Need Help Getting 17 Mos. Olds off the Bottle

I would try using a Nubby Sippy cup...

My daughter wouldnt take any other kind of Sippy Cup and I had a hard time getting her off the bottle due to that. After 12 different types of sippy cups we tried the Nubby's. She loved it...took to it in one day. I think it is because the nubby nipple is soft just like a bottle nipple. She is 19 months old and those are still the only sippy cups she will use (also she hates having the handles and the sippy cups we buy have no handles so it is just like a bottle just a different typle of nipple) small steps. She also uses the Nubby cups with the nubby soft straw for her juice.

the only thing that worked for me was the Nuby sippy cup. i believe it's probably about 8 oz. the mouth piece is made of the same material as the bottle nipples so it's a much better transition than to a hard mouth piece like regular cups. you just buy them 1 at a time and they are also the easiest to clean than others w/valves and such... let me know if you have any ?'s. good luck. if they are ok for 1 feeding w/the new one- get rid of bottles all together adn they will look forward to their new cup just like they do the bottle- i don't recommend going back and forth.

I breastfed but when the time came to wean I introduced a bottle of water(not a believer in the whole cows milk push). He could sip from it and we practiced putting the cap back on. It worked and he never looked back. When you are ready the best thing to do is get rid of the bottles that way the temptation isn't there for any of you to fall back on.

My son is 18 mos and I still give him his morning bottle...its a shake I make and put in his bottle with a nipple that I cut with scissors to make the hole bigger.
He recently just gave up his bedtime bottle. The last few nights I've offered it to him, he's turned it down. This may be because I've begun to give him heavier portions for dinner. I also watered down(and barely warmed) the milk I'd put in the night bottle and it grossed him out to the point where he no longer wants it.
I,too,have selfish reasons for not wanting to take away the morning bottle. I put him in his playroom with his bottle and one of his fav movies(Ice Age 2,Cars) and it gives me about 30-45 min to get myself up and ready.
Do you warm the milk you put in their dinner sippy cup? My son hates cold milk. Have you tried mixing in just a tad of Ovaltine? That may help too. It worked for me. :)

Hi. I'm a mother of 5 children, and here is my experience:
First off, I'm not with the people who say a baby needs to be off the bottle by 12 months. There's nothing that makes sense to back that up. Neither the bottle nor the pacifier causes any damage to the teeth. Only what you put into the bottle and putting the baby to bed with it could let sugar cause cavities. There has never been a study proving it causes crooked teeth or any of the other wives tales. (We went through this myth in anatomy class)! A lot of times the baby uses the suckling to calm themselves, and I see nothing wrong with a baby self-soothing themselves. Pacifiers are great for this, but not all babies will accept them. I think that once the infant is weaned from breastmilk and formula, and you are prepared for a few nights of he**, and you feel your child drinks fine from a cup (whether he/she desires to or not), then here is one thing you can do:
Until you are ready, only put water into your girl's bottles, that also helps! I had my youngest daughter at(22 months old), place all her bottles and nipples into a grocery bag. I told her that it was time to give them away, she was a big girl now, and I removed them from the house completely. Then, at the store I let her pick out a sippy cup. When she whined at night, I reminded her she was big now and we gave the bottles away. Of course she carried on, but after a few nights-it was done. She never asked again. I did this with each child, some earlier, some later, but just when I felt they, and I were ready. Sure, there have been some nights when I WISHED I had a bottle just to stick in her mouth so her and I could get some sleep! But, that's just part of motherhood and we get through it. They will eventually get off, they are pretty much weaned now and seems like maybe it's just their routine of morning and night bottles they are used to and that can be easily broken by letting them pick out 'cool' sippy's! My daughter loves the one's with the straw that can flip out. And, if you just completely remove them from your house whether it's by tossing them out or what have you, there's no way for you or them to just give in. Don't worry about them not getting enough nutrition if they are eating healthy meals, then they will get it from food, not drink. Good luck!

When my son turned one we took the bottle away. At first he would not drink milk out of the sippie cup, because he associated milk with a bottle. So we started with juice or water in the sippie cup, and when he got used to that, we started putting milk in it. He also liked the cup with the straw. Hang in there, it will get better. They are smart little stinkers and know just how to push our buttons!!!

About 18 months or maybe even 19 months, I completely stopped using the bottle. I had even felt the pressure to do it before then. But, when I did finally do it, it felt natural and was not too much of a struggle with my daughter. I know you have to eventually do away with the bottle, but I really think you have to watch the signs that your children are giving you. They are all different so a an age is not the best measure of when its time to stop the bottle usage.

I would try to first change out the morning bottle to a sippy cup. I would set my daughter up with a video so she could have time to drink her milk. At first they don't drink as much out of the cup as they would have out of the bottle, but thats natural too because they are going to start drinking a little less milk. Just keep trying. Then in a couple months, try changing out the night time bottle.

In the next several months, the twins will surprise you on how fast they change and how big they want to be. If you are having difficulty it may be that none of you are ready, but that will change very quickly. Don't despair!

Now I am having to start thinking about potty training. My daughter is not yet showing any interest although she just turned 2. I'll have to listen to my own advice! It never really changes, there are all these transitions. You have to listen to the books and the doctors, but you also have to read the signs of your children with a more natural, common sense approach.

I wonder what brand bottle you have. The Avent has a sippy cup nipple that is interchangeable with the bottle. So, you can put a sippy cup nipple on the bottle. Or you could try a nuby sippy cup. The nipple on them is soft like a nipple bottle just shaped different. I hope this helps!

Cold turkey-- it worked with my 12 month old. Stick to it and do not cave-- you may have to endure some fits, but the fits will not last forever.

Cold turkey is going to be your best bet. Just brace yourself for a day of grumpy kids! They may go on a drinking "strike" for a little while, but rest assured that they won't starve or dehydrate themselves. Get all the bottles out of the house so they don't find one. Give them their beverages at the same time you normally would, just put it in a sippy cup. When one of them throws her cup across the room, simply remark, "I guess you're not thirsty. I'll put this in the fridge until later." Then offer it to her at the next regularly scheduled snack/meal time. If she cries that she wants her cup back, don't give in. You can say, "You can have it at snack time." Then distract them with an activity. Try not to jump through hoops and spend 20 min bribing, etc. to get them to take a sip!

Stop giving it to them! My daughter quit her bottle before she turned 1 year old. She stopped feeding at night at 8 months and that's only because I am a first time mom and was ignorant that these kids just play you. She should have stopped 2 months earlier. I stopped giving her a bottle at 8 months (on the advice of a 3 time mother) and she cried for a week but eventually realized that she wasn't going to get it anymore. I was exhausted from feeding her a bottle to the point I was walking around with blood shot eyes and dizzy because I also had to work a full time job. I was wasting away with no help from anyone because my husband has to go to work at 3:30 a.m. Stop the bottle now! Kids are going to grow up regardless. The last thing you want is to have a grown child still sucking a bottle. It's embarrassing.

With both my boys the day they turned 1 i took the bottles away and gave them sippy cups, i bought the ones with the soft "nipple"at first, they have them at walmart for not even $2. But they both like the straw ones better, i never had a problem with either one, they liked them never cried for a bottle again, just the cup. my boys are not twins so im not sure how to do that, except maybe if one will want it the other will too. Hope this helps and Good Luck!!

If you put only water in their bottles and milk in their sippy cup every time, then they will figure out that the good stuff is in the sippy cup. They won't want the bottle once they figure out what is in it. If you continue to give them the bottle with milk or juice in it, they will develop tooth decay because the sugars that are in milk and juice will pool in their mouth which causes tooth decay. It also makes their teeth crooked.

Have you tried giving them milk in the cups with the rubber straws? My son went to one of these cups at 11mo. and has not had a bottle since. But he also was not dependant on a bottle which may be why it didn't bother him.

You could also try the straw cups with the soft silicone straws. My son really liked those and maybe they would like to pick one out themselves to make it more exciting to switch.

I giggle just a little every time this question comes up;)

I have two totally opposite little girls. When my six year old was ready to give up, I could not go cold turkey. It hurt my heart to see her upset. A good friend of mine said give her a choice, it worked like a charm. I put ice cold water in a bottle and warm milk in a sippy cup and gave her both. The first day she drank all the water and none of the milk, day two about half and half and day three no water, all milk. We were done no fighting.

Jump ahead to my now three year old. I was sure I had this thing figured out, cold water in one milk in the other. WRONG. She never drank the milk, only water. So, being a little more sure of myself, I went cold turkey, and so did she. Four days later she woke up in the middle of the night screaming in pain and dehydrated. I was visting my family away from home after the death of my grandmother and none of the adults realized she was taking a cup from one adult and handing it off to another adult, who would change the liquid and had it back. I sent my sister to WalMart at 4 am to get a bottle while Mother and I used a medicine dropper to give her liquids. 30 cc later, she fell back asleep. We started right back on the bottle and she stayed on it until she was almost three.

I was convinced that she was going to start kindergarten and some big kid was going to pick on her and then she would give it away. 88I talked to my dr about it and told him I would rather have a kid with bad teeth then a dead kid. He agreed, and I just let her have it.

So my lesson learned was that kids will be kids and there are some out there that are set in their ways and no amount of power over them is going to get them to eat or drink what they dont want.

Best of luck!

THROW THEM ALL AWAY !!! If there not there they cant have them and thell get over it quicker than you may think. Just give them the milk in a sippy cup they will learn real fast that thats all there is that the bottles are gone.

Cold Turkey is the way to go. They will not be happy about it. They probably won't drink anything for a da or two but they will be fine. You cannot reason with them so don't even try. Get all the bottles out of the house so you cannot give in. Feed them some, soup, watermelon, ect if you are afraid of dehydration. Then your bottle washing days will be over!

I completely understand what you are talking about. I have a 20 month old that refuses to take a sippy cup at night. He is fine with one in the morning and daycare won't let them have a bottle, so he is fine with cup at school. Unfortunately when about 8pm comes around he comes up to me crying for his bottle with milk. He won't take a sippy cup to save his life. He also still wakes up in the night for more milk. I can't get it to stop. He doesn't just cry, he screams and throws such a fit that he makes himself sick. I figured it is easier to let him have his bottle as long as he is taking a sippy cup the rest of the time.

I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 13 month old. My two year old stopped taking the bottle at 10 months. My 13 month old just stopped taking the bottle 1 month ago. I just put the bottles away. He did not like the sippy cup at first and he had a hard time adjusting to how fast the milk would come out. Now he just doesn't have any options it is drink from the sippy cup or don't drink at all. He is still learning but I think he will get the hang of it. Maybe if you put the bottles away in a place where the girls can't see them and give them sippy cups and explain to them that you don't have the bottles any more. Just a suggestion that worked for me. Good Luck.

With my son I started giving him a sippy cup with water in it at night when he was about 11 months old. The dentist told me at his one year vist that milk at night was bad for him any ways because of the sugar in the milk and how it eats their teeth. He cryed for maybe a few days because he wanted milk but the crying only last for no more then 20 mins. a night then he fell asleep. But now i am trying to stop giving him something to drink at night time because i am trying to potty train him. And i was told that if your potty trainning do not give anything to drink so they dont wet themself.

You might want to check out http://www.ehow.com/how_4250_wean-baby-bottle.html. It gives step by step instructions for taking babies off of bottles. Good luck! :-)

Don't give them their bottle in the morning instead give them some cereal or other food instead and milk in their sippy cup. You mentioned that perhaps you were being a little selfish by giving them their morning bottle, so you can get something done. You may have to wait a little while to get some of your things done, until they get use to the idea that they are no longer going to get a bottle. The same at bedtime, inform them that they can only have milk in a cup like big girls, and really brag when they respond, they will in a few days if they want their milk. But try and take only one bottle away for a week or so then start on the next one. You might want to give them a snack with their night milk or some juicein a cup to help their hunger through the night. If them won't take either and only want the bottle , let them do without a bottle for a night or two and they will be glad to drink from a cup and /or have a snack. You can't give in. You might want to show them that you are putting their bottles away and let them see you put them up, but high enough that they can't get to them, and every few days to reassure them that the bottles haven't been thrown away, let them see them. You will probably have to listen to some crying for a while, but you must decide, who is in charge of the situation, you or your children.

I agree with trying the Nuby Sippy Cup with the soft spout. I have twins girls and this was the only way I could get them to switch from the bottle. Also, I finally had to go cold turkey one day and just switch and not give a bottle at all. They finally took it no problem and we never went back. Good luck.

I see that you do have a lot of advice already. But I would like to say that being consistant is best. If you say no that you have to stick to it. Do go back on your word. I have studied child development for a long time and the most important thing throughout their life is that you be consistant.

If you take away the bottles completely, they will adjust in several days(like all the moms have said previously). Just don't give in a give a few bottles here and there.If you do you are teaching them to cry until they get what they want.

The bottles are very bad for their teeth.I am running into that problem right now with my daughter. My mother-in-law refused to not give her a bottle when I told her no.She would also give her milk to go to sleep when I insisted not to. Both of my boys fall asleep fine, and did without a bottle. But I had to go through a different situation with my daughter. She is now three and her teeth are not in that good of shape.

Hi, I've had two boys on bottles and thought it would be impossible to get them off. They both loved their bottles!! I decided to wait until right around age 2 and then replace bottle times with sippy cups and they did really well. I think you have to do what's best for you and your girls- your daughters are still young. I'm not an expert but it didn't harm my boys to let them use their bottles until two. I think it can be a comfort for them at night and in the morning- and if it gives you a little break by helping with their routine, then maybe use the bottles for another month or two and see how you feel then.

I weaned my youngest at 19 months which worked out really well. He was only taking 3 bottles at this point; In the morning when he woke up, at nap and at bedtime. I started w/one bottle at a time. 1st the morning bottle. Instead of giving him a bottle when he woke up, I would give him a nuby sippy cup w/straw warmed in his high chair and only fussed a little once and then would give him milk in the nuby at during his lunch and right before bedtime(warmed)
He only fussed a little on the 1st day then after that no problems.

Good Luck and I hope this helps.
M.

Do you *really* need to wean them? My boys liked a bottle with water at bedtime until they were 2 or older. eventually when they were in a "big boy" bed, I was able to slowly reduce their dependency and the bottles "got lost" :)

Try a sippy cup with a soft mouth piece. it seemed to help mine with the transition. in fact, my now 4 year old still prefers that kind!

I have a couple of suggestions:

Change your routine, I know it is hard but that is the best way for them. If you kind of throw off thier routine for a few days they will make a fast transition.

Make the bottles unavaliable.

Offer good foods and milk other times of the day, so that if they refuse the milk at dinner, they will have had the calories other times inthe day and won't miss them.

Ok, about changing routine. THe morning couple be milk in a sippy and when they ask for the bottles just remind them they are gone now. There will be some crying but it won't last more them a few mornings.

Making the bottles unavaliable. Pack them up, let the girls help and then you can do many things with them. If the girls know a baby they like, they can "give" them to that baby. Let them actually give them to the baby and that mommy and dispose of them how she sees fit. OR mail them to babies, if you take the girls to the post office, the post man will take the box, read your little note on the box that says please throw these away and the girls will think they helped babies of the world. Whatever you do, let the girls help and then make the bottle disappear. This will help you when they whine for them and it will help them make the transition.

Remember they are eatting solids and don't have a NEED for 2 bottles of milk a day any more. They will get their nutrition from other places and you may even find they eat more food because they aren't filling up on milk.

As far as changing this up at night, after bath time, don't go to the palce they would usually get thier bottles , instead try some different place inthe house, read a few stories, sing some nerw songs, brush teeth, have a snack on the kitchen floor on paper towels with sippy cups. Whatever you want , just do something different.

In less then one week, you will have made new habits for them and the bottles will be a distant memory. You can do this and they are ready, they are big girls now !

B.,

I understand what you mean about not wanting to give up the peace but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. Altough- I know with twins you must really need a little peace. Although they will complain at first, I think at this point you should just go cold turkey. Change your routine some so that when they would have ussually been getting the bottle you are now giving them a sippy cup and some sort of distraction. Maybe in the morning you give them the cup and then put in a kids DVD or play a silly song to dance to and maybe at night you give them a cup to drink while you read them a book before teeth brushing and bedtime. Just be firm because if you give in then they will know they can scream and get the bottle and it will take that much longer- kids are SO smart.

GOOD LUCK !

I would not worry about it. Eventually they will tire of the bottle and outgroe this - think about it... I am sure you haven't seen many 15 yr olds sipping on a baby bottle, right?

:)

I agree with the other posters. I tried many different things with my daughter and cold turkey was the only thing that worked. We took her bottle at around 12-13 months. She went on strike for a day or so, but finally gave in when she realized she wasn't getting the bottle back. She was already drinking water from a sippy cup, so I knew that wasn't the issue...she just associated the milk with the bottle like you said. I even tried several different kinds of cups and that didn't work either. So, you're gonna have to just go with it and live with the grumpiness for a day or so. Best of luck!

Looks like you already have a lot of advice...but I will throw my two cents in too! :) I have a two-year old girl...and at 18 months we went cold turkey...no bottle. She was already drinking water and juice out of a sippy cup...but not milk. We had already stopped warming the bottles around 13-14 months...but she still wanted milk from the bottle...not a sippy cup. She didn't drink milk at all for about 2 weeks...only water or juice. I was worried about it...but my pediatrician said she would be fine...and that she would drink milk again soon. And...just like the doc said...she is. You don't have to stop your morning routine of milk. My little girl still gets a sippy cup full of milk in the morning...and one at night before bed. She drinks water with meals...she doesn't want milk when she eats. So, like another poster said...get the bottles out of the house. That way the kiddos don't seem them by accident...and you aren't tempted to give in. It will all work out...you just have to have the patience to deal with a no milk strike. :)

Hi B.. What kind of sippie cups have you tried? Maybe the mouthpiece is too hard. Something we used as soon as our little girl turned one was the Nubby Sippy Cups. They have a version that has a super-soft moutpiece, almost like a bottle. After she got used to using that we switched her to Advent's sippie cups, again the ones with the soft mouthpiece... we probally could have gone straight to using those.

It took our daughter a while before she really got the hang of using a sippie cup. At first she didn't want to use it and there were alot of tears cried in the process but it wasn't long before she was using them. Try the cups I mentioned. You can find the Nubby's at Wal-Mart, HEB, and Walgreens (just a few of the places I've seen them). Advents are everywhere.

Good luck,
K.