Milk...how much?

I have a DCB who is 19 months old and still has 2 8 oz bottles of milk at daycare, and I know he has probably one in the morning and one in the evening at home (I think). Problem is, he has consistent diaper rash problems, it really stresses me out because I have to check him constantly, if he is left in a dirty diaper for any amount of time he rashes up quick. I feel like the milk might be the culprit...I think it makes him poop too often...I have had days where he had 6 dirty diapers...I've tried hinting to mom but she ALWAYS blames it on teething. I have my doubts that its teething because once his fever turned out to be an ear infection and there were other times that the fever they thought was from teething was actually from a virus because everyone ended up getting sick from him.

So question is, am I crazy? Should I let it go, or should I bring it up with mom again that maybe DCB drinks too much milk? What should I do?

Thanks in advance :)

That is a lot of milk. Our pediatrician recommends 16 oz per day for my 18 month old.

Is it interfering with his eating? He might eat more "real" food if he doesn't have that much milk. And IMO, he should probably be transitioning to a sippy-cup rather than a bottle. A sippy (particularly the straw ones), combined with eating, will help develop the muscles required for speech. The muscles they use for bottle drinking are different.

When do you use the bottles? Does he need them for nap? I'd ask mom because he's going to need to transition away from that and hopefully them doing it at the same time would make it easier on you.

And if you think it's the culprit of the diaper rash I'd mention it anyway. It likely is.

I was told by my paediatrician that child over 12 months of age should not have a bottle .... It is bad for their teeth formation and if you start with a cup at 10 months then the bottle can be taken away by 12 months .... He also said the longer you wait the harder it is to take away. They should not have milk in bed as the milk sits in their mouth once they've gone to sleep and rots their teeth. Does this child drink from a cup? If yes then just don't give the bottle to him. Also give him water. There are so many calcium rich foods that can be given instead if milk. I don't serve milk in my daycare at all unless I am serving cereal or it goes in a recipe..... They get plenty of yoghurt, cheese, cottage cheese, and veggies that they don't need it as I already know they are getting milk at home.

He doesn't go to sleep with it...at least not here. I stopped that very early on. My concern is with the AMOUNT of milk he drinks, and sometimes I even think he may be sensitive to dairy...he just poops all the time and of course that results in a rash. My kids were breastfed until 16 months then just went to solid food, with hardly any milk. I'm not a big believer in guzzling huge amounts of milk because we've had sensitivities in the family. So to me this is a LOT of milk...all that liquid in his diet HAS to be contributing to frequent, soft poops.

Oh and just to clarify I don't supply milk here, the parents do.

It seems like a lot but if you were serving snacks and he was drinking from a cup you would normally put about 4 oz in a cup so lunch and two snacks equals 12 oz. I always thought the rule was 20-24 oz per 24 hour period (but some could be in food ie yogurt) With the push away from juice more milk is for sure being given.

I would work to wean him of bottles at daycare as I assume he is sitting at the table in a high chair for meals. I like providing the milk by this age - once they can go onto 2% milk because then I am controlling how much they have and mom just assumes it is the same huge amount.

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Originally Posted by playfelt

It seems like a lot but if you were serving snacks and he was drinking from a cup you would normally put about 4 oz in a cup so lunch and two snacks equals 12 oz. I always thought the rule was 20-24 oz per 24 hour period (but some could be in food ie yogurt) With the push away from juice more milk is for sure being given.

I would work to wean him of bottles at daycare as I assume he is sitting at the table in a high chair for meals. I like providing the milk by this age - once they can go onto 2% milk because then I am controlling how much they have and mom just assumes it is the same huge amount.

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Is it really my place to him him though? I was kinda waiting for mom to take the lead on this one...like I said they bring the milk everyday, I'm not the one supplying...

Mom probably isn't even thinking about it as that is just the routine she has gotten into. She may be doing it just because you are giving it to him too. Get a 4 oz bottle or ask mom for one and limit how much he has in the bottle giving it only to him while sitting in the chair for snacks and meals. Then just send home what is not used. This means he will drink 12 of the 16 oz but you have extra in an emergency. Just tell mom that now that he is eating so many foods like the others he isn't as interested in so much milk.

Then start switching the bottle to a cup starting with the snacktimes.

I look at this issue two ways - where does my loyalty lie. Is it my job to perpetuate what the parents do or is it my job to do what is right by the child letting the child grow up and do age appropriate things. I decide when soothers, bottles, morning naps, use of scissors, playdough etc happen based on my experience and how the child acts at daycare.

I'm not sure about the milk, it seems like a lot, but I've had a super pooper with 6 poops a day who was taken off the bottle about a year of age. He was like that until he was about 3 then he switched to only pooping once a day in the evening for his parents. I was thrilled!

Children all learn to drink from sippy cups shortly after 1 year of age at my daycare too but it's up to the parents to wean them off bottles when they are ready. However, I suggest we have as few bottles as fast as possible at daycare so the children eat the nutritious food at mealtime instead of filling up on milk nonstop. Can you make that suggestion?

I would stop pushing the second bottle or even offering it if he isn't asking and start sending the full bottle home and after a few days just request that they send one bottle.
Tell them he is so full from all the wonderful healthy snacks he just isn't interested in the second bottle.

One way I have done it before is asked mom to provide a carton of milk on Mondays and left one 4 oz bottle at my house which I used and washed. Then if child needs more than the carton mom sent I supplement with my milk - even though mom sends homo milk no big deal if child gets 2% for some of Friday. But it also means I am the one controlling how much and how often and if child gets through entire week with some even left so what and the weeks that they drink more no big issue for me to provide as parent is paying the same and I provide for all the other kids anyways just use 2%.