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Milk

I've just today started offering Maddie (6 months) a beaker of formula instead of breast for her two daytime milk feeds. This morning she rejected the beaker after 1/2oz (as I anticipated she would), so I gave her some of the rest in with porridge for lunch.

My question is: when do I start being concerned that she hasn't had any milk during the day? I'm anticipating a period of her refusing the beaker - how long is too long to wait this out? For now I'm happy with her just having a few oz in porridge for lunch instead, but we can't do that forever. (She is still having a breastfeed first and last thing and will do so indefinitely.)

Hopefully she'll start to accept the beaker soon so it won't be an issue, but just wondered what you thought.

Replies

  • A friend of mine has a daughter who has essentially refused milk since she was very small (she just really doesn't like the taste of either breast milk or formula). Since she was weaned her mother has given up the battle and just puts cheese in everything and gives her lots of yoghurts. At 19 months she now drinks cows' milk in the mornings but most of her calcium intake comes from other sources. She is a very healthy little girl and, having started tiny, is now shooting up in height and putting on weight at an appreciable rate.

    If you can get plenty of calcium into Maddie through other parts of her diet and maybe give her a vitamin supplement, I wouldn't imagine that not having milk during the day would be too much of an issue. The only other concern would be hydration. Have you tried her with water?
  • Hi

    I personally would be worried about my lo not having his milk at that age. At 6 months their diet isnt sufficient enough, and most of there nutrients come from milk. If you dont see any joy with the beaker, i would try another approach. Maybe try expressing milk for beaker first to ease the transition or if that doesnt work then might be worth trying a bottle. Imo if she happily accepts milk weather it be breast/formula, bottle/beaker then i would rather give it that way rather than trying to supplement at such a young age.

    xx
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