.