What can I give my toddler in place of cow's milk?

I agree with most of the people posting, mix formula (or bm) with a little milk and gradually add more milk. You can still give her formula/bm after a year. If you want to stop the bottle then just use a sippy cup. She might not be ready for cow milk by itself.

  1. Get a new pediatrician - per my ped their poop should be mud like.
  2. Have you tried Lactaid?
  3. Does she have the same issue with other dairy products?
    Cow’s milk is an easy way to get calcium and Vitamin D into the system. There are other ways of getting those same vitamins in i.e. yogurt, cheese, etc

As a small child I couldn’t tolerate milk either, I had to eat Tums for calcium. I’ve learned later in life the lower the fat content the less it bothers my stomach. It has to do with the protein casein. I’ve had best luck with 1% and skim and even better luck with farm fresh milk from A2 cows.

My son was like that my doctor said in every bottle shake a little salt from the salt shaker it worked after about two days so I continued doing that for about two months and he was fine

My son quit drinking milk. As long as baby is getting calcium elsewhere, all is good. They do have calcium fortified OJ. My daughter has to have lactose free milk. She was born with an anorectal malformation and constipation is the enemy.

2 of my kids had to have a formula that was actually medical food because they couldn’t have dairy or soy. They had to go on lactaid for a few years before switching to 1% then on to 2% regular milk. If you want to try the almond milk again try the vanilla sweetened not the plain.

They don’t need milk at all. It can cause rotten teeth also. Calcium added orange juice is better

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Mix it with water. 1/2 water 1/2 milk. I had the smae problem omgosh it was terrible. I remember we were at her older brothers wrestling meet i had to push it out for her. I did the 1/2 & 1/2 and peeled grapes for her every day. Grapes are alot easier to eat without the skin and she never had a issues again.

both of mine had this problem what we did was continue the formula but add whole milk to it small bits gradually increasing until it’s nothing but milk. it did wonders for both of my girls

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I have heard doing half milk and watering it down or goats milk. Even with 1% milk watering it down helped some moms i know. My daughter was allergic to milk and the doctor wanted her on formula till she was 18 months old. She took Elecare Junior which is a non milk based formula. She drank water and everything as well. But if she is eating cheese and yogurt I wouldn’t be to concerned with her diary intake.

my daughter had like issue told to use lactade. sense its not being lactose intolerant. also taje out those items like banana s rice and toast even baking powder out or limited as those are the most given first foods…

My son didn’t tolerate milk at all and had formula til a little over 2, they do make a toddler formula. Mom go with ur gut its your child and u know what’s best for them. If they are getting calcium in different sources then so be it

Think about it a cow has four stomachs and those four stomachs digest the milk from there mom cow , why would us humans. Be okay with digesting cow milk ! Cows milk is no good , how come not camel milk or giraffe milk , think about it it sounds ridiculous, we have been trained that we need their milk I beg to differ and if u really did your research on the animal cruelty that goes on with the process of the milk , they rip the babies from their mother right after birth! It’s sad and disgusting! #Cowslivesmatter

Myself and my daughter are lactose intolerant and my daughter was on soy formula then we switched to lactose free milk and she takes lactaid chewable pills if she is going to have something with dairy.

Try goats milk. It’s the closest milk to human milk and way more nutritious than cows milk. My son can’t drink cows milk either but for the opposite reason… he can drink goats milk with no problem. You can even water it down a little too. Good luck!

My daughter is allergic to milk protein. She drinks unsweetened vanilla almond milk and we use the original to cook with. Its made a world of difference health wise for everyone health wise when using the almond. My gusband still uses regular for cereal. But otherwise we use the almond now.

My son’s pediatrician said cows milk can cause constipation. My son gets it from cows milk. So he only has a tiny bit of it here and there. He has awful constipation.

Are u sure she isn’t allergic to it. When my son was born I had problems breastfeeding. He wouldn’t latch on plus other issues. So I pumped and we after two wks or so I noticed he was getting constipated. Also had random spots/rashes on his legs and face. Eventually we changed to formula and same things. At 2 months he had bad rashes and skin looked like it cut from behind his knees. He had nasty rash on his face. We tried everything and eventually found out he was allergic to milk. He took soy milk which helped but not completely. At 1 yr old we gave a little of cow milk and constipation came back. We continued with soy and little by little tried dairy products. He was about 3 yrs old when he finally would drink whole milk no problems. But he did suffer from constipation before that which left him traumatized. He associated pooping with pain and even when it was soft he would hold it in too. Eventually we gave miralax per dr and it helped. Also a lot of talking and being patient.

I had to do vanilla soy with my son. He didn’t transition well from breast milk to cows milk. But thankfully he out grew that

If you absolutely want to try to stick to cows milk try a lactose free kind so see if she has a better time with that.

My 10 year old quit drinking milk when I took his bottle away at 15 months old just straight refused it from a cup, so I just make sure he takes a multivitamin and gets calcium in other ways… dr was never too concerned with it

My youngest son also had that problem. We tried Lactaid, soy milk, karo syrup in the milk, etc. but he still had issues. The only thing that helped relieve the constipation was prune juice. But, be prepared for some pretty gross smelling and loose stool. Thankfully, he loved the prune juice. He’s now a perfectly healthy 10 year old who drinks 2% milk regularly and no longer needs the prune juice.

My daughter still breastfeeds her toddler, as she believes human mother’s milk has the best nutrients to build her baby’s immune system. She did this this with all four of her children. Whenever she was unable to breastfeed them, we gave my Grandchildren Goat’s Milk and they loved it. They say it’s close to human milk.

Note: too much cheese can cause constipation.

Beet juice helps us with constipation:

“Like most vegetables, beetroot is safe for babies and can be introduced to your little one once they have started consuming solid foods. Packed with nutrients, beetroot is known to aid development in infants and can be easy on their palette as well.”

“Beet juice with its pulp is full of fiber which helps in regulative your digestive processes and also relieves constipation. Beetroot is also rich in betaine, which is an agent thought to be beneficial for good digestive health. It is said that betaine increases stomach acid levels, in order to improve digestion.”

Almond milk, and coconut milk (if she’s not allergic). My son drank almond milk generally but we also tried lactose free milk and he tolerated that better than regular milk. Good luck!

My youngest would only drink actual dairy fresh milk, not the brand, $5 for a half gallon. Absolutely no store milk, ever. From cow to cup in 3 days.

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No milk. Obviously shes lactose intolerant. I am and 2 of my 3 kids are. I don’t give milk. It’s not necessary. There are other things with vitamins and calcium. Build up tolerance little by little to other dairy products. My kids can now successful eat small amounts of cheese, yogurt, ice cream ect. Do some research online and keep journals of what she eats throughout the day so u know what triggers her constipation and how much you gave her. I’ve found that if I give dairy at the same time as a fruit that helps soften the blow. Each kid is different.It’s all trial and error. Better than having the kid on a daily med to help them poo.

The same thing happened to my son, we switched him to almond milk and he was perfectly fine and then we weaned him back to 2% milk

My kiddos drink 2% and good. My daughter was severely diary intolerant til 18-24 months… When she was young, as I was introducing new veggies she would get very constipated…I would puree prunes (I made all their baby food) and let her have a sqeeze pouch a day of prunes… That kept her regular but not diarrhea

A tablespoon of Karo light syrup will keep her moving. Or just wait out the adjustment time to other non dairy substitutes. Sorry mama!

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My daughter said the doctor said that the Canada food guide doesn’t focus on cows milk at all anymore. Her little girl drinks milk but also lots of water and is a good eater. Not sure that drinking milk is so important for kids anymore

I breastfed my youngest until she naturally didn’t come to me for milk anymore, she was 3 years old. Nobody needs cow’s milk, in fact, many people become very ill from cow’s milk. Some people naturally lack the enzymes to break down dairy products and cannot drink cow’s milk or eat cheese, yogurt, icecream or other dairy without having constipation or severe stomach cramps. For a doctor to insist on cow’s milk is not okay and you need to seek a new doctor. You can continue with a non-dairy formula. In the future, you can skip dairy, there are many compelling reasons why, including that Canada even took it off of their food chart as a necessity.

If she eats well and is getting calcium from other foods, then no need to drink milk. As others have said, we’re the only mammals that continue to give milk after our babies have been weened from the breast or formula. Just make sure you water down the juice, it contains a huge amout of sugars. My 6 year old wrinkles her nose at a glass of apple juice, unless it’s mostly water.

Oatmilk is great. cows milk is horrible for many many reasons. Soy is good but can have high levels of hormones which can be problematic for females especially. Try a few plant based milks and see what she prefers. Coconut is always a good one too.

Any other milk. My daughter allergic to soy and any proteins. You could try any organic milk ( almond, rice) oat) or if child under 2 there is a hydrolysed formula with broken proteins in it. You can get referral from a child’s doctor for that or buy on line with out it. You could also try lactose free in case it’s a lactose that’s hurting her gut. Talk to a gp.

Acidophilus milk…contains probiotics just like yogurt. My daughter had constipation issues as a toddler, and due to a nut allergy, we couldn’t switch to any kind of nut based milk. This and pear juice helped a lot !!

My son stayed on his formula until he was 3 1/2… he had to have rice in it bc of reflux and it was so thick that he didn’t do well transitioning so I kept him on it and the pediatrician was fine with it.

If the doctors wants her to have milk, try Lactaid or any Lactose free.

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Have you tried the lactaid milk it worked great for my daughter she was on the nutramigen by enfamil then we started using lactaid when it was time for milk

We give my granddaughter Almond milk. She has had stomach problems since she was an infant. We found out her intestines are twisted from the constipation from milk. Since we started the almond milk she has been fine.

They can also get calcium many other ways so don’t stress about the milk…

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Have you tried the oat milk?? There’s also goats milk which is even better for you.

My son has a milk allergy- not lactose intolerance an actual allergy. So we give him unsweetened vanilla almond milk. It doesnt have the sugar that sweetened does.

Formula is really not meant for babies over 1 year… and toddler formula hasn’t been around long enough to really test its benefits…

That happened to my baby and the doctor told me it’s normal because of the transition. She recommended i gave her juice throughout the day. Prune, apple, pear.

My daughter had similar problems with cows milk. Our pediatrician recommended goat milk.

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My little one had a protein allergy and her poor bum used to suffer with milk. We never substituted just looked elsewhere for the calcium. Cheese, yoghurts, broccoli, or try skimmed not full fat x

My son had dairy allergy and we had him on alpro soya milk they even do a infant one now from 1years as a growing up milk… hope this helps… I would also get a second opinion… have you seen a dietitian xx

I wouldn’t force her to drink it. You might try using chocolate or strawberry syrup to change the taste. That is what I did and then cut back on it till the kids were drinking just white milk. You could also try a milk called a1.

She doesn’t have to have milk. If she can’t handle even soy. Maybe try soy chocolate milk. I used to get that for my kids and they wouldn’t know the difference. There are other ways for her to get dairy. If she can’t handle milk than maybe give her cheese and yogurt. See if that will help. Some of my kids don’t drink milk. There are other ways to get them the dairy they need.

As a OB/Pediatric Nurse…After Breastfeeding and going through multiple formulas, I kept my oldest daughter on Formula till she was 4, even cooked with it. Both my girls had allergies to Milk based formulas, which are not safe or nutritionally sound for humans; so I used a vegetable based organic formula. She is 30 yrs old, and a Mental Health Therapist now…guess it worked. PS: Like my Old Pediatrician used to say, "Cow milk is for Cow babies…ONLY!

Oat milk my daughter has a cow protein allergy and this is what she enjoys the most :slight_smile: she also takes the Olly kids vitamin +probiotic which keeps her regular.

I’m not a fan of milk and it can go either way for me… Lactaid or lactose free milks help but we (as a family) tend to get protein and calcium from other dairy/meat products instead of milks. I recently tried an oat milk that my son really liked though made by Silk, I believe. I also still give him pediasure grow & gain occasionally but trying to get away from that because of the high sugar content, and if he has more than 1 cup a day he gets sooo constipated.

We enjoy Fairlife milk its lactose free and the kids enjoy it even the chocolate milk

Constipation is a milk protein allergy. Soy milk will not work. Soy milk has no lactose but still has milk protein. You need only almond milk. Or any but milk. Trust me. My son was same way. Took alot of doctors, trial and error to find the source

Don’t fret what the dr says… your child takes formula well without pain of constipation then continue it. My grandson had that same problem about the same age. Give her more fiber

I am A mom of 5. Two of which could not drink cows milk I had one of my sons on regular Enfamil until he was four years old because he could not tolerate cows milk at all and all other milks just didn’t sit right with him my other daughter struggled with extreme constipation as well it was horrible watching her in misery and pain we ended up doing yogurt and cheeses and avoided milk all together and every now and again probably once every two or three days I would give her a Pedia sure when she was about three.
I would however suggest that you speak to another pediatrician as I genuinely don’t believe your pediatrician is right on this one your daughter should be able to poop and if she’s not able to your pediatrician should at the very least recommend you see a Gastro or an allergist to see what the problem is severe constipation in a baby is not good!

Also for my other kids I would give them more milk products then actual milk they had oatmeal or farina every morning and yogurt in the afternoon etc.

Goats milk…its enzymes are more easily digested and don’t cause as many issues…it is more naturally homogenized as well.

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Both of my boys had this same issue. Even with 1% milk. I just do equal parts of water and milk and they enjoyed it. No constipation!

Try the goat milk first and if that doesn’t help then try oatmilk. I have a kid with food allergies and dairy irritates my sinuses so we both use the oakmilk. I prefer the Planet Oat brand.

My son stopped drinking milk once we took the bottle when he was one. He is 7 and very healthy, eats yogurt drinks orange juice, etc but no milk

oat milk! Planet Oat is amazing or you can make it yourself with oats/water/maple syrup— or homemade hemp milk same way with hemp seeds💓

Milk protein intolerant my son was so bad he was to get him suppositories * some doctors assume kids just grow out of everything…

My daughter is the same way. We extended the formula phase per her doctor, she ate normal food the same as the adults. After awhile we started Lactaid for her “milk”, ice cream, etc.

The consistency of oat milk is really similar to cow’s and pretty darn good, my crew loves it.

Soy milk is very bad for you. It is known to cause cancer and can cause their breasts to swell and make them go through early puberty. Cows milk is also really bad for you as well. But honestly I wouldn’t worry to much about it if she is eating plenty she will get plenty of calcium. My kids are 7 and 9 and are healthy as horse’s both rarely get milk.

Take her to a GI doctor and let them know they have ours on lactulose for constipation on top of juicy juice really helps him they can also write you a script for special toddler formula he’s 3 and we stills go through it

We’ve used both almond milk and oat milk. Had more success with oat milk. Bonus! it tastes SO good!! Good luck momma!!

All my kids have suffered when put on blue cows milk I changed them to green and done half milk half boiled water they were much better off it I gradually added less water each time untill there Tummys were used to it could be worth giving that a try xxx

We have had the same issue with my youngest daughter since she went to milk from formula. We have tried everything. The one that that has worked is 1% or 2% milk. She is 11 now and still gets constipated on whole cow’s milk.

My husband(80 yrs) still has a milk problem. Can’t use any of low fat or any milk substitutes. Go to goat milk. It works. Parents went out and bought a goat when he was a baby. Good luck.

My youngest can’t have milk either and the lactaid or fairlife milk have worked. Tastes same but no constipation after switching to that.

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We only drink rice or almond milk in my house. It’s all my two boys (now 15 and 5) have had as milk since they were weaned off me. Neither of them have had any bowel issues. And we still eat cheese, yogurt and ice cream.

My brother always had to have goat milk as a child. Apparently it’s not lactose free, but it is lactose low, and is easier to digest than cow milk.

Try lactaid. You can also add caro syrup to regular milk and that will help with constipation. If you are worried about not getting enough nutrients, make a smoothie with yogurt, frozen fruits, and a tad bit of juice. Worked perfectly for my little ones

My son hasn’t drank any source of milk since he got off the bottle. He just never liked any milk.

Soy milk,rice milk,oat milk,almond milk…im lactose intolerant and I drink all of them and have no issues…been lactose intolerant my whole life

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There’s next up toddler formula not sure what age it’s for we did a little prune juice, banana at that age ! We had to use soy milk or almond milk (

DO NOT give Miralax without approval from her pediatrician. It is not for children of that age, try goat milk for usual better digestion.

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Almond milk or in the milk section you can find lactaid milk in 2% and whole. The generic brand usually sits by the name brand. The lactaid has more sugar than the almond but bother are lactaid free milk for people with allergies.

If your kiddo is over 12 months of age and eats a variety of solids - like, 3 meals a day plus snacks in between- she does not need any milk. All it is is fat/caloric intake and that can be provided with lots of good, healthy foods.

My kids hardly drank milk at all- they got their nutrients from
Food. It isn’t a necessity.

Fair life milk is amazing and lactose free… give that a try… tastes just like regular milk. A little pricey but worth it. I had the same problem with my 1 year old.

My youngest is severely allergic to cow’s milk, He drinks Soy milk recommended by his doctor

does she have a milk intolerance? i would find that out first. but her holding her poop in is not good. that can contribute to constipation

Same issues with my 3 year old foster child, her Dr has us using Miralax, I put a spoonful in her milk first thing every morning and limit her to 2 cups of milk per day

Goats Milk. Myself and my 18 mo. Old son drank it. Keep it Cold.:slightly_smiling_face:

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When my child was about that age he couldn’t drink cows milk and the doctor had me buy him enriched rice milk. He drank it until around the age of two when we were able to reintroduce cows milk.

Try giving your child apple prune juice once a day. My kids love cheese and milk, but they got so constipated, and it helped! Give it to him in the morning, about 8 ounces, and it will stop him from getting constipated all day!

Aldi has amazing lactose free milk that helped me since i cant have cows milk. Try that.

we did the toddler formula for a few months when my daughter got like that. now she drinks milk but only a few bottles a day to some days not at all.

They don’t need milk. Make sure she drinks enough water to stay hydrate and that she eats lots of fruits and veggies

When my daughter was having problems with cow’s milk, my pediatrician suggested goat’s milk. It was a miracle! I used a mixture of half goat’s milk and water.

Sounds like a lactose allergy I would first change dr. Second I would try soy milk. How long has it been going on.

I would try to go to happy cow creamery and try there milk they say it help with alot digestive system

Goats milk is an option. You can find good ones that don’t taste off.

My daughter has dairy and nut allergies. We use oat milk or coconut milk mostly.

Don’t need cow’s milk. Minimal juice and lots of water. Increase fruits and vegies especially high fiber ones

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Have you tried Nido? It’s a powdered supplement for children over 1 year. I’m not sure if it will constipate her. My youngest deals with this exact problem too and she looooves milk. We have to give her 1% in very limited amounts. I wish you the best of luck because I know the struggle. I’ve also started giving her an all natural stool softener once a week to help her poops be soft because she freaks out the same way yours does.

Goats milk. Or miralax. My son done the same thing until we got him going daily and it was soft enough that he didn’t get scared

That happened with boy we stopped giving him regular milk and now he drinks horizons organic milk havent had a problem since

Eat broccoli. You have to drink 8 cups of milk to get the same nutrients as one cup of broccoli. Water is best. They dont need milk.

They need the fat in whole milk for brain development with her milk add a tablespoon of clear Karo syrup she won’t get constipated Warm juice is good too to keep everything moving