Dropping bottles...

OK. I have procrastinated long enough on this! I wanted to do it earlier, but Anthony was having surgery, then DH and I were going to Vegas, so we waited. Well-on Tuesday, dh didn't give the boys a bottle when they woke up. Instead they got a sippy cup of milk. Anthony did wonderfully. He drank most of his milk. Nicholas-couldn't be bothered. Wednesday morning I was going to try as well. Until Nicholas walked into the kitchen and looked up at the microwave and started to cry-for his bottle. I caved.

This morning, dh got up with them. Sippy cups with milk. Again-Anthony drank almost the whole cup, Nicholas barely touched it. I cleaned Nicholas up-and he was extremely fussy! He never cries after a meal or anything. It was driving me bonkers! He just cried and cried...all because he wanted his bottle.

I realized this about 30 minutes later(when he saw a random bottle) and he kept stretching out for it and throwing his head back and whining/crying. I caved. I couldn't do it. He really wanted it...and I'm a softie. So-I got him a bottle! I know-bad bad bad mommy! But...I can't help it! I don't want him upset. It's a comfort thing for him.. I think.

Yikes. I was hoping this would be easier. I know plenty of you have dropped the bottles...any advice? I thought we would just stop the bottles and never look back. Never thinking he would be attached to it. Silly mommy!

 

When we stopped using the bottles, we stopped cold turkey as you are describing. They had both successfully drank all liquids from their sippy cups, so I knew they were comfortable with it.

Before kicking any habit, you have to be committed. It might be the visual cues that is setting Nicholas off. Try getting rid of all bottles so that neither you or he are tempted. Then stick to your guns. Try offering food instead?

I have one who drinks all his milk right away and waits a bit for breakfast. The other sips his milk and then wants a banana right away followed by something else. That is our routine. I know that I like to eat right away, and DH doesn't, so I am guessing that is how they are. Unless we have someplace we have to be, then I prep breakfast for both of them, but let them decide when they are going to eat it.

Good luck with this - I know it can be tough!!

 

i had a tough time, too. then i got the nuby hand-less sippies, and used them just for milk (they're SORT OF like bottles, so the transition is supposed to be easier), and for a few weeks ivana would tell me off before taking it (she loves her bottle, too) but now they drink out of them just fine. (we use different sippies for water). we haven't dropped the bedtime bottle yet. i'm gonna take my time with that one!

 

OY. That's why I made sure we were done before they turned 12 months. I started at 9 months. They were down to one bottle by 11 months and absolutely kicking butt on sippy cups by 12 month bday (11 adjusted.)

I had no real problem w/ getting rid of the bottles or with keeping them on them, for that matter, BUT I knew that the longer I waited.. the more attached they would be and the tougher it would get. Every day they get a little wiser and mine were already wise enough LOL.

I just did it. Like a bandaid. You cannot look back either. It's gonna sting for the first 2, maybe 3, days.. but then they completely forget.

My advice: Do it now. The longer you wait and the more times you go back on your "word".. the more painful it will be (for you!)

Good luck. And FYI-- they will drink from the cups. I was worried SICK about that. It took a week but now they are experts!

 

I've successfully got rid of the pre-nap bottle, but mine still get a wakeup and bedtime bottle. I've tried a few times to use a sippy of milk first thing in the morning, instead of a bottle, and they just throw a fit. They scream, cry and throw the sippy. It's 6 am, and I've caved everytime. I haven't even tried to take away the bedtime bottle yet.

I figure all in good time... we'll try again around 18 months, and if they're still taking bottles at 24 months, I'll go cold turkey. (Or so I tell myself now, to make myself feel better!)

 

Just do what we did. . .

We went out of town last weekend and forgot the bottles and sippy cups. So we had to stop and get some. I think they realized that we didn't have bottles on us, so sippy cups it was.

 

I wouldn't worry until he's 15 months old. If his brother is ready to drop the bottles, let him. But don't worry about your other son yet. My doctor says 15 months is a better deadline than a year for some kids. (developmentally)