When to reduce # of bottles per day?

I am wondering when we should start to reduce the # of bottles per day to get ready for the whole milk transition (which won't be for a while yet, just thinking ahead).
Currently my boys have 4 - 8 oz bottles a day plus solids 3 times a day and are starting finger baby food (mum mums, nutrios etc.)
Any thoughts, advice?
TIA

 

I just called my WIC lady to ask her the same question, since I heard they are supposed to be off formula at a year old. She said not to cut back on the # of bottles until after they turn 1. Mine, however, are kind of cutting back on their own. They still have the same # every day, they just don't drink as many ounces as they used to.

 

At 11 months we were struggling with the transition to table foods (refusing/spitting purees) and taking 4-8oz bottles.

After hearing on the 1-5 board that they were getting TOO much formula, I called the pedi and they confirmed we were drowning their appetite.

We went to 3 6-oz bottles and they were on 100% table foods within a week! We now give 3 5-oz bottles. I'm not going to rush the transition off bottles. The boys are drinking from their sippies, but it's still about 70% experience, 30% sustenance. My goal is to have them off bottles completely by their original due date (Apr. 20).

 

We stopped the lunchtime bottle at 7 months, because they stopped drinking it. We stayed on 3 bottles a day until we switched to milk. They got one with breakfast, one after nap, and the last before going up to bed. When we stopped formula, we stopped bottles, so we never really weaned, just stopped using them.

 

We are still on 4, 7oz bottles a day currently. We are working on sippies, but so far, Jake is the only one who has taken to it. I think we will stay at 4 for awhile longer. We are also on 3 meals, with finger foods, and some table foods.

 

I'm so glad you posted this b/c I was just wondering the same thing. We went from 5 bottles to 4 at 8.5 mos. I'm now wondering when we can go to 3 b/c 4 bottles and 3 meals feels like I'm feeding all day long. Also, they haven't been taking all of their 2 day bottles lately, it's a struggle to get them all down.

 

quote:
Also, they haven't been taking all of their 2 day bottles lately, it's a struggle to get them all down.

Stephanie,

I would go down to 3 if they aren't finishing either of the middle 2.

 

Thanks Becky!!! As soon as this weeks over and I see how we have adjusted to Daylight Savings Time I'm going to try that and re-adjust the 2 middle bottles. We are trying to get the boyst to "spring" forward with the time change so everything is 1/2-1hr adjusting this week.

 

Mine were on 4 bottles a days starting at 6 months, when they started sleeping through the night. I dropped one bottle at 11 months. I dropped the lunch bottle. I used to do bottle and then lunch, but started doing lunch then bottle, and they didn't want the bottle then. After 3 days of them refusing the bottle I just stopped offering it to them. Then around 11.75 months I dropped the snack bottle at 3:30, and just replaced it with a snack. We dropped the morning bottle at 12 months. We still give them the bedtime bottle now though and that is fine.

My DS really missed his bottles, he is so happy to see that bedtime bottle. It took awhile for him to get adjusted with no bottles during the day, he was very whiny for awhile.

 

Thanks for everyone's input, I really appreciate it.

 

We were trying to get down to 3 bottles/day around the 10.5-11 month mark. Sometimes we succeed, and sometimes not. My girls were sick with a stomach virus so if they want to have another bottle we give it to get their weight back up after being sick.

Before the stomach virus they were doing pretty well with 3 6-8 ounce bottles, formula in a sippy with each meal, and solids. I was also giving them a snack around 4pm.

Now, we've stepped back a bit on progress after being sick, but hopefully we catch back up soon.

What I plan on doing is never giving them whole milk in a bottle. So when they turn 12 months they'll get milk in sippies with each meal, then we'll drop bottles from there and replace them with sippies with milk as needed.

 

Well, I just started taking away their lunch bottles. They don't really need the bottles anyway because they are so good with the sippies. I do however give formula in their cups.

 

Mine have started not drinking much if any of the bottles I offer after lunch (we've been on three 8oz bottles a day, and one 4oz snack bottle) - I was going to stop the snack bottle first, but since they have been refusing the lunch one, I am going to stop it first and just offer some formula w/lunch in a sippy to get them used to it for when we transition to milk. Then I will try to get rid of the snack one in exchange for solids instead....