Getting Rid of the Bottle

My answer to the Dr would be "when we are ready!" one bottle at night isn't a big deal and every Dr will tell you something different cause bottle weaning only has guidelines so it then comes down do when the Dr feels it's right. If you aren't ready to give up that last little snuggle and bonding time with your DD then don't, in 3 years you will be wishing you had that time back with your baby. How often do you hear a DR of a breastfed baby saying to give it up at 15 months? Just a thought.

I wanted add something about the teeth my 15 year old was on hers until about 4(at night) and her dentist keeps thinking she has had braces her teeth are perfectly straight, the two who were off the bottle by 2 are the ones who need braces, alot of it is genetic not how long you were on a bottle!

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Your baby is NOT going to be harmed in any way if you decide to keep giving her the bottle. Especially since she doesn't have it in bed, and she isn't carrying it around all day. My oldest had hers until she was 18 months, and my middle had his until 22 months. There is absolutely nothing wrong with waiting until YOU (not the dr) feels that it is the right time to get rid of it. I absolutely hate when doctors think that because they went to medical school they can give parents a hard time about the choices they make for their children.
I don't have any advice on how to take it away since I waited until I really felt my children were ready, and because I did wait, it wasn't a big issue for either of them.

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You're the mom, not the doctor. I agree, all doctors say something different. My dd wouldn't take milk at all and out doctor said whatever it takes, ice cream, chocolate flavoring, find ways to get her to take the milk. She also never drank from a bottle...we went straight to sippies--which people are now telling me to get her off of but I wonder why it is such a big deal if she holds on to something for a little bit longer? I find when I make it a battle for my daughter she fights more and resists more. I really think that you will know what is best for your child. Don't let a doctor pressure you, or anyone else. Listen to your gut and trust your instincts. And kids are pretty smart--they seem to find ways to grow up despite all our anxiety.

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Well L., that is a tough one never heard of a child not drinking anything out a cup by this age..My girls were done completely with the bottle at this age..Maybe if you make it fun for her like you drinking milk out of it then offering her a drink..Maybe that would help her..good luck, S...

Hi L., You have gotten some wonderful advise, so I'll make my two cents short ha ha..I'm a mother or four..our last child is now 2 1/2 and is not ready to get rid of his bottle. He only use's it at bedtime..2 ounces of water..that's it...No HARM done..teeth are perfect..pick your battles..

It never ceases to amaze me how much guff people will take off their doctors. 15 months is still a very young toddler. In another three months or so, you can start giving less and less milk in that bottle, so that it is less satisfying. Children are not going to be ruined because they have a nigh time bottle until they are 2 years old. You can try a little honey in some milk in a sippy cup during the day to entice your child to use the cup.

Is milk the issue or is the bottle the issue? Truly, humans are the only animals that continue their children on milk after weaning. If she eats well, milk is not the end-all to nutrition. As for her age.....she probably won't start school with a bottle! Consider putting only water in her bottle. She will either want the bottle or switch to the cup for her milk. The bottom line is you being in charge-and once making the decision- don't change back or your child won the challenge. She'll get over any hurt feelings....it only takes a few days. "Immediately" is a nice thought but reality is not what is said in the doctor's office but that which is endured in the home. If needed, water down the milk and make the transition slowly. Just be matter of fact and don't raise any alarm signals. Your child will follow your cues if you keep your cool.

I hate to say it, but don't listen to your doctor. Yes, you do need to start weaning her off. I had my baby off the bottle at about that age (it wasn't easy) then she broke her arm and daddy gave her back her bottle. So I had to do it again. What worked the first time was the sippie cups with the soft nipples. I got my at Wal-Mart for cheap, I think 96 cents. That helps them to convert from the bottle to the cup because she'll still have the soft nipple to chew on. The second time was actually harder than the first time. She loves the show Go Diego. So I bought her a couple of Diego cups. When I got home from the store, I told her that I had a surprise for her. I showed her the cups and MADE her give me her bottle. She's been off of it since then (this past January). This was right before her 2nd birthday.

So first try the soft nipple cups, then move onto the regular cups. You can bribe her with the regular ones if they have one that she likes (Dora the Explorer, Go Diego, Disney Princess).

GOOD LUCK!

A. T.
Mom of 2 girls, 10 1/2 years and 2 years. Work full-time.

If the bottle is not available as a choice she can't have it. She is not going to simply say one day "I think I don't want it anymore. Don't give it to me."

A good way to do it might be to count how many bottles you have. Tell her each day when she is done you are going to throw the empty one away. When they are all gone then there will be no more bottle any more. SO if there are 7 Then tell her "IN 7 days you will have no more bottles. We will line them up on the counter so you can see how many more are left! Won't it be nice to be a such a BIG girl and not use baby things!!" Each night STICK TO IT! Have HER throw it away when she is done. It will be like she is accomplishing something. ((if you have more then 7 or 8 just get rid of them before you start--that will just prolong the task too long))

She will drink milk from another cup BTW. She just is refusing to do it because 1-She knows you have the bottles and 2-She knows you will give one too her. So once she knows the bottles are gone.....it will be like magic

Try a straw cup. They have those for kids, as well, and they might be more inclined to use something like that because mom and dad drink out of straws, too (and often give sips of special drinks out of them). It worked with my son, though he was breastfed.

Good luck!
S.

If your daughter can take a sippy cup during the day she can take one at night. It may be a little rough the first few nights, but it your daughter will get used to it quickly. I did this with all three of my kids and it worked very well.

Kids are amazing...so amazing in fact that their bodies will tell them when they need "milk." My son, who is now 2, stopped taking a bottle (with formula) at about 13 months. It wasn't until a few months ago that he started taking real milk out of a sippy cup. If your little girl "needs" the milk she will drink it out of the cup.

PS- do what you think is right... you know your daughter and her behavior and how it will affect family life.

Offer milk in a cup and something to suck at bedtime, a small icicle (popsicle made of water), a binky (only if she already uses one), a tiny bit of water in the bottle. If she really wants the milk she'll take it in the cup. If at that time what she wants is something to suck, she'll be satisfied with the substitute.

Are you saying she only gets milk at nighttime? If this is true, you should offer her 2 choices: milk in one cup and whatever else it is that she drinks in another cup. Halve or more the amount of the other drink, and if she drinks it all, don't give her more unless she drinks the milk. If you want her to drink milk from a cup you should not let her have it any other way and make it her only choice sometimes. Brace yourself for some fits, but it will eventually work, especially if she gets to "choose".

Good luck!

My son wanted to nurse often at night. Our doctor suggested giving a bottle of water - if it was just that he wanted something to suck. We didn't end up doing that...but used pacifiers instead. You could also water down the milk slowly to get her used to the bottle of water. Eventually she might just give it up entirely if she doesn't prefer the water. At 15 months, kids don't need a lot of milk...hopefully she has started on solid foods and is getting dairy from a variety of sources (cheese, yogurt, milk). You could try the cups with straws instead of sippy cups. You can also get little sports bottles for kids with a one-way spout. My son actually learned how to drink out of a regular water bottle (like aquafina) when he was around 15 months. We had to help him a little, but he really thought he was big! If she's not getting milk out of a bottle, she'll eventually try it from some kind of a cup.

I think you've gotten some great advice -- my first thought was 'get a new doctor'! But seriously, my son had the exact same experience as Mary M -- he only had a bottle of milk before bedtime, until one night we put it in a Buzz Lightyear sippy cup. He balked, and we said 'oh, you don't want any milk?' He said yes, he did, and that was the last of the bottles. But we always had a tooth-brushing after the last milk, followed by storytime. If they insist on drinking milk again after stories, we'll say fine, but we go back and brush again.

Walmart carries a Gerber cup with a soft nipple....works Great!!!

Sounds exactly like us a few months ago...My doctor said no more bottles, and it's okay if he doesn't drink cow's milk. He just needs 2-3 good sources of calcium a day (yogurt, cheese, etc.) My doc gave me info on what kinds of foods have the best sources. She also said to try soy milk or rice milk, but he won't have anything to do with it. I really didn't want to give up milk, but we have adjusted. If he sees a bottle with milk in it, he still wants it, but we tell him he's a big boy now and can drink milk from a big boy cup--he chooses not to do it. So, we just get him to eat foods high in calcium and figure it's something he will grow out of eventually. We keep giving him the option of milk in a cup every once in a while, but so far no luck. Good luck with your little one!

If you brush her teeth after she drinks that pretty much alleviates the problem and starts a new great habit for both of you.

L.,

I believe that the reason both you and her love her nighttime bottle is that connection you feel. It is a calming time and relaxing connection. I encourage you to create that time without the bottle. Realize it is the love and connection that is nourishing your 15-month-old more than the bottle.

With Joy, C.
Owner and Life Coach for Loving Connections LLC.

I apologize for not responding with the advice requested.... I just wanted to suggest trusting yourself, your instincts and honor your babe's timing over the docs bullying. Babies often nurse well beyond 15 month and though I don't know what you were told is detrimental in continuing with the bottle(maybe quite valid), it's hard for me to find fault in it if it is comforting for the little one.

L.,
I really don't have any advice about weaning her, I just want to give you some moral support. My daughter got a bedtime bottle until she was 3, and her doctor had no problems with it at all. I don't know why your doc is giving you such a hard time. I think people are in too much of a hurry to make babies grow up these days!

My kids are now 19, 16 and 9. Every one of them LOVED their bottles. We ended up doing the same thing for each one. I let them continue to have a few everyday until their THIRD birthday. In celebration, they wrapped up their bottles like a gift and gave them to a family friend with a baby. It was a happy occasion, not traumatic. I suppose if the children are ready, you could do this same thing as they turn two. My kids were not ready sooner. No offense, but I could care less about the prejudice of doctors. We had regular dental care, so we knew the kids teeth were fine. Honestly, it is more of a cultural thing. You do what feels best to you as Mom.

What is your baby using during the day? She isn't just drinking one bottle of milk a day and nothing else... My sons stayed on the bottle/tippy till they were 18 months and ten they just gave it up... and went to tippy. No teeth problems and no other problems. If your baby is drinking and then done, no wandering with bottle or sleeping with bottle then she really is fine until she is ready.

If you are using a silcone nipple you may be able to switch her to a nuby silcone nippe bottle easily... my boys loved them and them because the nipple texture was similar. They had one tippy with a silcone nipple and then others with a hard tip, once they figured out the silcone nipple the hard tippy was actually an easy switch...

My doctors always asked, but never pushed... and always told me I was doing great with my kids... I don't think they were lying and I love d that they were not so hard core about milestones. Every child is different and I am not saying baby your baby in the aspect of overdueing it... but allow your baby to be a baby, they grow up fast.

Our doctor gave us fits with my first child, too, because she was not off the bottle at 15 months. At 18 months, though, she gave it up. All I did was one evening hid all the bottles when she was not looking. When it was time for bed, I put her milk in a sippy cup. She asked for a bottle. I said "We don't have anymore." She made me take her downstairs and hold her up so she could look in the cabinet where bottles were kept. When she had satisfied herself that indeed there were no more bottles, she happily took the sippy cup and went to sleep. That was the last time a bottle was ever mentioned.

I wouldn't stress out about it too much. I don't think there is any problem if your baby is off the bottle at 12, 15, 18 months or even 2 years.

M.

Try strawed cups maybe. Kids should not have anything like milk before bed even with a sippy as you need to brush their teeth before bed or it can lead to decay. If you break this bottle habit now you will be glad you did as the later it is it becomes more of a habit and harder for them to give up. Bottles like pacifiers are not good at all for developing teeth.
She is depending on that to sleep so maybe start another bedtime routine with her. It won't be easy but I just got rid of the bottle at one for both of my kids and for whatever reason that was it. I would start maybe with strawed cups during the day, they are much better for their teeth and sometime kids think they are more fun then sippys.

I would tell her the bottles went to the babies that needed it, maybe get her a special big girl stuffed animal and be done. Throw the bottles out. It sounds harsh but seriously if they are gone, then all she can do is be upset because of that for a few nights but if she cannot see them and they are out of the house then she will get the message. If you keep any around or wean her slowly she will know they are around and all she has to do is pitch a big enough of a fit. Hang in there.....it is sometimes harder on us parents then the kids! :)

First, remember that she will never go thirsty, she will drink from anything if she is thirsty enough. I am a mom of three wonderful girls. My baby is 2 and a half and we did things different with her. My first, we followed all the "rules" of weening when it came to the bottle and binkies. However, our second one we were a little more laxed, and she gave it up at about 18 months with little struggle. Now with the baby, we decided we would pick our battles (and with her, there was alot) so we let her give us cues when she was done. We would always put a cup or sippy with milk or anything else at the table at each meal, we had several at her reach throughout the day, and gradually she took to them. Bedtime was the last to go, and slowly we would put her down to read, and say "oops, I'll get a bottle in a minute" yet by the time books were read, she was already out and forgot about it. By the age of two she gave up even her night time bottles! Her dentist said her teeth are great and no damage done. Just remember, there is going to be alot of battles, pick the ones that mean the most to you.

L.,
Have you tried the sippy cups with the squishy drinking tops, almost like a nipple? My granddaughter did very well by using that sort of sippy cup first. Then she graduated to the cups with the hard drinking tops. I'll tell you how I ended up getting my youngest daughter off of her bedtime bottle. We just quit giving it to her one night. It was a difficult night for about an hour, then she gave up and went to sleep. She didn't even think about a bottle the next night. I was so amazed that that was all it took, honestly I expected to fight her for night after night. Just keep telling her what a big girl she is, she has a big girl sippy cup, no more "baba's". Make a big deal out of how awesome her new sippy cup is and that it is all hers. I agree with you that you don't want to take away her bottle though until you know that she is getting her milk elsewhere. So try getting her a squishy topped sippy cup that is super special to her, then a hard topped one. After you know that she is getting enough milk that way, then take away her bedtime bottle.

I don't think that 15 months is that old either. Your doctor should realize that all babies do things at different ages. So just relax and enjoy your daughters milestones. It's not like she is a 3year-old walking around all day long still sucking on her baba. I honestly think the main reason why doctors throw such a fit over the bottles is because of the babies teeth anyway, and a sippy cup isn't much different from bottle. Have you started brushing her teeth? Make sure you do that every day, morning and night, with the toddler tooth paste. You will get through this, just remember to relax and enjoy her at each step of her growth. I bet she is a beautiful little girl. Enjoy every minute.

I am a working mom of 5 children, ages 28 to 12, with the 12 year-old being the only child left at home. I also have 5 grandchildren. Life is good.

Hi L.,
With my youngest I nursed till he was almost 11 months and he refused a bottle the whole time. So when I quit nursing he refused a cup for less than a day. Once he took the cup there was no turning back and he loved it.
I have never done things according to the doc, I feel that I know my babies and knew what would be best for them.
If she truly gets thristy she will take the sippy cup gerber makes one with a really soft piece that worked great for us.
Mostly though trust yourself!!!
Do what you feel is best she is your child and therefore you know her the best. If you believe it is in the best interest for her to go to a cup take the battle on.
Good Luck

With my sons I first gave them a sippy w/o the valve and a small amount of liquid, I just used water. It took about 2 weeks before they finally get use to the sippy....

I heard Walmart has a sippy cup with a soft mouthpiece. As for weaning, some believe it's good to let the child choose when their done with the bottle. Once at night probably is okay. I think you're fine.

My 4.5 year old loved her bottle and had one each night for bed time when she was little also. We had bottles with inserts and one night we ran out of inserts. We just told her that the milk would not stay in the bottle anymore and if she wanted milk, she would have to use a sippy cup. She was not about to give up her milk so she used a sippy cup from then on. She still prefers milk over soda or juice. Good luck!

Do as your doctor says, get rid of that bottle! I have an 11 year old that wasn't completely weaned until she was 4 yrs old!! Her front teeth are ruined! She is definately getting braces. She really doesn't need to drink milk from anything else, just feed her good, calcium and vitamins from milk comes in other foods besides milk. Just do it! She will probably be kind of ornery at night for about 3 nights, but it's worth it! Good luck!

What I would do is the hard-core approach - just get rid of the bottle! Put them all away, and never give it again. It will be hard at first, she will miss it, but once she gets the idea that the bottle is gone, she will eventually warm up to the idea of taking her milk in a cup. In the meantime, to make sure she's getting enough calcium, prepare meals with lots of dairy in them. Give her cheese if she likes it, as well as yogurt and any other dairy foods she enjoys. Good luck!

My question is that you said she won't drink milk from a sippy cup or regular cup. So if she is off her bottle during the day, what is she drinking? What ever she is drinking, that is what you replace the night time feeding with. But she needs to be drinking something at least 4 times during the day. And I am a cow milk believer, and my kids drink cows milk until they are 3-4 than I start giving them water to drink with meals. My 4 year old, doesn't like the taste of milk and has always preferred water. So I still gave him milk, but then I put the cups at his level so he can get water from the fridge dispenser when ever he needs a drink. My 7 year old on the other hands loves milk, she would drink only milk and no food, if I don't watch her closely. So I guess my only advise is, what ever she is drinking during the day from a cup, then that is what you replace the bottle with. You can still hold her and love her. Don't take the best part of bedtime away from her, just give her something else to drink.