How much milk for a 13 month old?

[percypig]

I realised I haven't a clue how much milk he should be drinking, but often see threads about children of a similar age drinking quite big bottles.

DS self weaned a week after his first birthday. Up to that point he was bfed with some water at meal times, and some cow's milk in cereal. As he started cutting back on bfeeds I offered him wee bits of cow's milk, but he was never that interested.

Now he mostly drinks water, has milk in cereal, and probably one small drink of milk per day. Is this enough? I worry sometimes he's not getting enough fluid, but can usually get him to drink more water. He has yoghurt every day, and also eats cheese most days. Generally he loves food, has never been a picky eater and has a good balanced diet. Should he be drinking more milk though?

[percypig]

Bump - anyone?

[DrippingLizzie]

Hi Percypig. My DS (now 4) was breastfed until 12 months and my DD (10 months) is still BF. Neither of them took to cows milk as a drink (but drank water) and I did the same as you're doing by packing it into cereals and giving them other dairy products to compensate. I buy a lot of creme fraiche too and whack it into casseroles/stews/pasta sauce etc etc to up their calcium levels. Both kids are fit and healthy (as I'm sure your DS is) so I wouldn't worry at all.

[Seona1973]

12-20 ounces of milk is the recommendation. This can be in the form of dairy products, milk with cereal and in foods.

[buttonnosebear]

My DD has a milk protein allergy and I bf her until her 1st birthday (last week) She won't touch her 'yummy' goat's milk and prefers water before bed which just feels so alien to me. I have been stuffing her full of cheese and yoghurt, but I still worry that she doesn't get a good diet as my ds (2 years) has 15fl of milk eveyday...

[pelvicflawed]

Ds is a year and has never been a great milk drinker - I know what you mean about seeing other babies about the same age drinking huge bottles in the day, I always wonder should he?. Anyway he now has a bottle morning and night but rarely, if ever drinks all of them. The only way I keep him topped up is loads of yoghurt/milk in cereal/cheese. I've tried him with a cup of cows milk in the day and if your lucky he will take the odd swig but no more. He seems healthy enough so as long as I feel I've offered him calcium rich foods I've stopped worrying. His dad hates milk and I have a theory that DS is following in his footsteps and sees it as food/drink of last resort!!

[percypig]

Thanks for the reassurance everyone - and for the info Seona.