Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

DD is just about 17 months, and still very attached to her bottles. She pounds water all day from her sippy cup with no problem. We've tried doing milk in the sippy here or there, but she never liked it so we didn't push it, figured "what's the rush?".

One day last week, I forgot to send bottles to MIL's house. She had extra sippy cups though. So she tried milk in them. And we've been trying milk in them ever since, no more bottles except the night bottle. DD HATES it, she is miserable for literally an hour+ after she wakes up (when she'd normally get a bottle of milk). Literally miserable. If we chase her around for an hour (while she whines/cries) trying to cram it in her mouth, she'll get through most of it, but it's a struggle the whole time.

I hate forcing it upon her, but the timing was perfect with forgetting to send bottles to MIL's and we were hoping she'd adjust a little better. Having her drink a good amount of milk is important to me b/c she's not the best eater at all, and I like how she drinks a lot of milk for the nutrient factor.

Any advice? If not, thanks for listening at least

Message edited 11/23/2008 4:24:12 PM.

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

Have you tried different types of sippy cups?

DS loves now the reusable or toss one. I got him the one with "Cars" or "thomas the train" or the plain colors. It feels like a grown up cup not a "baby" sippy cup. He also has the insulated one and we alternate.

Maybe you can try the "princess" toss/re-use cups.

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

I swear the same thing happened over here.

Jack would normally wake from his afternoon nap - I would give him a bottle and all would be well.

Once I took that bottle away and gave him a sippy cup it's been much harder. At first he was waking from his nap hysterical crying and nothing could calm him down - for 45 mins.

Now - he just wakes up needy.

He doesn't take the sippy the way he did with the bottle. He used to drink that within 10 minutes. This takes him up to 45 mins sometimes. Eventually though, he does drink the whole thing.

This is the hardest part - eventually it will get easier - give it another week. I found that putting on his favorite show, sitting him on my lap, and giving him the sippy worked out well. Also, I would feed him cookies so that he would be thirsty and want the milk.

ETA: I completely agree with Summer - at this point you can't give in!

Message edited 11/23/2008 4:46:35 PM.

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

She'll eventually realize that if she doesn't take in the cup she won't get any at all. I wouldn't give in at this point. A couple of days without milk isn't going to be detrimental to her.

I went cold turkey with bottles at 12 months and she refused the first few sippies with her milk in them, but eventually realized she wouldn't be getting a bottle.

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

My DS was the same way -- my ped said to just make sure he gets calcium in yogurt, cheese etc. until he starts drinking milk again. I finally found a cup (elmo insulated one) that he would drink milk out of. For weeks he only had hardly drank milk. But I didnt want to give in and my dr. was OK with it. She said its really common for kids to do this because they are mad about not getting the bottle.

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

this is what we did and it worked very well for us, she refuses to drink in a bottle now!
I took her to babies r us, and showed her the bottles and then the cool bottles- all the different color ones- welp we picked out Nuby sports cup- which is just like a bottle- and sippy cups. she absolutely loves them and asks for them. it was a super easy transition!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i thought with the baby she would regress nope not at all!

even the binky was super easy- super easy trick I did! for anyone interested just snip off the rubber part so they cant put it in their mouth and they will just think its broken, not that mommy and daddy took my fav thing away from me- let them hold it and see it. We just said oh well Mimi thats what she called it is broken and 1 2 3 over with! Got over bottles and binky together with no problems!! ( also thought she would try and take her sisters, nope she trys to put it in her sisters mouth- the big sister she is)
good luck!

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

I wouldn't even try right now- not the popular opinion out there but really unless she is sleeping with a bottle, so what? My DD was a bottle addict too and everyone tried to tell us that she had to quit. She was miserable every time we tried.
We finally cut out the morning bottle and she started taking a sippy, then we tried cutting out the night time one and it didn't really work.
But you know what around 21 months, she handed me the bottle and so no, more ba-ba- that's for babies and started drinking out of a sippy and that was it.
All that stress for her to finally give it up on her own I see kids with binkys until they are 3 and no one freaks as much as they do over this bottle situation.

I would just wait a bit and continue to reinforce the sippy and try not using the bottle - I know I will get flamed but it worked here.

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

Posted by CkGm

I wouldn't even try right now- not the popular opinion out there but really unless she is sleeping with a bottle, so what? My DD was a bottle addict too and everyone tried to tell us that she had to quit. She was miserable every time we tried.
We finally cut out the morning bottle and she started taking a sippy, then we tried cutting out the night time one and it didn't really work.
But you know what around 21 months, she handed me the bottle and so no, more ba-ba- that's for babies and started drinking out of a sippy and that was it.
All that stress for her to finally give it up on her own I see kids with binkys until they are 3 and no one freaks as much as they do over this bottle situation.

I would just wait a bit and continue to reinforce the sippy and try not using the bottle - I know I will get flamed but it worked here.

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

Posted by CkGm

I wouldn't even try right now- not the popular opinion out there but really unless she is sleeping with a bottle, so what? My DD was a bottle addict too and everyone tried to tell us that she had to quit. She was miserable every time we tried.
We finally cut out the morning bottle and she started taking a sippy, then we tried cutting out the night time one and it didn't really work.
But you know what around 21 months, she handed me the bottle and so no, more ba-ba- that's for babies and started drinking out of a sippy and that was it.
All that stress for her to finally give it up on her own I see kids with binkys until they are 3 and no one freaks as much as they do over this bottle situation.

I would just wait a bit and continue to reinforce the sippy and try not using the bottle - I know I will get flamed but it worked here.

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

Posted by Diana1215

Posted by CkGm

I wouldn't even try right now- not the popular opinion out there but really unless she is sleeping with a bottle, so what? My DD was a bottle addict too and everyone tried to tell us that she had to quit. She was miserable every time we tried.
We finally cut out the morning bottle and she started taking a sippy, then we tried cutting out the night time one and it didn't really work.
But you know what around 21 months, she handed me the bottle and so no, more ba-ba- that's for babies and started drinking out of a sippy and that was it.
All that stress for her to finally give it up on her own I see kids with binkys until they are 3 and no one freaks as much as they do over this bottle situation.

I would just wait a bit and continue to reinforce the sippy and try not using the bottle - I know I will get flamed but it worked here.

No flames here at all. DS is still on his morning bottle and will get that for a few more months. We cuddle in bed with it and I feel like the sippy would spill all over - and I would lose my cuddle time. It's more for me than it is for him.

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

Posted by Diana1215

Posted by CkGm

I wouldn't even try right now- not the popular opinion out there but really unless she is sleeping with a bottle, so what? My DD was a bottle addict too and everyone tried to tell us that she had to quit. She was miserable every time we tried.
We finally cut out the morning bottle and she started taking a sippy, then we tried cutting out the night time one and it didn't really work.
But you know what around 21 months, she handed me the bottle and so no, more ba-ba- that's for babies and started drinking out of a sippy and that was it.
All that stress for her to finally give it up on her own I see kids with binkys until they are 3 and no one freaks as much as they do over this bottle situation.

I would just wait a bit and continue to reinforce the sippy and try not using the bottle - I know I will get flamed but it worked here.

No flames here at all. DS is still on his morning bottle and will get that for a few more months. We cuddle in bed with it and I feel like the sippy would spill all over - and I would lose my cuddle time. It's more for me than it is for him.

My ped did say that there was no rush to take away bottles since he finds comfort in them - but my son was at the point where he would try to take bottles away from babies - that I just thought it was time to cut him habit a little. But, I agree that to each his own.

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

I am going thru the same thing. 18 months old and is not a good eater. He loves his bottle..literally points to the refrig and says "ba ba"

I dont know what to do!!

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

Curious - does she actually want the bottle, or does she just not want milk in the sippy?

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

Posted by Diana1215

Posted by CkGm

I wouldn't even try right now- not the popular opinion out there but really unless she is sleeping with a bottle, so what? My DD was a bottle addict too and everyone tried to tell us that she had to quit. She was miserable every time we tried.
We finally cut out the morning bottle and she started taking a sippy, then we tried cutting out the night time one and it didn't really work.
But you know what around 21 months, she handed me the bottle and so no, more ba-ba- that's for babies and started drinking out of a sippy and that was it.
All that stress for her to finally give it up on her own I see kids with binkys until they are 3 and no one freaks as much as they do over this bottle situation.

I would just wait a bit and continue to reinforce the sippy and try not using the bottle - I know I will get flamed but it worked here.

No flames here at all. DS is still on his morning bottle and will get that for a few more months. We cuddle in bed with it and I feel like the sippy would spill all over - and I would lose my cuddle time. It's more for me than it is for him.

My ped did say that there was no rush to take away bottles since he finds comfort in them - but my son was at the point where he would try to take bottles away from babies - that I just thought it was time to cut him habit a little. But, I agree that to each his own.

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

C - the way I look at these things is that eventually we will need to take certain things away from them - bottle, binky, whatever it may be, and whenever we choose to do it chances are it will not be fun. I am in the mind-set of the earlier we do it - the easier it will be. Again, this is really just what I think about Jack -- I know if he gave me such a hard time at 13 months getting rid of two bottles - I couldn't imagine him at 18 or 24 months. KWIM?

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

DD is almost 18 months (Dec. 10).

Yes she still gets her milk in bottles -- one in the a.m. and one before bed.

The a.m. one I could skip if I'd just get up and make breakfast for her, but I figure it buys me a little time.

I've tried giving her milk in a sippy and she is not interested at all. I haven't pushed it. My ped. said to change at 18 months but at the same time his kids were all on bottles up to 2 years -- so I'm not pushing it.

I think tho in your case since she has had her milk in sippies a few times already you are right, this is the time to make the switch. I am sure it will get easier.

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

DS is almost 15 mo and we are having the worst time with this as well I am always reading these threads for something that might work for us DS also will drink like a champ water/juice from sippy's - with no problem at all - the spout ones and the straw. But, if I put milk in it - he takes one sip - pushes it out of the way and says "BA BA" - this will go on until he gets the ba ba.

I can't do the cold turkey with him b/c if he doesn't get as much milk as he usually drinks during the day he will wake up in the middle of the night hungry for his ba ba. And, we are also having the other problem you mentioned - on days i try to push the milk in the sippy he will "boycott" the sippy all together.

UGH, this is so frustrating Wish I had advice but, only And to think I spent weeks and weeks trying to get this kid to take a bottle! Now he won't let me get rid of it!

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

Message edited 11/24/2008 8:29:18 AM.

Re: Ugh, trying to get rid of bottles is hard

At 17 months I took the bottle away from DS and it was only because I tried again one day and he drank milk from it and that was it, I threw out the bottles. He didn't drink it as fast but he also never asked for it becasue as soon as he was done I always took.

The only cup that worked for us with milk was the Nuby straw. It stinks because it does leak if it gets thrown one to many times but they can drink from it fast and I think that is what he liked. I also give him chocolate milk. My ped. suggested it and 2 teaspoons a day won't hurt him (he gets 2 cups of milk a day even now).

She needs to figure out how the sippy will satisfy her and she will be fine. I say keep on with your doing and it will be so much easier now than later.