What age did you wean?

[Anonymous]

When did you wean your baby from the bottle, and how did you do it? My daughter is still taking bottles, she hates sippy cups and throws them on the floor. She knows how to drink out of them, she just doesn’t like to. I haven’t been too strict about taking the bottle away, in spite of what the experts say, because she was a preemie and because it was so hard to convince her to eat solids. But now it seems like she is refusing her solids meals and holding out for the bottle. She drinks about 20 oz of milk from it each day, plus about 8 oz of water/juice. I think those amounts are normal, but she doesn’t eat many solids. I thought by taking the bottle away, she might be more hungry for her meals?

I’m not worried about the tooth decay factor that the experts always note as a reason for weaning. She doesn’t carry the bottle around with her all day; just drinks it in her high chair, and she doesn’t take the bottle to bed at night. I guess my main concern is the solids.

But then I have friends whose happy, healthy, two-year olds are still taking 3 bottles a day, and I’ve seen pictures of my sisters and me drinking from bottles at the age of 2. So maybe it’s not such a big deal??

[Anonymous]

We are really not the norm – because Matthew has feeding aversions – so he is still taking 4 bottles a day – not a lot of formula each time but yes, bottles. The feeding clinics really make no big deal about it – they explained to us that doctors are usually concerned with the relationship between tkaing bottles in toddlers and overweight children…. surely not teh case of most babies that go to the clinics…. they said it is fine for Matthew to still take them and will try to wean him in february or so, but they said not to worry about it.

Also, have you tried straw cups?? Our therapists do not like sippy cups and they want Matthew to drhink out of straw cups – which he does for water

some babies do pick up once you take away the bottle, or so goes the theory. If her eating does not pick up, then you can try and transition from formula in bottles to pediasure or soething similar in straw or sippy cups – the therapists have told us that Matthew will prob always associate the formula with his bottle and we will have better chance of switching if we switch liquids

Just to remind you that i HAVE NO EXPERIENCE WIHT THIS – but this is what i have spokent ot therapists about

[Anonymous]

Colt is 20 months old and is still taking bottles. He does take a sippy cup for his water but he won’t take formula out of it. I think when he is eating solids well enough that I don’t have to worry about him getting enough vitamins and minerals from formula then I will wean him.

I have heard of a mom on here recently that took one bottle away during the day. She continued to give the morning bottle and the bedtime bottle.

[Anonymous]

My first two were getting two bottles a day until 18 months (I think even a little longer for my first). And Myles still has a bottle before bedtime. All three of mine were using a bottle mainly to relax as part of their bedtime and naptime routine as toddlers.

I wonder if she’s refusing solids not so much becuase she’s not hungry due to the 20 ounces of milk she’s drinking, but because she associates the high chair with having a bottle. Perhaps moving her to a booster at the table and then offering her some solids and a straw cup with some other liquid (like Thais suggested) would help her make the transition.

None of my three would drink milk or formula from a sippy cup for a very long time….probably becuase of what Thais said, they associate the bottle with milk. They drank water from their cups and I guess that’s why I let them have a bedtime and naptime bottle for so long…it was the only milk they were drinking. Eventually (probably around age two) they both started drinking milk for a cup. Myles still only drinks water from his.

[Anonymous]

Yikes! Dylan was over 2 and a half I think before we got rid completely. And yes, it did effect his food intake. We sort of felt, similar to you, he was a preemie, had this reflux, etc… that as long as he was growing and healthy, we would not send him to kindergarten with a bottle. He definitly doesn’t even think about it anymore at 3.5 and I can’t even remember his last one at this point, so you will get there.

Don’t worry about the pressures from the doctors. Do what you feel is right……

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys. I get so hung up on what the baby books say I “should” be doing; it’s nice to talk with other moms and find out I’m not alone! Those are good ideas. I think I’ll hold her in my lap for the bottles, and hopefully she’ll associate the high chair with eating and the sippy cup instead of bottles.

I have found she eats solids much better when we are out and about! She eats great sitting in her carseat at the Walmart parking lot. She must think eating at home is boring…

I’ll try the straw cup. We’ve bought every sippy cup imaginable and she hates them all. I’ve tried an open cup but she wants to stick her hands in it.

[Anonymous]

None of my kid would drink from any sippy cups either. I think they’re too much like a bottle because they have to suck on them. So, maybe they’re thinking, hey it’s like a bottle, but it’s NOT a bottle; just give me my bottle!

My girls started with straw cups and Myles has learned to use a straw cup, too. It took a lot of practice, but he learned in a restaurant how to use a straw. There must be something about restaurants!!

I think that’s a good idea to hold her for her bottles…maybe even decrease the amount she’s getting in each one to sort of give her appetite a little boost.

Good luck!

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