My Son Won't Drink His Milk!

Updated on February 15, 2008
M.M. asks from Chicago, IL
6 answers

Hi Moms - My 16 month old son, who was never a picky eater or difficult drinker, won't drink his milk and hardly has any water. He is going through some changes such as day care and is also getting his molars, but is that the reason? I've taken him to the doctor for the past 2 weeks thinking he had an ear infection but it was only a cold and then a reaction to his shots. Have any of you Moms experienced this? He is also acting up a lot and is usually very happy...

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So What Happened?

Thanks, Moms. It seemed to be a phase or maybe his teeth. The very next day he was drinking his milk like a champ.

More Answers

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J.L.

answers from Chicago on

Well I have the same problem with my 3yo, he had tons of food aversions and medical issues, but what worked for us was getting cups with the flexible straws and "bribing" him to drink. We pause a movie he's watching or he takes a sip or two for each piggy back ride around the house. Its a lot of work, but you do what you have to do. You could just try different flavors in the milk, like chocolate or strawberry and see if that makes a difference, Pediasure is very sweet so you could mix that in with the milk for taste also.

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L.P.

answers from Chicago on

I agree that your son might have an allergy. Whatever you do, DO NOT give him sweetened milk, or you will never get him to drink it normally again. You can try plain soy milk, which my daughter loves. We call it her "special milk". When my son turned one, we tried to switch to cow's milk from breast milk. He would not drink it, and sometimes made himself throw it up. He also would not drink anything from a bottle. Soft topped sippy cups worked for extremely watered down juice and water. My pediatrician at the time was from Africa and suggested we give him goat's milk. It is closer to human milk than cow's milk. He took to goat's milk very well. He now drinks cow's milk with no problems. I have to ask though, everytime you brought your son to the doctor, didn't you mention that he is not drinking anything? Call them, if it's really been 2 weeks, he could be becoming dehydrated. Or, he could just be acting out for you, and is drinking fine for his new day care teachers.

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L.T.

answers from Chicago on

Why don't you try a flavored soy milk for your son? I have a "vanilla" flavor for my daughter who is 16mnths, and she LOVES it! She won't put it down till it's all gone! I started giving her that in the afternoons with a snack instead of juice, cuz I just don't like giving alot of juice. They also have strawberry flavor, and chocolate!! I'm sure he'd drink the chocolate! (not Pedisure, that's so expensive...just soy milk that's sold by the 1/2 gallon in the milk department).

Check with the doctor first on having him drink soy (my daughter has always had soy formulas), but it's worth a try!

Good luck!

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A.P.

answers from Chicago on

Teething will turn a happy little baby into a bear. They will not want to eat as much, or drink because it hurts. Those molars are tough ones too! Once they are completely broke through and he feels better, he should go back to his happy little self!

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C.S.

answers from Chicago on

Your son may be telling you that he has a milk allergy or is lactose intolerant (even though he has previously been drinking it). Milk is one of the most common allergens and often kids with either of these problems will instinctively not drink milk because it upsets their stomach. Also, milk tends to be very congesting, so if you think he has an ear infection I would hold off on the milk because it may make the problem worse. Try soy or rice milk and see if he will drink that. It's better for him anyway! Hope that helps!

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C.O.

answers from Chicago on

Many children just don't like the taste of milk. They are always changing what they like or don't like. Try putting some Ovaltine in it for flavoring and it is enriched so he will be getting something good out of it. It is very common for children to cut back on drinking and eating when their molars are coming in. If you are worried about him getting enough to drink make popsicles out of juice. The cold might help with his teething. We even tend to eat less and drink less when we are not feeling well. Hopefully his molars will be in soon and he'll be back to normal.

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