Please HELP me -- I clearly don't know what I'm doing (weaning off bottle related and long)

On the way home tonight DH decided that we were going to "attempt" to completely get our 1 year old off the bottle. For the last week he's only been getting a morning and night bottle and sippy cups in between. The problem has been that he's probably only getting 10-15oz of milk per day because he only take sips from the sippy cup and doesn't really care to drink it in one sitting like he did the bottle. He is more prone to drinking water during the day.

Anway, so we had this pep talk on the way home today that we really need to start strictly setting boundaries and sticking to them and that we need to be firm with the no bottle thing. So about a half hour later I am putting him to bed and I give him his sippy cup of milk. HE SCREAMED BLOOD MURDER!!! Pushed it away, kept shaking his head no...the kid was hysterical. So already I gave in and gave him his bottle. So much for sticking to my guns, right?

Now, the thing is...I suppose I could really just hold to my guns and get him to get used to it and that is that....but moreso my issue is that I feel if I take him off the bottle I'd be lucky if he even got 8 oz. of milk per day...ped said he should be getting 16-20oz per day.

I know eventually he will make the switch...i just need to be stronger...but do you think once he is fully transitioned he is only going to continue to want an oz or so at a time for a total of 8 or will he eventually increase his intake once he's fully transitioned and used to it? I'm just worried he won't get what he needs.

Please help...i'm so confused!!!

Re: Please HELP me -- I clearly don't know what I'm doing (weaning off bottle related and long)

This getting the babies off a bottle at a year old is new to me...and something I dont entirely understand.

We are slowly trying to wean Caden down to only a few bottles per day...instead of quiting cold turkey..we've gotten rid of 2 now 2 to go..But Im going to give him some time to adjust a bit to 2. Then I'll cut out another one and so on etc. I dont plan on taking him completely off the bottle until 18months. I seriously dont understand the rush.

Re: Please HELP me -- I clearly don't know what I'm doing (weaning off bottle related and long)

you know, i really do feel like it is total outside pressure...the reason we decided to do it is that the ped. made a comment that the more you give him milk in a bottle the more he won't like milk in a sippy cup. Honestly, i don't think he misses his daytime bottles. Yes, if I gave them to him he would drink them. But he doesn't "expect" them like he does his morning and nighttime bottles...kwim?

maybe I should just take the pressure off myself and do the 2 middle ones....but whenever I do it I feel like I'll still have this problem where he won't drink enough.

Re: Please HELP me -- I clearly don't know what I'm doing (weaning off bottle related and long)

Re: Please HELP me -- I clearly don't know what I'm doing (weaning off bottle related and long)

If the kid likes the bottle, don't push it now. This is just a "guideline" and as long as the kid doesn't have a bottle in his mouth 24 hours a day, I don't see the harm in it.

Bottom line is, if it doesn't feel right for you right now, wait a while and do it. Don't torture yourself or the kid over some milk in a bottle.

Re: Please HELP me -- I clearly don't know what I'm doing (weaning off bottle related and long)

I wouldnt push him, I hate to see them upset that way over a bottle.

Im on the side of...What does it matter, as long as they arent going to Kindegarten with it?

I mean I do get that it affects their teeth..so do sippys...

But My Ped says 18 months as start to wean off Bottles and thats when I will start.

I will probably have a hell of a go of it, and be posting then too, but for now, My opinion is dont stress yourself out....

Maybe YOUR not ready either ya know? and that is OK!

Re: Please HELP me -- I clearly don't know what I'm doing (weaning off bottle related and long)

thanks ladies...i'm def. not ready but didn't want that to be my reason why I wouldn't try. But I don't think he is ready either. We talked about it last night when we were going to sleep and agreed that for now we will do 2 bottles per day and sippys of milk and water in between and then revisit in a few months. Thanks again

Re: Please HELP me -- I clearly don't know what I'm doing (weaning off bottle related and long)

I would offer a bottle of water or a cup of milk. The main reason to get them off bottles is to protect their teeth. The water at night will not harm him and, as you said, he will eventually make the switch right? Try to get him to drink more milk during the day......

By the way, my ds never took a bottle so he was an easy switch to a sippy and my dd is 11 months and I am so woried about making the switch but have not done anything towards it yet... So I really don't know what I am talking about.

Re: Please HELP me -- I clearly don't know what I'm doing (weaning off bottle related and long)

At a year, we narrowed DS down to 2 "milks" per day. Morning milk is in a sippy and the night time is still a bottle. I feel it winds him down and he relates it to bed time more. By 2, I will most likely wean him completely off the bottle. I think he would be fine with milk in a sippy but I am not yet ready for it

Re: Please HELP me -- I clearly don't know what I'm doing (weaning off bottle related and long)

I have 2 questions...

#1 Is it formula milk that he's having?

#2 If it's not formula milk, and regular milk, can he have cheese to supplement the calcium from the milk?

Re: Please HELP me -- I clearly don't know what I'm doing (weaning off bottle related and long)

My son is 21 months old and we just got rid of his bottles yesterday.
He was the same way...sippie cup all day, bottles for Breakfast and at night be4 bed.
When my daughter was born(she's now 5 months) I was hesitant to get rid of the bottles in case it upset him. But 4 months ago i got rid of the AM bottle. He asked for his baba and i would just say you want your sippy cup and he gave in..He literally drinks water and milk in the afternoon w no problem in the sippy cup

The bottle before bed I didnt know when to give up. But funny thing, last night we were at my sisters in CT and stayed till bedtime...I accidentally forgot it and gave him milk in his cup...Never even asked for the bottle. Tonight I was nervous he'd remember but nothing, gave him a little milk in his cup and he was off to bed.

I wouldnt worry about having to completely cut him off of the bottle by 1..I think when he's ready he will do it
Good Luck

Re: Please HELP me -- I clearly don't know what I'm doing (weaning off bottle related and long)

Teeth are only a concern if you are laying them down with the bottle and letting it "pool" in their mouths.

I'm not rushing Logan off the bottle at all.

He loves it. It's his wind down time at night.

Right now he gets three - morning, afternoon and bed.

This week we are going to cut down the afternoon one and try to move to a sippy.

I'm in no rush to get rid of the other two.

Re: Please HELP me -- I clearly don't know what I'm doing (weaning off bottle related and long)

Message edited 7/28/2008 8:35:55 AM.

Re: Please HELP me -- I clearly don't know what I'm doing (weaning off bottle related and long)

Have you spoken to your ped about this? I have read on here how moms had their DC off the bottles by 1 - and I was freaking out about it. My ped said he doesn't care if I do or if I don't. He said the bottle gives him confidence - he doesn't have a specific age to take it away. He is on sippys throughout the day also.

We are now at 3 bottles a day (morning, noon, and night) and will attempt to take away the noon one at about 15 months.

Don't stress over it really and talk to your ped - he may have some good advice!

Re: Please HELP me -- I clearly don't know what I'm doing (weaning off bottle related and long)

yes, it was the peds words that were resonating with me...he said that the longer you give it to him in a bottle the more he will like it better in a bottle than a cup.

Right now we're doing both. Morning and night with bottle. During the day he gets the cup. the first few days he'd only take a sip or two. But yesterday he guzzled. So maybe he's getting used to it now.

I don't want to rush him if I don't have to. There are other things I'd rather him work on right now.