Taking the bottle away cold turkey

My DD just turned 2 and is obsessed with her bottle, always asks for milk in it and won't drink milk from a straw cup. I wanted to know your experiences if you took the bottle away cold turkey and how long until your dc stopped whining for the bottle? I figure I would do it now since I'm off from work for a few days and DD is home from daycare with me. But dreading the next few days..

Taking the bottle away cold turkey

I did it with dd1 when she was 2 years, 5 months. She was such a picky eater and wouldn't take milk from a cup (although she drank from a cup since 6 months).

I had a 5 month old and was done with a zillion bottles for both. One day I just said to her, no more bottles, that's it. She said ok and never asked for it again.

Taking the bottle away cold turkey

I did with DS when he was 2 yrs 6 months. I just threw them out one day and when he asked for milk I gave him a sippy cup, he looked confused and told me no. After 2 days or so of offering the sippy cup with milk he started drink milk out of the cup. He doesn't drink as much as he did when he drank from a bottle but he is eating a whole lot more.

Message edited 7/19/2017 8:05:11 PM.

Taking the bottle away cold turkey

After reading the previous responses, I seem to have been on the early side. DD's bottles were taken away cold turkey at 14 months. We packed them all up in a box and "mailed them" to her new baby cousin. She's was a bit fussy for a few days but quickly forgot about it once I bought her some character sippy cups (Minnie, Disney princess, etc.)

Taking the bottle away cold turkey

At 12 months when we started milk I just gave her a sippy and that was the end of the bottles. I think the earlier the better. She didn't miss them at all.

Re: Taking the bottle away cold turkey

Re: Taking the bottle away cold turkey

Around 18 months old, I just started giving him a sippy cup instead one day. I told him he was a big boy and would drink from a cup from now on. He got angry and threw it on the floor and cried and refused to drink milk for a few days. But then he got over it once he realized the bottles weren't coming back and he kept getting his milk in the same sippy cup, so he started drinking it normally again.

Re: Taking the bottle away cold turkey

I took them away when my twins turned 1. They gave me a hard time and were super pissed. One of my sons literally threw the sippy cup at my head. We said no more bottles. I would leave the sippy cup on the table with the milk and walk away. He tantrummed. screamed, threw stuff. That was a rough couple days. I was like let's give the bottle back. DH said no, because then they win and they will own us.

On the 4th day, my son gave me a dirty look and walked to the table and grabbed the cup and started drinking. DH was like yes, we won!

Not gonna lie, tough few days, but I was also pregnant with my 3rd and due 5 months later so I wanted them off the bottles before he came, which was a huge motivator.

My kids survived. They are 5 and don't hold it against us.

Re: Taking the bottle away cold turkey

Posted by Dolphinsbaby

I took them away when my twins turned 1. They gave me a hard time and were super pissed. One of my sons literally threw the sippy cup at my head. We said no more bottles. I would leave the sippy cup on the table with the milk and walk away. He tantrummed. screamed, threw stuff. That was a rough couple days. I was like let's give the bottle back. DH said no, because then they win and they will own us.

On the 4th day, my son gave me a dirty look and walked to the table and grabbed the cup and started drinking. DH was like yes, we won!

Not gonna lie, tough few days, but I was also pregnant with my 3rd and due 5 months later so I wanted them off the bottles before he came, which was a huge motivator.

My kids survived. They are 5 and don't hold it against us.

Re: Taking the bottle away cold turkey

I did it at about 18 mo. DD loved her bottle. She misses sucking on it, but when I hid them and showed her they were gone, she whined a day or two and it was over.

Re: Taking the bottle away cold turkey

We gave baby the Nuk sippy cups, it's like a bottle but not. He loves it and soon we will try straw cups

Re: Taking the bottle away cold turkey

Thanks all. Going on day 3 of no bottles. She still cries for milk but won't take it in a cup. I tried buying Minnie Mouse cups and that didn't help at all. I have a feeling she will be done with milk completely as she only will drink water in a cup.

Re: Taking the bottle away cold turkey

Re: Taking the bottle away cold turkey

i wouldn't, and didn't with my own DC, worry about the milk thing. Before age 2 the fat from breastmilk/formula/cow milk is important but becomes less important as they age (and healthy fats can be found in other foods like nut butters, avocado, etc). Besides the fat, the calcium is important but can be obtained through other foods that are calcium rich - including dairy foods like yogurt and cheese. If your DC won't drink milk after you ditch the bottles, just make sure the nutrients and calories are made up elsewhere in the diet. and offer lots of water for hydration :)

Taking the bottle away cold turkey

We did it at 2. He was upset for a day. Asked for it constantly but got over it pretty quickly.