Weaning Bottle

I wouldn't at this age. Just watch how much he's getting. I believe 2 bottles is plenty at this age, if I remember correctly. You can stop the formula though and just wean to milk. But, don't worry about the bottle issue. In fact, changing both at the same time may just be too much for him.

If he will take the whole milk in the bottle, then there is no reason to buy the formula anymore. The milk isn't the issue, it's the cup. My daughter was like this....would drink water from a sippy, but not milk. It took awhile and we tried a few different kinds of cups, but she eventually started drinking it. Try giving him a different kind of sippy for milk than you do for water/juice and see if he can make that association. He just associates milk with the bottle and it will take a little while to break that habit. I would only offer the bottle at night for right now and give him the sippy during the day. If he is eating solids and eats cheese and yogurt, I wouldn't worry too much about the amount of milk. He'll get it eventually. Good luck!

It's all about the need to suck, which cups don't provide, but there are some Nuby containers out there that still let kids suck a bit to get the liquid - don't worry he will transition in no time- just don't be on his case and don't give in - he will get thirsty enough to drink from something other than a bottle!

Hi T.

My 20 month old will not take any other milk except soy formula. I was mixing it with soy milk and he took it, but when I tried 100% soy milk he refused it. Maybe you can try soy milk. Also I noticed a change in bowel habits with mine when he drank the 100% soy milk, His system may not be ready yet. I decided to wait a few months longer and use the soy for older children 9-24 months. Clearly since they have this formula it's not uncommon for kids to go a little longer. He also prefers to drink it from the bottle. I have 4 older children and they all drank the soy formula until 2. Two of them breastfed until 18 months and then drank the soy from a bottle until 2. Your baby will be fine, just "lose" the bottle when you are ready. As long as he can already drink from the sippy cup you will be fine. It took only a few days for mine to transition.

I do not believe there is any problems with weaning him off the bottles and sticking with some solids and the whole milk at his age. I have gone through the same thing with all of my children. One of mine was on Soy formula as well, and then he never had any bad reactions to regular milk when he turned around 1 year old. I spoke with my doctor about it and he said it would be fine to start him on regular milk. I also changed over to a sippy cup with the regular milk in hopes that it would make things less difficult later, and I think it worked like a charm. My son still loves milk and asks for it frequently in place of a soda or koolaide. So it definitely worked out for me. Good luck. Hope it works for you as well.

D.

I would say step 1 is to wean from formula to milk. Start with a 75/25 ratio of formula to milk and have him drink that from the bottle. Slowly decrease the amount of formula and increase the milk until he is drinking just milk from the bottle.

Step 2 is to wean from the bottle. The no-hassle way to do this is to give him 2 options at every meal. A sippy with straight milk and a bottle with diluted milk. I would say to start with a 50/50 mix milk/water in the bottle and then every day add a bit more water. He will quickly realize that the bottle isn't so great and the sippy cup has the good stuff. By not forcing the issue, and allowing him to switch to the sippy on his own, it should be pretty seamless and easy.

Have you tried to half formula and half milk in his sippy cup. And then slowly start doing less and less formula. That is the way the doc told me to start the transition. And remember the formula is a good source of vitimins and calories and it is ok to keep them on it until they are 18 months.

Hello,

I also think you should stop buying formula, unless your son has an issue with whole milk which apparently he doesn't have.

As far as the baby bottle is concerned, I don't understand why you want to get to rid of it.
At 12 months old, my daughter still had her bottle for the morning, afternoon snack (and some apple sauce) and sometimes the evening. Daycare asked to stop the bottle but my daughter didn't like it (even though she would drink water from the sippy cyp). So I didn't insist = I wanted her meal to be peaceful, especially in the morning when everyone has to get ready to go to work. So, I replaced the PM bottle for some plain yogurt for daycare and she didn't have any problem. Lunch, snack time & dinner were solid food.

She never had any problem with the bottle = only for breakfast. At 14 month she wanted to eat by herself with a spoon and at 2 YO she would eat with fork & knife (baby size).

Now she's 2 and1/2 YO and she still has her bottle in the morning, during week days and on the weekends, she has a regular breakfast with us.

Good luck

Stop the formula since your son is taking milk.

We slowly took away bottles. First the day bottles, then the night (big issue), then the morning bottle. Some will say do it all at once. Some will say he will do it when he is ready. Do what you feel is best on the bottle sippy issue.

I weaned my son to milk by doing 1/4 milk 3/4 formula and then 1/2 and 1/2 and so on. It took about a month or so I think, I didn't even worry about the bottle when I was introducing milk. He had been breastfeeding for the first year and going to milk was a big change. I had been giving him some supplemental formula for outings for a couple months and he liked it so much so that is what I used to make his transition to cow's milk. So for me using a formula and milk mix worked out great because when I tried straight milk he didn't want anything to do with it bottle or not. Now, my son was the same when it came to the bottle, he would take everything but milk in a sippy. I just continued to let him have milk in a bottle until about 16-17 months or so. Then I weaned him and he did great and transitioned to the sippy really well. Now he is two and starting to take a regular cup and doing good. So I say if it becomes too much of a battle ground, you might want to consider giving it a couple more months or so. He is transitioning to milk so maybe introduce one change at a time. Best of luck:)

I had soy formula babies, too. What might work is to transition him from all soy to all milk, by putting a couple of ounces of milk into each bottle and gradually--over a period of weeks! getting him to milk--I'd do it slowly just in case his milk issues resurface. Then maybe you could give him milk in a sippy with meals, and cut back the bottles. The last bottles my kids gave up were the ones before nap and bedtime--and they were old enough that we had rational discussions about why no one else in mother's day out had bottles anymore. (No problems with "bottle mouth" either--they have beautiful teeth) Just transition slowly and enjoy this time when he will sit in your lap and take a bottle--you'll blink and he'll be driving a car, going off to college! Good luck

Take away the bottle completely...he takes his cup with other liquids in it and he will take milk in it eventually also. My son didn't like milk at first, but he came around. And you don't need to buy formula anymore...you can if you want to, but it's just an added expense. I guess my main advice is STOP with the bottle....the longer he has it the more resistant he may become. He may even stop taking other liquids in his cup once he realizes you will give him water/juice in his bottle. You're the boss and you have control...so if you want him to drink milk from a cup he will, eventually. Good luck!

yes. at a year and half he should not be getting formula still unless your doctor said he needed it. i would just hide all the bottles away and not give him but one juice a day ( thinking he will get thristy and want the milk) but i would also mix the milk and formula uping it over a few weeks time so he gets use to the milk. good luck.

T.,

Definitely, stop buying the formula..you don't have to and can introduce the Vit D or orgnamic milk to him in the sippy cup..try the NUBY b/c it's a sippy cup yet the nipple is like the bottle and then gradually switch it to being just a hard sippy cup..does that make sense?

im having the same problem..my boy is 11 months and he wont drink his milk from a sippy cup either..but juice and anything else he takes just fine out of the cup..it is a mystery to me. can you let me know of any suggestions you find helpful. it would be a big help..thanks J.