DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

Hi there,

If seen some past posts from those of you with children around the 20-24 month old stage ... still on bottles.



I'm just having a bad day and could use some support .... I just don't know how to get my DD off of these 2 bottles a day!

She gets an 8 ounce bottle of warm milk (she won't drink it cold) when she first wakes up.

Then to go to bed, she still needs to be rocked, with her bottle while we read her stories.

I feel like we'll never get her off these bottles, we created this routine that seems impossible to break.

UGH, I know some of you out there have been through this or are still going through it ... I'm newer to the site, and just feeling overwhelmed today.

Throwing myself a pitty party!

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

No advice just BIG HUGS, My DD is almost 15 months and still on bottles too.

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

DS is almost 20 mos and still drinks his milk from bottles. I know a lot of other moms disagree, but I'm ok with it for now.

He drinks water from a straw sippy all the time during the day. He just doesn't like milk from anything other than a bottle.

I even told his ped at his 18mos visit, and she didn't seem too concerned. I was embarrassed to tell her. It's soothing to him right now. He'll give it up when he's ready.

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

DD is 16 months and won't even take a sippy!!! From waht I've heard, the best way is to get rid of them cold turkey. But that of course is easier said than done!!!! I don't think it's the end of the world-21 months is still a baby to me!

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

We brought DD home when DS was 19 months old. 1 or 2 months later, we literally had to do it cold turkey. He SCREAMED. He even wanted DD's bottle. But we stood firm, and didn't give in. Kept offering milk in his sippy.

The first day-horriffic-tantrums-tears-you would have thought we were murdering him.
2nd day-still cried for it-had a hissy fit.
3rd day-cried, but we distracted him and he moved on.
4th day-asked for it, told him they were all gone.
5th day-asked for it, but was ok without having one.
6th day, tried to drink DD's bottle and gagged on the formula. Hasn't tried to drink a bottle again.

DS was only on one bottle, his morning 'coffee' as we'd call it. But he adjusted VERY quickly.

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

We did no bottles cold turkey at 18 months with DD#1. She was sooo attached to her bottles. So one night I just went around and threw out all of the bottles and asked my ILs to do the same. The next morning she got a sippy of millk and although she whined a little bit she drank it and we never looked back.

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

we first switched his born free bottle to the sippy spout for it, so he still had the glass bottle part.... then switched to the playtex level 1sippy - which is similar to that spout...

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

that is when we switched my DS at 21-22 months.. and I was ok with it..I didnt think it was too late! It was perfect...

It felt like one week he would refuse milk in a sippy then the next he was ok with it!

Your DD will eventually! as long as she takes a sippy already you are half way there!

Message edited 4/8/2011 11:03:54 AM.

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

We did it for Mason at 18 months. Honestly, I thought it would be impossible. He only drank his milk warm and from a bottle. Once morning I gave him a sippy of milk, but those sippy cups where the spout part is softer like a bottle.
Handed it to him like I usually do while he was watching TV and that was it. First he was not happy and when he realized that was it then he drank it. DId the same with the night bottle... exchanged for a sippy and we never looked back.


I guess the advise of cold turkey is the best way. I chose the morning b/c he's usually hungry and it's the first thing he gets.

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

We are still on 2-3 bottles a day and I might be in the minority but I am OK with it. I really don't see the harm

I guess comparing this to my first child.... I went 100% by doctors orders and took the bottle away cold turkey at 12 months. My poor baby NEVER would take milk again. Not from a sippy, and not even back in the bottle when we went back to try that.

I rather the baby be getting a good amount of milk per day then worrying about still being on a bottle.

We drink water all day long from a sippy no problem.

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

TBH, I don't understand what the big deal is. Our DCs are only babies once; before we know it we will be sending them off to Kindergarten. What is the detriment to our DCs if they drink bottles after 1 year old? I believe, that as long as your DC has the capability to drink out of a sippy or straw cup- who cares?! My DDs are 16 and 30 months and still drink bottles of milk daily. They also drink water from their straw cups. Some moms BF their DCs until they are 3 years old, using the same method as when they were born. The fact of the matter (as I see it) is this- if you truly want your DC to get off bottles- stop giving them to him/her! Make sure he/she gets dairy in other ways until they realize that they are not getting the bottles back and have to drink their milk from a sippy. You are the parent, and therefore, you make the rules. Let DC cry and tantrum until it gets out of their system- they will eventually know you mean business and will drink their milk from the vessel of your choosing. And if you don't really mind DC drinking from a bottle, then great! Let them enjoy it for as long as you wish them to. But honestly, don't waste your energy on feeling bad about your DC being on bottles! I think rocking, reading and drinking milk before bed is a wonderful memory that you will have forever!

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

Abby was on two bottles (night and morning) until January for milk only - I really didnt care as I knew she wouldn't walk down the aisle with them. But when she got sick in January, I took it as an opportunity to cut the bottle because I couldnt give her milk at all. Two days of crying and it was over. She now takes milk from sippy cups. Hang in there.

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

If it makes you feel any better my DD is 2 years old and I can't get her to kick the bottle. Every baby is different! My first DD kicked the bottle at 11 months without batting an eye but my second DD is having none of it! She will drink a sippy for everything else except for milk. One of my friends is about ready to give birth and she came up with a great idea about my DD gifting her bottles to the new baby so that is what we plan to do. If I leave it up to my DD, she'll just keep nipping from that baby bottle.

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

Thanks so much fellow Mommies ... you ladies rock!

When you're having a BAD day, like I am and need support, I've learned that this site is a great way to feel less ... alone.

:

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

Posted by Lovemygirlie

Thanks so much fellow Mommies ... you ladies rock!

When you're having a BAD day, like I am and need support, I've learned that this site is a great way to feel less ... alone.

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

I just got my 2.5 year old off the bottle. I thought it was going to be harder because he loved the bottle so much and he has a baby brother who is obviously still on it. I did it cold turkey. I would tell him oh no Joey we have to wash the bottles, why dont you drink out of this cup. After 2 to 3 days he forgot about them. He had a few incidents in tjose days of crying I would just tell him no babas, those are for babies!

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

Posted by SHOPAHOLIC

We are still on 2-3 bottles a day and I might be in the minority but I am OK with it. I really don't see the harm

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

I did cold turkey. He was drinking milk from a straw sippy cup within 3 hours. I will say it was a very heart wrenching 3 hours filled with tears.

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

No advice, but my 18 month old is still on bottles and he won't drink his milk cold either. I used to feel all this pressure to get him off and tried 3 times and now I'm over it. I honestly don't feel like I'm doing him any harm. I have never put his to bed with a bottle. He's been drinking from a straw sippy since he was like 11 months old. He can drink from a cup, water bottle. etc. He isn't attached to his pacifier so I feel like this is his 1 thing. I figure when he's closer to 2 and I can explain it to him and help him understand that the bottle is going away AND when he can tell me he is hungry, then I'll do it. For now, I enjoy how excited he is to get his bottle and get to cuddle with him which is an extra bonus.

ETA: Was told just recently by my mom that I had a nighttime bottle until I was 4 No teeth issues, cavity issues, speech, nothing. Actually have really great teeth.

Message edited 4/8/2011 1:36:31 PM.

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

I took bottles away cold turkey from both kids.

DS was 11/12 mths, just started using a sippy so one day I just gave him milk in it and he didn't care

DD was not interested in sippy, at 12mths I took away one bottle and replaced with sippy...she wasn't happy but I stuck with it and in about 2/3 days she would have her afternoon milk in sippy...then I did AM bottle, then last pm bottle. Took about week or 2.

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

Posted by jacquig

Posted by twinkletoes807

TBH, I don't understand what the big deal is. Our DCs are only babies once; before we know it we will be sending them off to Kindergarten. What is the detriment to our DCs if they drink bottles after 1 year old? I believe, that as long as your DC has the capability to drink out of a sippy or straw cup- who cares?!

ITA. I know I'm in the minority especially on this board but DD is 3 and still drinks milk from a bottle and honestly I don't care. My little cousins drank from a bottle until they were 4 and they all graduated HS and finished College. I don't see the big deal.

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

AJ was taken off her last bottle .. her lovie, her sleep mate, the night cap at 2

Waited for the weekend and just said "no"

She cried, I pretended it didn't bother me one bit. WORSE Jim left me alone because he felt she still needed it. I stuck with it. Played her favorite games, put on the TV (didn't ASK her like "do you to see Mickey" as a alternative" I just DID it)

Honestly.. i was SHOCKED that it took me over a week to realize she was over it. First two nights were rough, I gave her a bottle on day 3 then realized that didn't help her at all, just hurt her and stuck with it. We took turns sleeping with her in her room, reading stories or talking to her when she woke up or remembered she wanted a bottle. But honestly, 1 week max before I realized it was MY guilt making a bigger deal out of it than her wanting it.


ETA: I did replace it with a sippy which she STILL treats like a bottle to this day! Wont got to sleep without her 'milk' but when she's done she hands me the cup and goes to sleep.

Message edited 4/8/2011 10:34:36 PM.

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

I tried to take my kids away around 12 months. They freaked. I switched the bottles for sippies on their 2nd birthday and they did great. She won't go to college with a bottle...don't stress

Re: DD is 21 months - on bottles - Support needed

same here as many of the mom's above. Emma is 22 months and still on bottles. She gets one at naptime (if she naps) and one at bedtime....

we tried about 4-5 different sippy cups, even the one that looks like a 'sport bottle' water bottle and NOTHING...

i may give in and pick up a regular mickey mouse sippy (we're on straw only now during the day) - see if she takes to that - since she adores mickey....

i'm worried - but not TOO worried...like many said above - she won't be going to college with it...