What to Do? - Ashland, OH

Stop offering it to her. If she refuses it, that's okay, because she WILL eat when she's hungry. If you keep giving in to her, you're teaching her that she can get what she wants. YOU are the parent, don't let what she does or doesn't want to do get in the way of that. When I decided it was time to get rid of the bottle at 12 months, I just never offered my kids one again. If they refused the sippy, I'd put it back in the fridge. When they wanted something to drink again, I'd offer the sippy. If they refused it, I put it back in the fridge....Eventually, they drank from the sippy.....

I also agree with the other posts. Simply offer the sippy cup, when she is thristy she'll take it. Instinctively they will very quickly understand that this is my only option. You are the parent and even at this young age your child can and WILL manipulate a situation to get what she wants. I have helped raise over 45 daycare children in my home over the past 15 years and I've experienced children as young as 8 months try to "work" me. We are dealing with mini-Einstein's and we always must remember that and proceed with that mentality. I always have to be "on top of my game". I always joke with my daycare families that if I'm not these children would duct tape me to the rocking chair and take over. lol...lol. Truly, just be persistant, it's not going to be easy when you child is sobbing uncontrolably for her bottle, but, she will understand and quite quickly. She's also at the age that you can explain to her what will be happening: You are a big girl now and you can drink from a big girl cup. Make it a positive. You may think she won't understand, but, she will ! Good Luck and keep us posted as to your daughter's progress.
A.

I agree with the other post.. Same with my daughter and weening. I would mix 1/4 milk to 3/4 formula one week, then 1/2 & 1/2 the next.. the next week would be 3/4 milk to 1/4 formula and obviously the next week we were in the clear.. but when it was time to break the bottle.. I took them all out of the cupboard I bought those nuby cups and thats what i offered.. if she didnt want it I put it on the table and said okay it's right here.. and she'd come and get it when she was thirsty.. same with breaking the nuby.. (she got into a habit with milk just in the nuby and juice only in other cups..) I finally just gave here a regular sippy with milk or juice and if she refuse.. well it'll be right here when you want it.. You are the parent and maybe b/c it's ur baby or maybe ur last one you want to cherish the baby moments but she'll be okay and drink when she's thristy.. stick to ur guns!! No one said it was easy but it'll be easier in the long run. Good luck!

Simply don't buy it anymore. When she is hungry or thirsty enough she will eat and drink what is offered.

Ask any peditrician and they will agree that kids drink and eat when they are hungry/thirsty.

Have you considered pediasure? I don't know if it would help your situation. My daughter is almost 2 and is not a good eater so she drinks pediasure to supplement what she doesn't get by food. You could also try boost or kindercal. I know boost is cheaper and my pediatrician said any of the 3 would work. My daughter didn't like the boost by itself so my friend who is a pediatric diatician recommended mixing milk with the boost for better taste and my daughter did better with that. Ask your pediatrician if this is an option for you. Good Luck!!! It is frustrating to have a child that is not a good eater!!!!
This may be off the wall, but have you tried giving her water? That's how I weened my daughter from nursing through the night. I had dad go in and give her water in a sippy cup. We told her it was water from a cup or nothing. She was upset at first, but did fine after a few nights. Have dad help if he can.

Is she on table food? I have a 14 mo son and he has been on table food for awhile now he still wakes in the night BUT he HATES to sleep just like his sis. I have been letting him cry it out to let him self soothe himself back it is so hard but I need sleep to as well. I would make sure she gets her belly full before bed and when she wakes DO NOT GO IN THERE other than if you want to see if she is ok and walk back out. She will get the idea she can not do it. Quentin my son had it down pat till he got CROUP SO now I do go in to get him to be ok with his cough and OH it is BAD. Poor thing I have had to take him outside wrapped up in blanket to breathe in air and he feels better you can tell. Good luck YES give her a sippy NOT bottle she should have been in sippy a long time ago. Quentin was doing sippy at 9 mo and drinking from a straw PLUS just from a cup itself. Good Luck

I didn't give my baby bottles, but I had a similar experience with nursing. If I wanted any rest, I had to sleep with her right next to me and nurse her back to sleep when she woke up. Some babies have what is called by Dr. William Sears a "high need" kind of temperament. I recommend reading his books: Attachment Parenting, The Baby Book, and Nighttime Parenting are a few. You might try putting your baby's crib right next to yours with the rail down to make a "side car" or just bring her in your bed when she wakes up the 1st time. If you give her a pacifier right away, before she has a chance to wake up all the way, you may be able to get her back asleep more quickly. Try swiching her to a sippy cup of water during the day and a bottle of formula only at night. Also try giving her real solid foods throughout the day, rather than baby food. So mashed sweet potatoes, squash, bananas, etc... made from the real food, not out of a jar. It tastes so much better!! I read that you may have to try a new food 10 times before the baby will eat it. Just keep trying. She really needs to be eating solid food, and this should help her sleep better at night. Good luck!

I think you have two issues. Not sleeping through the night and not eating solid food. I wonder if you can divide them up and deal with them one at a time? It might be less traumatic for both of you. We let my daughter cry it out at night when she was nursing but not really hungry. I could tell because she wouldn't really eat much, she just wanted comfort. After three days she started sleeping through the night. If your daughter is not really eating a lot at night maybe you could try that one first, or maybe if she is eating a lot at night, you could stop giving her so many bottles during the day she'd eat solid food and not need bottles during the night. If it were me, I'd call her pediatrian and get his/her advice too.

I think talk to your pediatrician about what to do. He or she will probably recommend taking away the bottle and switching to cow's milk and food cold turkey. It will probably be unpleasant for a while, but I she's not going to starve herself. She'll eventually eat and drink what she's given and at more regular intervals. Your pediatrician can recommend how much food and milk to offer her and when to offer it. As far as not sleeping through the night -- you will probably have to let her cry it out (which is also unpleasant). At this age, she’s perfectly capable, so you’re not expecting her to do anything that’s way beyond her maturity level.

I would try the powdered milk, save one of the cans of formula (empty) and fill it up with the powdered milk. Than mix it up like you would the formula and ask her if she would like to try her formula in her cereal. Than tell her that she's a big girl now and see if she'll start drinking from a cup (even if its a sippy cup)and be stern about this. If none of this works, than talk to your pediatrician or a psychiatrist, Not that its unusual. Also, her not sleeping through the night is due to her not eating solids, this can be because she is starving herself. She needs the nutrients from solids, because now...the formula isn't giving her all of what she needs. Its not healthy. I would definately talk to a professional, because she can become malnutrient and end up in the hospital with tubes all through her, and that I can tell you is not comfortable at all, especially having a tube stuck in your throat and into your stomach, to provide you your nutrients. It took me to go back to work for my 2yr. old to start pottying in her toilet also to quit nursing. Makes me kind of sad that it had to be that way, but at the same time, its for the better. Good Luck!

I'm sorry, everyone I know breastfeeds so cost isn't an issue. Maybe you can just go cold-turkey with him and teach him that formula is just in a sippy cup at meal times? Every time he wakes up, you go in and cuddle him or pat his back, whatever you have to do to get his to go to sleep. Lots of kids don't sleep through the night at a year. But it's not out of nutrition that he's wanting a bottle of formula, he doesn't need it. He's just so used to having it, he can't get back to sleep on his own without it. Don't make him cry it out, but try to extend the time by waiting 4 hours in between bottles for a new nights and then 5 hours. Within a couple weeks, you should be getting him through extended periods without the bottle.
Good Luck:)

You should talk to your pediatrician, that's what they're for! Pediatricians have seen everything, and would probably have the best advice concerning her nutrition, etc.

My daughter was addicted to the bottle at that age. She would take it from a glass just fine in the day, but at night she had to have a bottle. Since she was overweight, I only put water in it at night. She would soak her diaper and the bed once or twice a night. I consulted her doctor when she was 15 mos old. He said to take the bottle away cold turkey. Put her in bed, go into a room where I couldn't hear her cry, or leave the house for awhile. I closed myself in the bathroom and kept running the bathwater so I couldn't hear her. She cried for 2 hours the first night, 1 hour the second night, 30 min the 3rd night and then she did not cry for it anymore. Life was much easier after that.

I don't agree with going cold turkey or just not letting her have it anymore. That's bull. If your child is not eating, still waking at night, then I would mention it to your pediatrician. There may be a reason for this, a medical condition, ect. Good luck and if you feel something is not right about your child..keep pushing until you find out what it is.