how do I ween my one year old of his bottle?

Clare - posted on 03/29/2009

It's hard both my son and daughter were the same they would drink milk from cups during the day but when it came to bed time they would not settle without there bottle. It's not so much the actual milk they want it's the comfort of the teat.

It a battle of wills you just have to refuse to give in and continue to offer the milk in the sippy cup at bedtime. There will be alot of tears and tanturms but in the end they will give in.

Brandy - posted on 03/29/2009

My son got to the point where he would drink from a sippy cup during the day and a bottle at bedtime. I talked to the pediatrician and he suggested something and told me after about a week he will be using the sippy cup at bedtime too. It worked!

Give your son a choice. At bedtime give him a bottle, but fill it with something he doesn't like, for my son it was water. At the same time, give him a sippy cup with his favorite drink, for my son it was milk. Let him decide. Does he want the bottle bad enough that he will choose to drink the water or will he choose the sippy with his favorite drink? On the first three nights my son would take a few sips from his bottle, then toss it out of the crib and drink from his sippy the rest of the night. By the fourth and fifth night, he didn't even touch the bottle. He automatically tossed it out of the crib. By the sixth night I didn't even give him a bottle, just the sippy and he has been bottle free since.

Brandy - posted on 03/29/2009

My son got to the point where he would drink from a sippy cup during the day and a bottle at bedtime. I talked to the pediatrician and he suggested something and told me after about a week he will be using the sippy cup at bedtime too. It worked!

Give your son a choice. At bedtime give him a bottle, but fill it with something he doesn't like, for my son it was water. At the same time, give him a sippy cup with his favorite drink, for my son it was milk. Let him decide. Does he want the bottle bad enough that he will choose to drink the water or will he choose the sippy with his favorite drink? On the first three nights my son would take a few sips from his bottle, then toss it out of the crib and drink from his sippy the rest of the night. By the fourth and fifth night, he didn't even touch the bottle. He automatically tossed it out of the crib. By the sixth night I didn't even give him a bottle, just the sippy and he has been bottle free since.

Brandy - posted on 03/29/2009

My son got to the point where he would drink from a sippy cup during the day and a bottle at bedtime. I talked to the pediatrician and he suggested something and told me after about a week he will be using the sippy cup at bedtime too. It worked!

Give your son a choice. At bedtime give him a bottle, but fill it with something he doesn't like, for my son it was water. At the same time, give him a sippy cup with his favorite drink, for my son it was milk. Let him decide. Does he want the bottle bad enough that he will choose to drink the water or will he choose the sippy with his favorite drink? On the first three nights my son would take a few sips from his bottle, then toss it out of the crib and drink from his sippy the rest of the night. By the fourth and fifth night, he didn't even touch the bottle. He automatically tossed it out of the crib. By the sixth night I didn't even give him a bottle, just the sippy and he has been bottle free since.

Michelle - posted on 03/29/2009

My little girl and i gave her bottle to baby calves. She loved it! She is three now and has only asked for the bottle twice. I remind her we gave it to the cows and she is happy with that lol!

Michelle - posted on 03/28/2009

well, just keep doing what you are doing, then if he still don't take the sippy cup all the time, then you have to completely take away the bottle, then he will learn that if he don't drink from the cup instead of the bottle he will go hungry. it sounds cruel i know but that's what i had to do with my baby girl. now, she's 19 months old and happy.

Patti - posted on 03/28/2009

Hi Kareana, I agree with Tinah. Your baby is only one year old. Having a bottle is no big deal, except to your baby. It's comforting and if you do it right it's bonding time. I have 3 sons and all had bottles until they were 2 yrs old. I found that because the bottle was given by daddy on the couch(this was daddy time) and my children were never anywhere but on the couch with daddy(and sometimes me) with their bottle, when it came time for them not to have a bottle, I was just able to not make a bottle anymore and my children just forgot about it. I did not make a big deal with them about it. It just wasn't there anymore. I have never had a child ask for their bottle after it was gone.



But I suggest letting your baby have his bottle and don't let anyone make you feel bad because THEIR child is weened. You can have a special secret knowing that you are not taking anything away from your baby when there is no need for it. Babies and Bottles(or nursing) just go together.



Sorry it's so long winded. But no matter what I say or anyone else says take the time to think about why you are doing this and does it need to be done and then when you are sure of what you need to do then do it. Good Luck

Tinah - posted on 03/28/2009

Babies NEED to suck. They are biologically programmed to do so.  The baby's brain has a very involved response to sucking that involves hormone regulation. What are you hoping to accomplish by taking away his bottle? I doubt he is going to be curled up inj your lap having a bottle when he goes off to college.

Do not compare your children to each other. That is a dangerous trap to fall into. You would not appreicate it of someone said to you that you were an inferior woman because you only had two kids instead of the three she had by your age would you?

Allison - posted on 03/28/2009

This may sound mean, but my mom cut the nipple off my bottle and told me it was broken and she couldn't fix it. i was 2 though so i iguess i just forgot about it after a while.

Penelope - posted on 03/28/2009

Hi Kareana,

My son is 3 and still has his 2 bottles of milk a day, in the morning & evening. With my daughter I had weaned her around 18months and unfortunately did not drink enough milk through a cup. I had listened to my maternal nurse at the time being my first... Second time around I have learnt! He has plenty of time to stop the bottle before he starts school I think.

Hope this helps.

Penelope

Penelope - posted on 03/28/2009

Hi Kareana,

My son is 3 and still has his 2 bottles of milk a day, in the morning & evening. With my daughter I had weaned her around 18months and unfortunately did not drink enough milk through a cup. I had listened to my maternal nurse at the time being my first... Second time around I have learnt! He has plenty of time to stop the bottle before he starts school I think.

Hope this helps.

Penelope

Geraldine - posted on 03/28/2009

instead of giving a bottle with milk give her water instead then just give a sippy cup when she wants a drink instead of a bottle .but put milk in the cup instead of water .give the bottle every now and then .slowly replace it with the cup.

Katie - posted on 03/28/2009

i wouldnt worry bout weening him off his bottle just yet. the best way to start when he is ready it by cutting out his breakfast bottle. my son is almost 2 and he still has a bottle for his midday nap and for bed at night time.

Kym - posted on 03/28/2009

My ped suggested we try a straw to break my son of his. It seemed to work, but instead I found a "special sippy" for night time, to replace the bottle and straw. Nothing was really special about it, besides the fact he only got it at night :)