The Milk Quandry...

Glendon just shocked me by consuming rather rapidly at least 6 oz. of whole milk...something he's refused to drink up until now. Upon realizing that he disliked the foamy white stuff, I panicked, wondering how my baby was going to survive without it. Didn't they always say that you have to drink milk to have strong bones?? Even yesterday, I had someone tell me that I should be concerned for his brains developement w/o milk's source of fat.

My Pediatrician, on the other hand, assured me that while cow's milk is perfect for a baby cow, she didn't feel I had given birth to a baby cow (I'd agree), and that as long as I focused on other calcium and fat providing dairy products, Glendon would be just fine. ~So~ on came the yogurt, cheese sticks, and cottage cheese, all of which, Glendon gobbles right down.

Then today, for the sake of curiosity, I offered GP milk when he woke from his nap. He drank right down. We'll see if his new liquid flexibility lasts, but either way...I find it funny how much mental and emotional energy I put into these issues, and they really just take care of themselves. Our milky experience supports the paragraph below, which I found while googling, "Does my baby really need cow's milk?"

Does your baby really need actual cow's milk? No. The main thing that is in milk that is important for babies is calcium and fat. If your baby will eat yogurt, cheese, or calcium-fortified orange juice (when he is a bit older, of course), then your baby may not actually need milk. Many cereals are also calcium-enriched. The calcium requirement for infants is two or three servings of a calcium-rich food or beverage each day. One cup of milk, juice, or yogurt, or one piece of cheese, each counts as a serving. Breastfeeding at least four times each day also gives your infant plenty of calcium. Calcium-fortified soy milk is a good substitute for regular milk. If your infant doesn't like something the first time, try it again every few weeks. His tastes may change.

Karri ~maybe give L a week's break - time for her to forget she doesn't like it, and then try again.