When to wean my 13 mo from her 3 a day bottle habit?

Nicole - posted on 04/28/2010

ok my daughter is 14 months and only uses a bottle at her naptime and bedtime. But here is the kicker...she has been on a sippy cup since 9 months. But I can't get her to go to bed without the bottle. She just wants to hold the darn thing like a teddy bear. Im 7 months prego and her daddy is stationed in another state, so naptime and bedtime are my only time to rest....so Ive been pretty lax about the bottle. How do I take it away?

Kelley - posted on 04/28/2010

It is not cruel to skip weening. You are only prolonging the heartbreak. COld Turkey. She is still young and she is not old enough to realize much has happened. At bedtime, try a new routine. Brush those precious baby teeth and maybe give her a little water in a sippy cup. Bedtime bottles cause tooth rot, because most parent dont brush after the bottle because baby is sleepy. Thats how many teeth rotting problems start. Rock her, sing or read to her. She will settle down on her own.

Megan - posted on 04/27/2010

I took my daughter off the bottle at 9 months, I just took all the bottles and threw them away and bought the sippy cups that have the nipple like tip, she took it no problem. All babies are different and I think it is up to how willing you are to listen to the crying for the bottle. If you really want it done you will suceed. It is up to you after all.

Krystal - posted on 04/26/2010

My child had let go of the bottle at 22 months. He takes on to just about anything new. I started giving him fewer and fewer bottles everyday, and finally just stopped. He hasn't used a bottle since.

Nicole - posted on 04/21/2010

I started giving my son water in his bottle and he only got milk in his cup, I slowly took it away till he only got a bottle at night. I did that for a month and when he turned 1 a month later I took it away completely and he did very well. Hope this helps good luck =)

Amy - posted on 04/19/2010

Do it COLD TURKEY! Don't worry, eventually she'll figure out you aren't giving in and giving her a bottle and she'll be thirsty, so she'll get used to it. I did it with my son and he cried at first, but eventually took it. I never warmed the milk so he wouldn't get used to that, just for future reference. So if she pushes it away, let her be done and eventually she may want more.

Jessi - posted on 04/19/2010

i started weaning my daughter when she turned a year old. Something i read said to start during the day. get rid of the middle bottle first, then morning and then night bottle.

Shellie - posted on 04/19/2010

Thank You to Everyone who responded! She does drink whole milk and I have tried no reduce the warm time. I did warm her milk and put it in a cup she drank about 4 oz of the 6oz, so that's a start. She never has gone to bed with a bottle, she might have her milk around 6pm and go to bed at 8pm, she doesn't necessarily need it to go to bed, she just wants her milk. She does prefer a cup with a straw instead of a sippy cup. I guess I am just use to her taking a bottle and drinking it right down, then we get on with our day, I suppose with cups the drinking of milk can take longer and she isn't just going to down it. It's going to be a mental transition for me too. Thanks again everyone!

Amy - posted on 04/13/2010

I don't wean my kids off the bottle til they were/are 18 months. And if they needed it to be warm it was never a problem. If might hurt her tummy if it is cold and she is not use to it. I would just not warm it up as much as you did before. Like if u microwave it, take 5 seconds off a day so she can adjust.

Tera - posted on 04/13/2010

I started giving my kids juice in sippy cups around 6-8 months old, once they got used to drinking juice out of it, I started putting their milk in it too. I would give them a cup of milk before they laid down and would make them put it in the sink or fridge when they were done and then we'd put them to bed. They were completely off the bottle by the time they turned one.

Michelle - posted on 04/12/2010

My daughter will be 1 in a week and we just finished weening her off the bottle she takes a sippy cup with her to bed for naps but barely has any of the milk but still drinks a full glass at bedtimes.

Aleasha - posted on 04/12/2010

I took all my childrens' Bottles and paci's away at 11 mos and let me tell u... if they are thirsty they will drink. Keep with it, it is all about the follow thru.

Sheila - posted on 04/12/2010

You start weaning before or at 12 months.. You should never have put milk in bottle to start with.. But the best thing and what I did was just throw bottles away one night after she goes to sleep and just offer cup the next day she will drink it when she realizes shes not getting a bottle

Jacquelin - posted on 04/12/2010

I have 3 kids and with my older 2 I threw the bottles away on their first birthday. They were only drinking from their cups at that point. The first day they were upset and refused to drink from the cup but like Pediatricians say if they are thirsty they will drink it.. and about 6 hours into the day she finally drank from her cup. All kids are different. If she knows how to drink from a cup I would just start getting re off of it now.. if she wants a drink she will drink from the cup.

Chatty - posted on 04/11/2010

I already posted above but I just wanted to add......I agree with Kimberly! My daughter, Roxanne is 19 months today and a couple months ago she just decided she didn't want bottles anymore......I tried to give her a bottle an hour before bed just as usual and she refused it so that was the end of bottles for us at 17 1/2 months! Good luck!

Kimberly - posted on 04/11/2010

I'm not finding any reason to take bottles away from my 15 mo. old! She probably gets out 3 per day. And drinks juice and water out of sippie cups. I'm thinking (hoping) she'll decide on her own that she doesn't want her bottles anymore. So I say-Don't Panic!! Let her have them for a bit yet...you don't see many adults walking around drinking out of baby bottles... :)

Chatty - posted on 04/11/2010

DO WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU!

Lacee - posted on 04/11/2010

I'm having the same issue. My son is 14 months and stuburn! I do have him down to 3 milk bottles a day, but sometimes he throws a fit with his juice in a cup. I give in....yes I hate to say it I give in and just put it in the bottle for him.
Very frustrating, plus he is stuck on his pacifier.

Beverly - posted on 04/11/2010

I know it is hard but as soon as my son turned 1 year i started mixing the formula and milk so he could get used to the cow's milk. As I was switching from bottles to sippies, I found one sippy that look and sucked as if a bottle would. After bottles were no longer in the picture then I introduced the bigger kid sippies. U could just try to wean her by giving her only two bottles a day for a week, than 1 for a week and tell her that this i what is going on and this is what to expect. Everyone even my dad thought I was crazy for taking to my son and explaining things to him saying he did not understand he is too young but u would be surprised. He acts alot better when i tell him what is about to happen. Good luck, dont ever quit trying.

Danielle - posted on 04/11/2010

Both my children went off milk gradually by 1 year old only drank whole cows milk at bedtime in a cup. Have u tried reducing the amount in the day bottles and if she is hungry upping her food intake? By the sound of it if she can drink from a cup and wont drink the milk from it, she is using the bottle as a comfort and is attached to that rather than the milk. You could try only giving her the milk in the sippy cup, it will be tough for a few days but it might work. Hope this helps x

Dorothy - posted on 04/11/2010

from my son was born i let him decide when & how much bottle he wanted, he is now 18 months & has weaned himself down 2 having a bedtime bottle just. i think if they havent decided themselves by the age of 2 that they no longer want the bottle then you should maybe try to wean them

Tasha - posted on 04/11/2010

I weaned my son before he was one so that when he turned one the bottles were in the trash. If you are giving actual milk and not formula one thing I have learned is that if they are thirsty enough they WILL drink it. I used this method to get my son to drink water. I dont give him more than one cup of juice and then a cup of milk in the morning and at night. So only put them in sippee cups. With my son I first used the soft spout sippees to make the transition easier from bottle to sippee but I also never put anything but formula in my sons bottles. 3 cups of milk a day isnt bad but just put them in a sippee and she will drink it. Just be consistent and dont give in. You will be surprised how easy it is. If you REALLY want her off the bottle throw them away so you cant give in and youc an show her there are not bottles just big girl cups....

Cheslyn - posted on 04/10/2010

i took my daughters bottle away when she was 11 1/2 months old. she already had 8 teeth and i was worried that her teeth would start decaying or getting mis alligned. i do believe that it is best to do it early on before your todler can fight you too much on it. it may be rough for a couple of days but she will forget!!

Sasha - posted on 04/09/2010

I weened my first daughter off bottles at age 1. I did it week by week. First I got rid of the lunch bottle (waited about 5 days), then took away the morning bottle (again waited about 5 days) and then took away the night bottle. I think the night bottle was the most difficult as it was a part of her bedtime routine. I plan on doing the same with my 8 month old daughter when she turns 1.

Nikki - posted on 04/09/2010

When my son turned a year old I took the bottle away except for bedtime. A month or so after that I took the bottle away and put it in a sippy cup. It took a few times but he eventually got use to it. My best friends grandma also swears by this myth: taking the bottle away on a full moon, hiding them and don't mention the "B" word again. :) I don't know the truth behind it but she did it with 3 or her grandchildren. Also maybe taking her to the store and letting her pick out her own sippy cup. Hope it helps :)

Chatty - posted on 04/09/2010

The only bottle my daughter had past a year was her bedtime bottle.......at 18 months SHE just decided one night she didn't want her bottle anymore so we've been done now for a couple months!



If you're worried about the calcium, proteins, nutrients etc that ur child gets from milk I can offer you some suggestions on ways you can supplement her diet WITHOUT her having to drink milk.......just know that she should be getting between 500-800 ml. of calcium per day until she's five and then it increases! Cheese and yogurt are 2 of the most common sources of calcium other than milk but green vegetables such as broccoli or spinach, beans, peas, oranges........my point is if she's not wanting to drink the milk and you want to eliminate the number of bottles she has there are other ways! That being said, do what works best for you and ur daughter......IMO as long as ur not giving her a bottle in bed and ur practicing proper oral care then there's no reason why she still can't have a bottle!



If you're looking for a way to try and eliminate the bedtime bottle eventually?...I found that giving my daughter her bedtime bottle WELL BEFORE bedtime helped! She didn't rely on the bottle for comfort and I think because it wasn't part of her bedtime routine she gave it up on fairly easy and on her own when she was ready at 18 months! I never let her drink her bottle to sleep.....I would always wake her up and brush her teeth first! LOL!



Anyhow, if you have any questions which you may because I'm rambling away please feel free to ask so I can clarify or elaborate on anything!??!



Cheerio!