Weaning from the Bottle

You can try putting water in the bottle. First off, it won't effect his teeth. Secondly once he starts to realize he isn't getting milk in it, he may start to not even want it. I would maybe start with a mid-day bottle first, then work towards the evening one. Good luck.

Just do the same things that you are doing, but just replace whole milk in a sippy cup. I would also agree that one year is a good time to cut it off.

I nursed my son, but worked full time, so my husband obviously gave him a bottle. This was the nap-time routine. When he started to get teeth (9mos), I got a little freaky about bottle rot. The pediatrician gave me a great alternative, and also helped get him off the bottle all together without ruining bedtime. We put water in his bottle. We are big water drinkers anyways, so it wasn't hard to switch from bedtime milk to water. That was the only bottle he got. Everything else was at the table in a sippy. He was about 13 mos. when I was finally able to put all the bottles up. After getting him used to not getting milk at bedtime, it was super easy to switch to a sippy. In fact he's four now, and still has a sippy on the headboard. This was so much easier than just not giving him anything.

Have you got him on sippy cups for water at other times of day? I found that the transition to sippies was fairly smooth. I would switch him to formula or whole milk in a sippy cup. Pediatricians have no problems with using sippy cups until they're at least 2, sometimes 3 years. And then when I put my kids in bed (after milk/formula or not)they always get a different sippy of tap water to keep with them in bed. You'd be surprised how thirsty they get in the night.

Like someone else said, don't do it bc others say you should or have to or that their kid stopped taking a bottle at such & such an age and so should yours. I see no difference in giving your child a sippy filled with milk or a bottle filled with milk, especially at bedtime. The best way to do it is gradully lowe the amount in the bottle. He doesn't "need" the milk so much as he needs the routine. Why ruin a god bedtime routine. When you are ready, start decreasing the amount by an ounce or so. Soon he will be down to just an ounce or so. At that point, you can introduce the "drink of water" before bed. Good luck.

Don't let others make you feel pressured to do it when it doesn't feel quite right; every kid and parent is different. Sounds like you've already weaned to 1 bottle a day, so you're very close! Our DD was down to 1 bottle from 12 - 17 months or so. Our pediatrician said 18 months was the cut off. Around then, she got the stomach flu, so we gave her no milk for a few weeks, just juice or soy milk in sippy cups. We just never went back to the bottle and it was such a non-issue! (Looking back, I think we waited so long because WE weren't ready... this is likely our only chance to experience life with an infant) Now I'm worried about taking away her paci... there is always the next milestone to worry about. GOOD LUCK!

I would try giving your son a sippy now whenever you can. I think it is ok to keep the bedtime bottle for a while and then switch to a sippy. I found a sippy my daughter liked a lot and we read books and snuggled with that sippy just like we did with the bottle and she was just fine.

My daughter turned 15 months on Friday so we said goodbye to the bottle this weekend. She was down to one (sometimes 2) bottles a day and it was actually pretty easy. She protested for a few minutes but when she realized the sippy cup was her only option she drank from the sippy cup and was content afterward. She just had to learn that the bottle was not an option. I would say go for it if you are ready, but if not wait a little while. Many kids get the bottle after they are a year old. We went with 15 months because I had heard that is the easiest time to do it.

Good Luck,
D.

I'm sure you will have a meltdown but that is what teaches kids to learn change is good. This will also help him to adapt to life in the long run. Try to make him feel safe and secure when you take his best buddy.

I did it cold turkey and it worked just fine.

My daughter was 1 on 9/9 and she had her last bottle on 10/31.

She uses the Nuby cup and it has worked out great!

She would not use a sippy cup when she still had a bottle, I had been offering it to her since she was 5 months old. I have one of every one on the market.

When it tried the cold turkey approach it worked!

I also never called the bottle a bottle I have always said milk so now I ask if she wants milk and she does not associate it with a bottle.

Try it, it may surprise you and work.

Good luck!

With my two kids, the day after their first birthday I just got rid of them. That way I wouldn't be tempted if they threw a fit about not having a bottle. You have to stay strong and not give in to them, because the next time, they'll be thinking "oh, if I just cry and cry, then mommy will give in to me". All I did was offer them a sippy cup every time they wanted a bottle. Sure, they got a little frustrated, but if they're thirsty, they'll drink out of anything. Just hold him the same the first night and keep offering a sippy cup to him. You can still rock him and hold him as if he were drinking from a bottle, without it actually being a bottle. You'll be surprised, as long as you don't give in to him, the second day will be great, and by the third day he won't even act like he misses the bottle.

If he is upset, maybe he's not ready yet. That is a big pleasure for them!! I gave my daughter a bottle at night until she was 16 months, she is not mal-adjusted or damaged in any way. I wouldn't push it. When it is time, you'll know. I weaned to a sippy cup, like some of the other moms talked about.

There is no steadfast rule when they should give up the bottle. My second son weened himself off of it at 13 months.

You can probably go cold turkey IF you use the right sippy cup. Really, its possible, and easy most of the time. Again, its all about the cup.

Nuk brand. Its got a soft spout (much softer than the leading brands, who tout flexibility but I cant agree. Hard as a rock compared to the Nuk one. Problem is, its HARD to find!! Target, Walmart, BabiesRus, none carry it. I went online (drugstore.com stocks it) after seeing my nephew's cup. They had him off of bottles, cold turkey, at 9mos old. He never cared because this cup is so nice on their mouths.

And the best part is that the cup is NOT made in China, but rather Germany. So you know that there's no lead. Its a little pricey due to that, as the workers are actually being paid livable wages, but I was glad to support non-China products. The cups last a LONG time, they are made well, not cheaply.

We get by with only 3 cups because they clean like a dream.

I swear, if you use this cup I bet he'll convert relatively easily.

Well...I have had 3 children. One weaned at 10 mos, 24 mos, and 13 mos. I don't personally believe in early weaning. If the time is right, and the child is ready, then wean with love. It should be a growing opportunity, something to have fond memories of...not a disaster. If it is going negatively, than the child is NOT ready. And who is the most important person here? the doctor with their personal biases, society with their judgements, or the sweet baby you have lovingly nursed for 11 months. It is so easy for others, including biased doctors who do not know everything about your child, to place laws about what we should do upon our babies lives. Mother knows best, though, instinctually. My doctor at child life Center in Merrillville was extremely nuturing and accepting of my decision to wean my daughter when she was ready- and to go till 24 months, even. I lucked out. But, even if they hadn't...I had a good support system. i suggest reading the wonderful book by the LeLeche League- "Womanly Art of Breastfeeding." It is a must-have for nursing mothers everywhere! Good luck, and i hope you find your way! If you wean...wean with love! Try not to get frustrated and remember it is harder on them if it is earlier than they are ready for, so pass the lovin their way! I used a "nursie-cup," a very small special cup I would use at some feedings, with breastmilk, and then milk or juice later to substitute some feedings. That way she would become accustomed to feeding different and special- she could ask for it, and it soothed the weaning process. It made the eventual weaning something that she would do as she grew up, so she could feel good about it, and not feel something special was yanked away. The process took a while, and she was better for it. Cold turkey weaning is psychologically damaging to young ones, as they get more than food from nursing...this is their special bonding time with mom, whom they recieve much of their support and love from. This slow weaning takes time, and prepares them for the world of toddlerhood.
Good luck!
BTW~ My in-laws were ready for me to wean by 3 months! I just didn't listen to them, I listened to my baby!

If your son needs to have a "full tummy" feeling in order to fall asleep, gradually reduce the amount of milk in his bottle. This will help him to adjust to the change. Using water instead of milk helps a child to loose interest and is better for his health.

Hi B.. My son just turned one year old this week. He has been using an assortment of sip cups for juice and water with meals, but Playtex Nursers for formula/milk. I tried a few different sip cups for milk and the one that he took to for milk was the Nuby cup. It has a spout this is made of silicone and it is similar to the bottle but it makes them work a little more like a sip cup! Hope this helps! L.

we took away the bottle from our son shortly after his first b-day. I was NERVOUS....but it was much easier than I had thought. We started by replacing his afternoon or mid-morning bottles with a sippy cup with milk, gave it a couple of days and then replaced another bottle with a cup. After a week or so we were bottle free! At first we used the Nuby cups with the soft tops....and they make a sports bottle sippy cup that resembles a bottle. It made the transition a bit easier. Good luck and don't get too stressed....