Houston, We (May) Have a Problem

We started introducing whole milk a week after Sam and Anna's birthday. Truth be told, I was a little nervous to take this step because in Sam and Anna's short history, we've had too much trouble with what they drink and I didn't want history to repeat itself. We had also just weaned Sam and Anna's last reflux med dose the week before successfully and so I was worried that the whole milk would cause a big time reflux flare. I also wanted to talk to our pedi to see if she had any specific recommendations for approaching this because of the GERD background and Sam and Anna's past bottle refusal period. We gave Sam and Anna milk during their meals for three days, but held onto their morning and bedtime bottles of formula until our 1 year well child pedi appointment. Sam and Anna did great. No problems at all- they drank it like it was no big deal.

We didn't get any tips that I didn't already know from our pedi, so since the first few times of whole milk sippies went well, we went semi-cold turkey only 3 days after we first introduced it and dropped the last two bottles. We never mixed formula and whole milk as I know some people do... I was and am a little against offering whole milk in a bottle. (Not that I wouldn't try it if giving it straight at first wasn't working.) I think it is easier for a child to probably drop bottles/formula if the two are only associated together, and the option of whole milk in a bottle doesn't exist. I knew that Sam and Anna wouldn't have attachment issues from losing their bottles, and they seemed to like the milk enough to drink ounces of it at a time, so I thought we were good to go. Friday night we gave them a sippy of whole milk before bed as a "nightcap." I was so pleased that it seemed to be so easy to switch from formula to whole milk for them.

That night a few hours into bedtime, Sam vomited all over himself and his crib. The next day was a big change because he refused most of the whole milk we offered. We were pretty sure that the whole milk HAD triggered a reflux flare and laying down exasperated the problem. (He showed no other signs of possibly being sick.) He hardly drank anything that day and the next.

Two nights later (Sunday night), Anna vomited all over herself and her crib at about 2 am- so badly that she got a bath in the middle of the night, and this momma took a shower because of holding a vomited soaked baby before climbing back into bed (I got up 1 1/2 hours later at 5 am for work the next day). We were even more sure that whole milk was causing stomach issues for both babies, and decided that maybe holding onto a bedtime bottle of formula for a little bit might help their tummies adjust to whole milk.

But then I got sick in the middle of the night Monday night... and we realized that Sam and Anna probably had gotten the flu, not-so-conveniently timed to coicide with the transition to completely on whole milk. This was a good thing for the whole milk issue we thought we had, because it should have been only a temporary problem, but there have still been lingering effects.

Although there has been no more vomit soaked babies or cribs since last weekend, Sam no longer likes to drink whole milk at home. He will drink it at daycare, but not at home. We think he has an association with drinking it here and throwing up that is making him resistant to it now. We have tested several factors (cups, locations in our home, etc.) with the same result. When we went out to eat for dinner the other night, he happily drank it for us at the restaurant- milk from the same carton; same sippy cup. So the only constant is that he will not drink much at home. (We're talking like maybe 1-2 oz total in a day at home, even if he's home all day.)

We've upped his intake of other dairy foods like cheese and yogurt and are banking on the idea that over time as the flu incident is farther from his memory, he'll gradually forget about it and happily drink whole milk again at home. I'm also trying to remember that at this point, milk is not as important as it was, and is now only a complement to a meal rather than a meal itself. He will be fine if he only drinks a little, as long as he gets a lot of other dairy and calcium rich foods. He is a pretty good eater besides this.

Thankfully, so is Anna. And Anna seems to have no association with throwing up and drinking milk as she's been drinking whole milk great for us at home or at daycare. I'm so glad that for her at least, this truly has been an easy change.