The Imperfect Community

[MainstreamMom]

Thought I'd pick your brains for a minute. Is there any benefit to switching to 2% milk at two year of age? Or any good reason not to? Jack was never a milk drinker (flat out refuses anything to do with it) so this is unchartered territory for me.

Thoughts?

TIA

[kathyjm]

I would check with your dr. and just make your decision on info you can find.

In my case, with both my older kids and my younger kids i had two different dr's advice to swtich to NON fat at the two year mark because studies showed that fat build up in the arteries starts as young as age two.

I think I saw a recent article in the newspaper stating that drinking more than two servings of milk a day also may contribute to childhood obesity.

But, we all know our parents/grandparents were raised on whole milk and obesity wasnt much of a problem for them LOL...sooo do some fact finding and make your own decision..I think even different dr's would have different answers to that one.

I can tell you that I raissed my kids on 1% from the age 1 on and they're alive an healthy today LOL..we drink fat free now and they refuse to drink the 'creamy' stuff!

[DietCokeHead]

I just switched from whole milk to 2%. My Jack was underweight and needed the extra calories until now and since he is doing great and Molly just turned 2, it seemed like a good time to switch. I think the only difference b/w 2% and whole is the fat content so if you don't think Amanda needs the extra fat I would just switch!

[Rebecca_R]

My kids eat tons of yogurt and cheese, and I don't like to buy all different kinds of milk so they drink 1%. Neither of them like milk that much anyway so I hardly remember to give it to them just in cereal. I should probably force Nate to drink more of it, he's so damn small compared to other 5 year olds. Aaron nurses about twice a day, so that's his milk right there. I wasn't aware there was a controversy about 2% vs. whole milk for toddlers?

[MedeaNJ]

I agree that you might want to check with your ped.

I wish I can get myself to drink that fat free stuff, better yet, unsweetened soy. I did manage to make it down to 1%

The twins drink soy milk, and eat whole milk yogurt and cottage cheese, we will go part skim when the ped says it's ok.

[Scout]

The lower the fat content, the higher the protein content, too. I think they are starting to recommend the lower fat versions now because of the whole childhood obesity thing. My kids are twig babies, lol, so that's not a big issue for us. They drink 2%.

[MainstreamMom]

Yeah I don't think it's a big deal I just wanted to see what the reasons to switch would be. We are going to do a gallon of the 2% each week since we were doing a gallon of whole and a 1/2 gallon of 1% for Dh and my coffee and cereal. This is easier.

Manda is very big (but not overweight) so I think it should be fine. She was 95% for her age in height and weight at her two year well visit. I think that's fine since it's proportionate. Her ped didn't really have an opinion either way about switching!

[cloud9]

well as far a i think that is very less aomunt of milk for someone who is growing
i advice you to give him more milk
what you can di is give him flavored milk , something what he likes like milk shake etc

[prescott]

Hey, that's a great idea! Move him from whole milk to milkshakes! Brilliant!