Feeding FAQ: 12-18 months – Milk Feeding Problems

How do we divide my daughter’s daily milk intake when she reaches 1year of age?

At 11mths of age we have cut down my daughter’s milk feeds but when she’s one and weaned onto cow’s milk would we give her 5oz at breakfast and 7oz after her bath? Or should we give her 5oz breakfast, 2 oz with her tea and five after her bath at bedtime with a story. I have read your books but could do with a little more guidance.

At present she drinks 5ozs of formula from a cup at 7.15am and 7ozs of formula from a cup at 6.45pm.

If your daughter seems content with the way she is taking her milk at present there is no need to change things drastically once she reaches her first birthday and is weaned on to cow’s milk. The recommendation is that children aged between one and two years have 17ozs of milk daily. This includes all the milk used on cereals, in cooking and other sources such as yoghurt and cheese.

Depending how much your daughter has eaten in the day you may like to offer her a small drink of milk with her tea. If she enjoys her milk, and it does not affect her appetite for her solids, then offer a small cup of 2-3ozs.

Some parents do find that by giving the full 7ozs just before bedtime their baby may wake sopping wet early in the morning. Giving your baby the remainder of the day’s milk intake alongside tea, then offering a smaller drink after her bath, may avoid this problem.

It is important to establish that your daughter’s bedtime tooth brushing routine takes place after she has had her drink of milk. As brushing teeth can often be quite messy some mothers prefer to give a drink of milk just before bath time, especially if tea was at 5pm, so the tooth brushing can take place in the bath.