Putting the bottle to rest

Jessica - posted on 02/12/2011

I agree with Michelle... Our son has BM at home, usually mixed in cereal, with a bottle of it once in awhile. We have tried introducing the sippy cup, but he just plays with it because it doesn't feel the same as the bottle nipple. As far as formula is concerned, he has formula at daycare and we buy the almost 3.5 lb container from Sam's. It has all the same stuff as enfamil but is $19.50 for that size instead of the $23.95 for the 23 oz size of Enfamil.

With reference to mild vs. other dairy products, our ped said those are okay in small amounts, but to stay away from regular milk until one or older, due to the allergies and digestive issues. However, if you haven't seen any issues with it thus far, no sense in going back!

Good luck!

Krystin - posted on 02/04/2011

I think its great that you put your son on the sippy already :) I think its all to common for people to not want to fight that battle. The town I live in, I see 3 yrs drinking pop out of bottles :) Both my sons were switched to a sippy between 10 and 11 months to get ready for the switch to formula. My son who turned 11 months on 2/1 does not yet take milk. Its recommended that your wait until they are a year old to have them completely on whole milk. And you have to ween them gradually. We also dont qualify for wic and I know its expensive but you have to do whats best for your baby. So unless the pediatrician recommended the early switch I wouldnt do that.

Brandy - posted on 02/01/2011

here it recommend homo milk anywhere 9-12 months. My nephew who was always a big kid was on milk at 6 months.... he has had no allergies or anything! He is now 5yrs. Still eats like a hourse and looks like and 8 yr old. If they are happy and you are happy...... stick with it!

Shannon - posted on 02/01/2011

My son has not used a bottle besides at bedtime for about a month now. He is 10 months old. He still uses formula until we get the ok from the doctor to switch to milk at his one year appointment.

Amber - posted on 01/31/2011

My first child decided when he was doing things also. At 9 months he suddenly one day refused the bottle we switched to a cup then sippy. At 10 months he refused formula and went straight to milk. By 12 months he was refusing milk but loves yogurt. He gets his dairy and he will be fine. Dr's always tell you to make sure they are on formula until 1. Go with what your son wants..

Kari - posted on 01/31/2011

I have tried everything and my daughter refuses a sippy cup. I have 4 different kinds, different nipples, two handles, no handles, hard plastic, soft plastic, with water, with tea, with formula, with juice, with warm liquid, with cool liquid. I let her play with it, I try to feed it to her, I drink out of it to show her how to do it. She just won't have it. Suggestions would be great!

Kandace - posted on 01/31/2011

My daughter has been off the bottle for almost a month now. She turned 10 months on the 18th. She got real sick and her dr told me not to give her milk for like 3 or 4 days and she didnt even really miss it because she has a healthy appetite as it is. So, I figured it would be silly to take it away for a while then give it back and chance her getting sick again or just having to take it away again in a couple of months so I just kept her off it. She eats almost anything already because she has a mouth full of teeth. The way I see it, as long as they are eating enough and continue growing then its not a big deal.

SUJATHA - posted on 01/31/2011

@rebecca My doctor suggested not to give cows milk up untill one yr.. it is not that u wld notice change in digestion but what they are saying is that kids have bleeding in the digestive tract as they cant fully digest the enzymes in milk and hence become anaemic...i suggest you chk with your ped before switching...

Chanae - posted on 01/30/2011

my son wont take a sippy cup...he wants a regular cup.... wish is not the best idea yet,,, i hiold his cup now but he onlii uses a bottles for formula

Angelica - posted on 01/29/2011

I've read that the sippy cup is not recommended so I have been giving my son water since about four months using a regular cup. My son loves his bottle and is eating 4 bottles of 8 ounces of Good Start formula. I don't drink cow's milk myself and will hold off as long as I can before giving him any. I do want to switch away from the bottle and simply give him his formula in a cup. I would recommend staying away rom the sippy cup. It leads to tooth decay and then you still have to teach your child to use a regular cup. I don't see the advantage of sippy cups and if not cleaned regularly and properly can harbour a lot of bacteria.

Teresa - posted on 01/28/2011

i want to start weaning off the bottles but my son (10 months on the 31st) is still not that interested in sippy cups. i try to offer it all through the day with water, and have started putting formula in, but he is mre interested in chewing on the tip than drinking, so he does not get much. i have tried aobut 5 different types of cups too.

Vanessa - posted on 01/28/2011

my daughter was off the bottle @ 5mths old.

Ashley - posted on 01/28/2011

My son has 2-3 bottles a day between meals and Befor bed. During meals he has a sippy cup and I leave it out for him to grab randomly throughout the day if he wants it. Anyone know a link to a site that will show me the chart for backing off formula. I saw someone said at 10m they need 16oz still. Just curious how it breaks down to needing 0 formula in their diet.

Rukesh - posted on 01/27/2011

Does he drink Milk from the Sippy as well. Mine started drinking water off a sippy cup when he was 8 mth plus but still uses the bottle for milk

Sherry - posted on 01/26/2011

My son just turned 10 months yesterday, he was born 3 months early at 2lbs 10oz. Our pediatrician suggested we wait until he turns 1 before we try to switch over to a sippy. At that time he will be 9 months adjusted. If he takes to the sippy then we can stop the bottle, but he should be off the bottle by June, his actual due date. As for the whole milk, we are not to give it until June. This is just a precaution since developmental wise he won't be a year until June.

Aly - posted on 01/26/2011

My baby is 10 months and loves his bottle, doesn't like a cup have tried 4 different ones which cost money. Health visitor says he's fine so I'm not worried he is still a baby after all. When I had my first 3 babies we were told to put them on cows milk at 6 months and none of them have developed allergies, My younget 3 i was told to wait til 12 months and changed them at 9 months they are all fine too. I should go with what your happy with, baby will let you know if he's not happy with a cup yet..good luck. X

Crystal - posted on 01/26/2011

I had to get a certain kind to get mine to drink out of a sippy. I don't know what cups you've tried but these are what I use http://www.munchkin.com/products/detail.... walmart carries them. you can get them without handles.

Crystal - posted on 01/26/2011

My son drinks more than he eats. He is mostly on sippy cups unless drinking formula. He has been drinking milk for a few weeks now.He's been fine. He eats baby yogurt often. He drinks juice (white grape and apple juicy juice) mixed with water. I've had no issues what so ever with my son. He is 20 lbs 12oz.

Brittni - posted on 01/26/2011

My son just turned 10 mo and I can't seem to get him off the bottles :/ He just won't take to the sippy cups. idk wht to do

Amanda - posted on 01/26/2011

My son is 10 months and we took him off the bottle at 9 months. We changed him over to the sippy cup exclusively a month ago and he is doing great! I highly recommend it, waiting longer will not gurantee a smooth transition.

Andrea - posted on 01/24/2011

My son is 10 months and he doesn't do the sippy cup. If we give him ANYTHING, milk, juice, water... all he does is chew the tip. We got him the learner sippy cup to start. He will drink from a regular cup happily, but I can't just give him a cup, I have to hold it and do it for him. I can't wait until he transfers

Kari - posted on 01/24/2011

I was giving my almost 10month old whole milk once a day and her doctor said to stop because it can cause allergies later on. So I am sticking with the formula until 12months. I also started the sippy when she was about 8months old and she has really taken to it. I usually give her a bottle in the morning, and sippys after that. Sometimes a bottle after dinner, but for the most part she doesn't seem to miss the bottles. Sometimes it just takes awhile for them to adjust. Good luck!

Jenny - posted on 01/23/2011

My Daughter was 10 months on the 11th and she is still having problems with the sippy cup. She just likes to play with it and throws it. I would love for her to transfer over but she's not having it. :-)

Ashley - posted on 01/23/2011

We've been giving our son half formula and half milk for just over a month now - we mix because it is so expensive and we want him to have the extra vitamins...He's been eating yogurt since he was 2 months old- and eating cheese since he was 6 months...so far so good!
As for the sippy cups - he LOVES water - has for months, we give him that in the cups and he thinks its awesome!

Rebecca - posted on 01/22/2011

i started my son on the sippy at 4 months. (i found a sippy that was a first stage 4mnth +) I wouldn't give him anything but formula in the bottle. And i started giving him his juice in a sippy. He now just likes water mainly and the milk 2 times a day.

Mary-Allegra - posted on 01/22/2011

We are getting MAYBE one sippy cup a week in....slow start! Our son turned 10 months yesterday. It's on our radar, but he has to be really hungry to take formula from it. If water is in it....he just bites the sippy part and plays with it.

As for the cow's milk, a friend of ours is a diabetes researcher and he said switching to cow milk earlier than a year can contribute to diabetes. (Note, he shifted his research to diabetes after their 2 year old developed diabetes. They had no family history...and they had given their daughter cow milk prior to one year.)

Rebecca - posted on 01/22/2011

i worry a little about him gettting overly chunky on the milk, so i think i am going to try some toddler formula on him and see how he does! but i plan to continue the vitamins b/c he's been on them for a while now.. and yes it is soooo nice to not have to "deal" with the bottle anymore :) and he's still going strong hasn't wanted one yet!!

Jessica - posted on 01/22/2011

I have 3 kids, I learned alot about nutrition because one of my kids was born 2lb 10 oz so I will share what I have learned. The reason Dr. say no cow's milk before a year is not because of an alergic reaction now, it is because if you feed milk before 1 yr old they run a risk of being lactose intolerand later because their bodies are not ready for that type of protien so the body recognises it as something to fight off thus ending up teaching babys body to reject milk and become lactose intolerant. Yogatr and cheese are fine from 9 months on because they are prepaired in a way that breaks down those protiens and their for can be easily digested and prep your baby for the comming milk. You should have vitimans to give if your feeding cows milk tho cuz there are different vitimans in milk VS. formula. as for the bottles YAY ... we have had our daughter on sippy cups with meals since 6 months and she loves it. Now she only has a bottle on waking in the am, before a nap and before bed. It is nice to be rid of the bottle.

Rebecca - posted on 01/22/2011

He also takes the enfamil poly vi sol. I started him on those when he wouldn't take the recommended 16 oz. per day

Erin - posted on 01/22/2011

My Daughter only gets two bottles a day and just figured out her sippy cup this week, As soon as she gets better at her cup I will be ditching that bottle asap. I haven't started with HOMO yet but I am easing her into dariy products like yogurt not the baby stuff, and cheeses, soon as my supply of formula starts to run low we will every other bottle giving HOMO to see how she reacts.

Celissa - posted on 01/22/2011

I do formula in bottles and juice in sippy cups with his meals. He eats quite a bit. =P I still use formula though, as the pediatrician said not to give them cows milk before a year old, that solely cows milk doesn't have enough nutrients in it.

Rebecca - posted on 01/21/2011

shauna - i'm stuck with a whole box of drop-in liners. lol

Shauna - posted on 01/21/2011

IM thinking of ditching the bottles too. My son has about 4 6 oz bottles a day, but we are cutting to 3 b/c hes starting to refuse one of them. so my plan is as soon as the bottle liners * i use the playtex drop ins* are gone we are all sippy cup! and at 11 mo i plan on going half formula half milk and switching completly at 1 ....

Gail - posted on 01/20/2011

hi my little girl is 10 1/2 months old she only has 80zs if that a day nothin at nite but she doesnt want it she has 2 good meals a day plus to baby yougurts and shes ok

Shannon - posted on 01/20/2011

My son takes all of his "bottles" in sippy cups but his bedtime bottle. He takes two six ounce and two four ounce. We still use formula my doctor said no milk till he is one. We also use Target formula, great price and we have never had any problems with it.

Rebecca - posted on 01/19/2011

my baby boy hasn't ever had a problem with being too thin.he's always been a chunk. He's real solid though, not gobby fat at all. He was just drinking at most 14 oz per day, and not really getting much from the formula at all. Some days it would be 7oz. If i gave him formula before a meal, he would overeat and throw up, and if I gave him one in place of a meal, he would still want the solids. So he only took one in the mornings and sometimes in the afternoon. I'm just glad that the bottle is gone, and there hasn't been a fit over it!!

Renee - posted on 01/19/2011

My daughter just turned 10mos today and she is taking 1/2 sippy cups and 1/2 bottles pending on how awake she is at the time. I am keeping my daughter on formula until she is at least a year old. Formula has a lot more nutrients than straight milk. My daughter was very thin when she was just on straight formula and spit up A LOT, but since she is on more solid foods she isn't spitting up any more and has chunked up quite a bit- she gained 5lbs in 2 mos. I get her formula from Sam's Club in bulk because it is cheaper than in the grocery stores. I had my son on the exact same formula and he had NO issues with it and I kept him on formula until he was 14mos old. When I did switch my son over I did it slowly over 2 weeks. We had some issues with constipation but it went away after a few weeks.

Rebecca - posted on 01/19/2011

My son has been eating yogurt and other dairy products for a few months now in small quanities (snacks and the occasional sippy of flavored milk) i haven't noticed any changes in his digestion, or allergic reactions since going exclusive on dairy, so i think he's good on that. and he's tolerating it better than formula ( he started spitting up formula soon after 6 months & peditrician recommended rice cereal in the bottle) we have tried several different types of formulas, and he is sensitive to most. I am very hesitant to switch him to a generic since he broke out in hives from a couple of formulas, and became severely constipated or had horrible diarhea from others. He gets dha from his oatmeal at breakfast and he also takes infant multivitamins once a day. He is in the recommended weight and height, so I don't think he's missing out on anything.

Michelle - posted on 01/19/2011

I know that my dr has recommended to start introducing the sippy cup by 9 mo's but I haven't yet. I am expecting again and just trying to make it day by day. I know that my dr says you shouldn't be putting your baby on cow's milk (don't know if that is what HOMO milk is) Babies at this age can develop allergies to it and the system may not be ready to properly digest it.
Wondering if you have tried the generic store brand formulas? We get the 2 lbs of Target brand formula which is similar to Similac formula and the cost is $18.95. I don't have the option of nursing my child this time around due to having double masectomy so we have no choice but use formula.
$18.95 for 2 lbs of formula is a huge savings. I would also recommend talking to your dr if it is the right time to switch to cow's milk. They know a little more about that and it could save you from having your child having an allergic reaction (not to say your child will but you never know).
If you truly are having a hard time with buying formula you should check with your county and see if there are additional assistance that you can receive other than wic.