milk alternative

Question
Hi Laurie,
I'm not sure if I'm asking this question in the right category, but I thought I'd give it a shot.
I have 13 month old son who I am currently breastfeeding.  I have recently become pregnant with my second child and have found my milk supply greatly reduced.  My husband's family has a history of serious dairy allergy and my youngest brother had a dairy sensitivity as a toddler.  So, as I begin weaning my son, the conventional wisdom is to wean to whole milk, but with our family history, I don't think that that is a good option for us.  What should I wean him to that will provide adequate nutrition for a growing toddler?
Any light you could shed on this subject would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Aimee

Answer
Hi Aimee,
Sure I can help you with this issue!
First of all, in the future you might consider trying your son on a bit of milk and see if he has any issues: some allergies result in itching, rash, or a reaction to lactose intolerance such as diarrhea.  The pediatrician can do a skin-test for allergies too, so you don't have to wait and find out if he has a reaction to drinking milk.  It may be a good idea to find out if he tolerates milk since it will be difficult to avoid this ingredient in foods for years to come.

But, to answer your question: At the age of thirteen months your baby has probably already included almost every food in his diet!  Milk is what babies live off of for their sole source of nutrition for months, but after they begin eating table food they can get all the nutrients they need without milk.  Be sure to include good sources of calcium, such as spinach, in his diet.  Protein will not be a problem as long as he has a balanced diet.  There is a food guide pyramid for toddlers (http://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/pyramid.htm).  If he tolerates some yogurt or string cheese, fine--if not, just keep giving him a variety from the other groups and consider a soy substitute or an inclusive nutritional drink such as pediasure.  Many other drinks and cereals are fortified now, so it will be easy to provide him with the calcium, vitamin D, and riboflavin that milk is known for.

And finally congratulations not only on the arrival of his upcoming sibling, but for making the choice to provide your firstborn with mother nature's best source of nutrition for his whole first year of life!

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