Taking the bottle away-toddler

Does anyone have an almost 2yr old still on the bottle??
I HAVE to break DD off them. I didn't take it away at a year cause i figured it was the only way she would go to sleep. I had another DD when DD1 was 14m. It was the only way I was able to occupy DD1 when taking care of DD2. Now it's WORSE THAN EVER. She screams and carries on forever if I dont give her a bottle. She sees her baby sister getting one, she wants one. It's too much. I need to break her of that habit asap.
This morning she was asking for one. I said no, lets have milk in a sippy!. She said no and threw herself on the floor screaming. I distracted her for a while and she stopped asking for it. Time for nap. She carried on and on about the bottle. I gave her one with like 2oz of milk to fall asleep. I was able to let her last the morning without one but i need to do it completely.
Do i do it cold turkey? gradual? any advice would help

eta-DD will be 22m in a week

Message edited 12/9/2011 1:20:44 PM.

Re: Taking the bottle away-toddler

We tried gradually with DD#1 and it was a disaster. So eventually we just went cold turkey. One night I literally threw all the bottles out so we couldn't cave and told my MIL to do the same. She asked for it a couple of times, but was ok. She was 18mos when we took them away.

DD#2 is much easier with transitions so around 16/17mos we went cold turkey. Again I threw all the bottles away. She had absolutely no problem using a sippy cup.

What we have to work on is taking the sippy cup in with her when she is taking a nap. My MIL and DH still give her one and put her in the crib for naps. Most times she throws the cup out almost immediately, but not always. I don't let her have the cup at all for naps or bedtime.

Re: Taking the bottle away-toddler

I'm of the mind that if she cries and cries and you give in and give her a bottle (even if it's just a little bit), she'll know that she just has to cry next time to get it again. I'm not sure what the experts would recommend in this situation, but I'd just go cold turkey. Make a big show of how she's a BIG GIRL now and all the bottles are for babies like her little sister (or leave the lil sis out completely) and just throw them away or put them away where she can't see them. Only offer milk in a sippy. If she doesn't want it, fine. If she throws a fit, let her. But don't give in. At least, that's what I'd do.

Re: Taking the bottle away-toddler

Re: Taking the bottle away-toddler

yeah, you are going to have to go cold turkey, IMHO and it is going to be bad for a while. She may not drink much for a few days or even a week or more. Offer her water in cups too and make sure she eats enough cheese/yogurt. I think you are going to have a rough trip of it, but stay strong. Also, as a speech lang. pathologist, don't give her the sippy spouts. They use the same suckle pattern on those as they do a bottle nipple. She'll just transfer to that and you might have to end up breaking her of that habit too (some kids do and some don't). I think you should just go straight to the straw cups. Good luck! I think it is good you are doing it now and not closer to the holidays. Nobody needs extra stress then! KUP!