Switching from Formula to Milk - Amarillo,TX

I promise you if you throw the bottles away and give him no other option - he will eventually drink from the cup. My youngest son was STUBBORN to the nth degree...I had to breastfeed him for 14 months because he would NOT take a bottle from anyone! Finally, my pedi told me to not give him an option and wait it out. When left with no other option, he did decide to cooperate finally and now we are weaned and drinking from sippy cups without any problems!

I've had this same issue with my daughter. I'm interested to see what others post, but this is what we did: We just put small amounts of formula in her sippy cup at dinner time (when I know she got enough nutrition even if she didn't drink her formula) and gave it to her with her meal in her high chair. For at least 2 weeks she threw the cup down on the floor. We tossed the formula and didn't give her anything else. Then one day, she decided to drink from her cup (maybe b/c she finally got that she wasn't getting anything else?). So, if you're ok with tossing a little milk you might try it this way. Now she'll take other drinks in her cup.

i agree you need to take the bottles away cold turkey... and make him feel like a big boy for having a big boy cup

the bottle to sippy cup was not an overnight event for my DD. She fought us for about 2 weeks, but when she realized she had no other choice, the sippy cup won. It takes times but be firm about sippy cup or nothing at all. If you give in once, you get to start from the begining all over again. Cold Turkey was the term my pedi used. My SIL told me about a bottle to sippy set she bought at wal-mart made by Nuby, when we made the switch last year. It was helpful for us, you may want to look into it. The set has a cup & comes with 3 tops- one top is a nipple, 2nd is a spout & 3rd is a sport sipper straw. They are spill proof unless DD bites a hole in spout. Just rememberit takes time, give him no choice & he'll come around. YOU CAN DO THIS!! good luck & you have support

I would suggest switching drinks. Only put water in his bottle, and milk in his sippy cup. Eventually he'll get tired of water & give in. You might offer him both at the same time and that way he gets to decide. Otherwise, I'm with the other moms, if you get rid of the bottle you might have a rough day or two, but he'll have to give in.

Here's what I don't understand. What makes 1 year the "magical" number for getting babies off bottles? (same with milk...why is 12 months the magical number for being able to handle whole milk?)

I say get him used to the milk in the bottle (by Monica's awesome advice!) and then work on switching over to a cup. Both the new milk and new cups are enough to make them not want it at all!

If he's 12 months and 2 weeks when you get rid of bottles it's fine. How many 5 year olds have you seen with bottles?

Monica is right on the money. I have kids from 19yrs to 4rs and a 1 yr grandson. The bottle weaning is right up there with potty training..:)

He is asscociating the formula with the bottle, it is his "comfort zone" so to speak. Milk is a lot more bland tasting to them than formula so it is a shock to his palate.

Get him a "big boy" cup with a softish flexible sipper and dual handles (motor skills not honed enough for just one handle).

Mix milk and formula together in equal parts to begin the weaning process. Each day take the formula down a bit until eventually he will be on all milk. The mixing process gets his taste buds gradually used to the milk.

It is not overnight as someone stated, but it does happen.

As a side note, he shouldn't be on gatorade, too much sodium for his little body. Try diluted 100% juice instead.

Be patient and when you least expect it, he'll be off the bottle. Promise :)

I agree with taking the bottle away. We are coming up on my son's one year birthday and I know it's going to be really tough at first. However, I also received this advice when trying to get my daughter to drink her milk. Buy some sugar-free Ovultine or Sugar Free Hershey's Syrup and add that to the milk in the sippy cup. Then when he is drinking that cause it tastes so yummy, slowly decrease the amount you are putting in the milk until there isn't any in there at all.

Good luck!

Great time to bottle break if you ask me. Just keep serving the milk in the cups and do away with the bottles. If he doesn't drink the milk, don't worry as long as he is eating cheese, yogurt and other dairy products. He'll come around.

yes taking the bottle away is the only thing that can help. he will not be happy at first but he will start to drink from it when he has to.....
when you are transitioning him from formula to milk always do it gradually....
start off with adding about 2 oz of milk in the bottle with the rest formula..
after a few days add another oz. or so...
this will take about a week or two... barring any complications...
if he starts to spit up from you doing it... go down on the amount of milk you put in and then gradually add it by about a half oz.
(both kids were lacto-free formula fed babies so it was a lil harder to get them to transition...had to go by way of half oz every other day and it worked- just took longer.)