My 18 month old still drinks 3 bottles. Is this a tragedy?

Both of my girls were off by 15 months. I tried at 15 mos with this guy, but no good. I tried again last night (putting the milk in a sippy...which he does drink water from) since we'd all been sick here this weekend and he didn't even have the first two. Disaster!

Then I started thinking, 'what am I doing here? He's hysterical; he doesn't know why I'm not giving him his milk in a bottle; he doesn't understand the 'big boy' thing; he won't be in college drinking a bottle.'

But also, I'm worried about creating a monster who gets his way if only he cries for something.

WWYD here...I need guidance!!

Re: My 18 month old still drinks 3 bottles. Is this a tragedy?

No advice. I'm in the same boat with ny 21 month old who technically is 19 months bc of prematurity. I've tried on several occasions to drop the bottles but he screams & throws the cup at me. He drinks out of a cup all day but milk MUST be in the bottle.

I stopped fighting bc I figured when the time is right for him, he will refuse the bottle. My oldest dropped the bottle & binky at 13 months

Re: My 18 month old still drinks 3 bottles. Is this a tragedy?

DD is 22 months and still drinks milk from a bottle.
I am going to try again at 2 years old.

In her case- she NEEDS milk. She barely eats, has hardly gained an ounce in 3 months, and the ped wants her to have milk every single day.

If this is the only way she gets it, I am not going to freak out over it.

I am sure she will live and will probably not even need therapy later in life!

Message edited 4/23/2012 9:16:01 AM.

Re: My 18 month old still drinks 3 bottles. Is this a tragedy?

DD is 19 months old and still takes a bottle. She won't drink milk out of a cup and we've tried several times.

At this point, I'm not gonna sweat it and we'll try again at 2.

Re: My 18 month old still drinks 3 bottles. Is this a tragedy?

My DD has been off bottles for almost a month now she is 16.5 months. She drinks about half the amount of milk she was drinking when she was on bottles. She screamed the first few days, more because she missed the comfort and routine and now she has adjusted. I have to say I miss the bottle, especially at night and the way it calmed and soothed her right before bed. I switched because I have another baby coming in a month and didn't want to wait until 2 years old.

What pushed me also is my uncle is a pediatric dentist and told me that the bottle pushes milk to the back of the mouth which is somehow different than we normally drink. He says most parents can't brush the teeth back there as well as they need to be when they are that young so the milk sits on the teeth etc etc. The other reason for eliminating a night bottle that I was given by my ped was that babies do not need those calories right before bed. They should be eating enough table food throughout the day that milk is too many heavy and too many calories to sit in their bellies before 12 hours of sleep.

I believe to each his own. I feel so much pressure with some of these things and really feel like I need to close my eyes and ears and just do what I want to do and what's best for my kid.

Good luck

Re: My 18 month old still drinks 3 bottles. Is this a tragedy?

Honestly I don't see the big deal at all. Maybe because I'm Hispanic and in my family it's common...no big deal.

When DD was 2 one day we were in the elevator and she had her pacifier in her mouth. One of my neighbors gets on the elevator and we started chit chatting. I of course feeling guilty about DD and her paci said something to the effect of yeah we have to break that habit. My neighbor who has 2 grown sons told me that she felt the same way...her sons both used pacis and bottles until well over 2. Her ped told her listen they are babies..I guarantee you they will not graduate HS or College using a bottle (at least not that kind)

Don't know why but that really stuck with me. Honestly he's still a baby..I wouldn't rush it. When he's ready the transition will be easier. It's a comfort thing, milk is important for them so I would just let it be for now

Re: My 18 month old still drinks 3 bottles. Is this a tragedy?

Posted by jacquig

Honestly I don't see the big deal at all. Maybe because I'm Hispanic and in my family it's common...no big deal.

When DD was 2 one day we were in the elevator and she had her pacifier in her mouth. One of my neighbors gets on the elevator and we started chit chatting. I of course feeling guilty about DD and her paci said something to the effect of yeah we have to break that habit. My neighbor who has 2 grown sons told me that she felt the same way...her sons both used pacis and bottles until well over 2. Her ped told her listen they are babies..I guarantee you they will not graduate HS or College using a bottle (at least not that kind)

Don't know why but that really stuck with me. Honestly he's still a baby..I wouldn't rush it. When he's ready the transition will be easier. It's a comfort thing, milk is important for them so I would just let it be for now

Re: My 18 month old still drinks 3 bottles. Is this a tragedy?

Thank you, everyone! I totally was not like this with the first two kids, or maybe they were just different--either way, it's nice to have the reassurance!

Re: My 18 month old still drinks 3 bottles. Is this a tragedy?

My DS is 17 months old and still drinks bottles too. I tried to give him milk in the sippy a couple of weeks ago, and he refused it, wouldn't even try! (He will drink juice & water in sippy, just not milk) We plan to try again next month. We aren't going to go cold turkey, either. I would like him off bottles by around 2. Hopefully! Good luck!

Re: My 18 month old still drinks 3 bottles. Is this a tragedy?

I have to ask though- after reading this thread and myriad of others - What is it about milk in a sippy cup that makes almost EVERY SINGLE CHILD I have encountered or read about refuse it?

It's like this weird phenomena.

They will all take to the sippy just fine for water and juice. But NEVER milk.
It's so freakin bizzare!!!