2 1/2 Year Old Still Wakes up Durring the Night for a Bottle

I suggest taking it one step at a time. First stop the nap time bottle, and them after she has stopped throwing fits about that, and you have gotten used to not leaning on it for naps. Then try giving her a cup instead of bottle for bed time, and hopefully after that weening off the middle of the night bottle wont be so hard. Every kid is different I have twins, and one was off the bottle by the time he was one while the other one took till he was almost two to get off the night time one.

She's going ot throw a fit, but really at 2.5... with a bottle? Throw them away, give a cup of water, and walk away when the tantrum starts. Shut the door, let her have a fit. No reason she needs a bottle buti f you keep giving in she'll keep having a tissy over it. Its not good for her teeth or her jaw to be sucking on a bottle at her age.

Hi M.,
What are you putting in the bottle? Water is the way to transition most babies to sleep through the night.
Also - is at the same time - if so - you need to start waking her before the feeding and slowly back the feeding time up each night.
These are all suggestions that I've heard.

The last resort - I hate to say it because I can't even do it well - let her "cry it out."

These are all things that I've heard about, but I've never really had to deal with it.

I agree with the others, if the bottles aren't there, then you won't give in. She may throw a fit, but if she sees the are no more bottles where the bottles are kept she probably will be fine and not throw as big of fit as you think. When my granddaughter was taken off the bottle she wasn't happy about it. We got rid of the bottles and she knew she didn't have anymore both at home and at my house. I went with her mom to the doctors to watch her in the waiting room and there was a little boy not much older then her with a bottle, I thought she was going to mug him for the bottle before we were out of there...lol, so be prepared for her to want one for a while after but just keep telling her that bottles are for babies and she is a big girl now so she gets big girl glasses. Maybe you can even let her pick out a new sippy cup.

The funniest story I heard about the bottle breaking was a good friend of mine said when her 2nd to youngest child was 4, he still liked his bottles. She decided to take them away when she caught him dumping out his milk and making tang in his bottle. I still laugh when I think of it and know what.. this boy is now a man of 30 and very well balanced and loved by everyone who knows him. Best to relax and enjoy your baby but do get her off the bottle, it harms their teeth if they are drinking it laying down.

I would offer her water, as she probably isn't getting up because she's hungry at 2 1/2. I found that leaving a small bottle of water in my son's crib keeps him quiet, as he never took a pacifier or sucked his thumb. I would try to transition away from the bottle for sure. If she's going to tantrum, try to ignore it. I would just walk in and quietly lay her down without saying anything. She's probably just looking for some extra mommy attention. Good luck.

I send my son to bed with a sippy cup with water in it, or I leave it by the bed. This way I know he is getting hydrated and I don't need to worry that maybe he is thirsty. He does not have cavities and neither does his sister. I hear a lot of "don't give in no matter what". I tend to be one who thinks children may actually be thirsty at night. I drink water throughout the night and I am an adult. I think leaving it as an option is a good idea. Water, not milk that is. Good luck.

The "Bottle Fairy" worked for us when our oldest was almost 3. He wasn't waking at night, but he was still dependent on a bedtime bottle. I think another responder explained it, but we basically boxed up all of the bottles and nipples and left them out for the Bottle Fairy. The next morning there was a Thomas the Tank engine toy in its place. Worked like a charm. We prepared him by telling him he was a big boy now and the bottle fairy would take care of the bottles. I've heard some people say dilute whatever is in the bottle until you get to just water and then it's easier for them to give up the bottle, but cold turkey with the "Fairy's" help worked for us. Good luck!

Hi M.

From the many responses, they say go "Cold Turkey". That may be the best way.

I personally didn't have this experience as I ditched the bottle by their first Birthdays by providing a sippy cup in the bathtub so they could get used the idea of using the cup.

A little bit of the same concept, what you can try is if she really is creating a battle for the bottle, give her an empty bottle. It may be that she is using it as a comfort object. After about 2 minutes or so, then offer a sippy cup (with a little water in it) ONLY if she is making a fuss about the empty bottle) This will help in deciding whether she is really waking up thirsty or just wanting the bottle for comfort.

This may also show her the only way to get something to drink is by the sippy cup, and not the bottle.

Thats all I have, please let us all know of how it turns out.

Good Luck to you!

That's tough, because it's a 2&1/2 year habit, and it will be hard to break. I'm just trying to think of a solution for you to make you both happy. Is she in a regular bed? Maybe you could leave a full bottle of milk (or sippy cup) on the bottom shelf in the fridge and tell her she can go get it herself if she wants one. That way you wouldn't have to get up. Or you could have a little bucket of ice with a bottle of milk on her nightstand, and when she wakes up - it'll be there nice and cold. And she won't even have to wake you. Good luck!

In my line of work, I always reassure parent's that they know their child better than anyone. You have to make the decision on how to handle the situation.

That being said, you have to stop sending mixed messages. Do not take that bottle away again unless you are going to stick with it at all costs. Even if she stays away crying every night for a month, you can not give it back. It you tell her that she is too big for it, then she is. Let her throw her fit. (I use noise machines for my kids and that drowns out any fussing from other rooms) If you do not follow through, you are teaching this child how to be queen of your castle. Plus you are actually making her feel less secure in her world because there are no clear boundaries. This will lead to greater tantruming and boundary testing everywhere else.

Good luck.

I think that no matter when you try to break this habit, you have to expect tears and tantrums. If you want to go slow, start at nap time without a bottle. That way her siblings are in school and won't be bothered. Then, ease into the bedtime. Another thing is to switch the bottle to a sippy cup which your daughter would not be able to take to bed. If you want to do this more quickly, dedicate a weekend of giving up the bottle. You could also tell your daughter that the bottle fairy needs it back for other babies. Good luck.

I weaned my daughter of this over a series of weeks. I started watering down her formula, bit by bit. Eventually I think she realized it wasn't worth waking up for. Good luck!

I would give her a couple days notice that on ___ (pick a day - maybe a Thurs) will be the last night for bottles. You can say the bottle fairy needs them for some other babies and she is a big girl. You might want to let her trade you for something else, like a new blanket or animal that can substitute as her lovie. Every night remind her of what is coming. Then on the last night make a big deal about it being her last night (you have to be very excited). Then put them in a bag and have her give to a baby you know, box them and "send them" to bottle fairy, have them be gone in the middle of the night,whatever. But remove them from your house immediately. Prep for a few nights of tantrums. And when she does it hold her for a`minute, remind her where they went, tell her you love her and say goodnight. If she wants to scream & throw things, oh well. Don't go back in her room. She will fall back asleep (could take a couple hours!) but it will be a weekend so everyone can nap if they are tired. And you might want to put a`spill proof sippy cup of water in bed with her. Mine gets thirsty when she wakes up. So do I so I never go to bed w/out `a glass of water on my bedside table. Why would I expect her to?

You know that you are not doing your daughter any favors by letting her hold on to this! You need to quit cold turkey. Start on a Friday night, that way everybody can sleep in the next day. Start talking about it hours before bedtime to get her used to the idea. Put a positive spin on it though: "You are such a big girl, you can talk, you can do ___ and ___ all by yourself, etc." Then explain that big girls don't use bottles. After her first night without the bottle do something to celebrate. Make chocolate chip pancakes, go swimming at the YMCA, whatever your daughter likes. Good luck and be strong! You are doing this for her, not you.

I am a single mom of 3 wonderful children ages 18, 16 and 13. One has Oppositional Defiance Disorder and ADHD. He is now a respectable human being. It took years of growing and training and seeing examples of both what to do and what not to do.

There is no need to yell or be mean but you do have to be consistent and firm. You need a game plan. If it bothers the school children then enlist their help. Wait until they are on winter break or something and explain that you need their help. Have them talk about how grown up they feel since they don't use a bottle. Warn them not to poke fun at her though. We want her to realize that she wants to be like the others and be a "big girl." Also let them know they may need to endure several nights of screaming. There is no way to avoid that.

Don't try to reason logically or plead with a two year old because she will just be confused. Explain to her in as simple terms as possible that she is too big and grown up for a bottle and that she needs to stop using it. Let her know that you love her. She will need lots of hugs but not while she is screaming. Reward good behavior, not bad behavior. Give her lots of praise and maybe even a reward of some sort when she passes up the bottle. Do not give her attention when she is throwing a fit unless she is harming herself or others. Remove her from the situation matter of factly. Do not let her see that it upsets you or she will manipulate you. Send her to a corner chair or a designated time out spot where she can calm herself.

You should strongly consider throwing the bottles away and letting her help you do it. Have her say "good-bye" to them. You could even have a little "going away party" nothing too fancy, just some cookies and maybe a nice little decorated bag or box to send them off to the trash in. She could help decorate it. Make it fun!! Give her a couple choices to replace them such as a sippy cup or a regular cup with lid and straw. Don't let her take it to bed. If she gets up at night let her have something to drink in the dining room or kitchen, then send her back to bed.

You HAVE to do this for her dental health. Keep reminding the rest of the family that this needs to happen in order for her to be a healthy human being. Otherwise she could get cavities or have crooked teeth or problems with her gums. Children who sleep with a bottle in their mouth are also more prone to ear infections.

Maybe you could start a chart or use a calendar and give her a sticker or stamp to place on it when she is good and nothing when she is in fits. Set a goal. Start with a day then a couple days then make it a week then a couple weeks then a month and at each of those times she will get a prize if she has a certain number of stickers. Kids love stickers and you can find them cheap in lots of places.

Don't expect perfection. Maybe if she is good 75 or 80% of the time she could have a reward. We all have our weak moments and you are helping her break an addiction. Keep setting the reward/goal longer and longer until she has gone for 3 months. By then she should have broken the habit.

I used this method for potty training my kids as well as behavior changes. I still do it but without stickers. Now I use picture messaging and data service as rewards on the teens cell phones. When they were little I used cheap legos,generic barbies or gi joes or other toys or a trip to McDonalds playland or a park or zoo or something.

The chart/calendar is a great reminder if a fit starts to come on. Just take her to it and show her how many stickers she has so far and ask if she wants her prize. Tell her if she is good she will still get a sticker. If she quiets down immediately, still give her the sticker since she got herself under control. Let her help decide what the prize will be so she will really want to work for it. It has to be something she wants more than a bottle.

Your older kids will probably want to set goals too, so you will have to come up with ones appropriate for their ages and what they need to accomplish. Maybe something like doing school work without arguing or getting up and ready for school without a hassle in the mornings or brushing their teeth without being told more than once. You don't have to have expensive prizes. IF they want something too expensive for your budget, let them know they will have to set the goal for longer or pick a lower cost item or event.

Giving in to your child's bad behavior teaches her that it is okay and that she will get what she wants if she throws a fit. That trains her to be a control freak or manipulator. No mother wants that. Our society does not want that. (Trust me, I work in customer service and deal with adult tantrums all day.) It will be hard for the first week or two but if you stick with this consistently, I promise it will get better. You have to make changes now or you will have bigger problems with other situations down the road. Nip this in the bud while she is young. Don't let her play on your emotions and motherly love. Use tough love. Be mater-of-fact about it. Tell her firmly, "No, you may not have a bottle. You are a big girl and you don't need one." Then walk away and let her scream if she wants to. Don't be surprised if you have to get up at night and tell her this. She may even come into your bedroom and demand one. Give her a drink from a sippy or regular cup then put her back in bed and state it again if she asks for the bottle again. You may have to do this 20 times the first night and that is okay. Losing a few nights sleep in short term is much better than the long term consequences of letting her be in charge. She may even scream herself to sleep for hours. Let her do it unless she is harming herself or others or destroying something. Don't let it bother you if she says "I hate you." My kids have done that when they were younger. What they hated was the rules or circumstances.

My teenagers have told me that I earned their respect. It certainly wasn't easy. We had some terrible times over the years. I just made sure I chose my battles wisely so I made sure I could persevere and not let them wear me down. I am not a strict parent by any means but I am fair and my kids know that I love them more than anything but that I will not put up with certain things. It took my adhd child until he was 15 to learn that no means no. Now he makes sure his friends follow house rules when they come over. It just tickles me to see him reinforcing rules he used to try so hard to break.

I hope this helps you! Keep your chin up and stick with it even when you are tired!

I have a 2 year old that still also wakes up. I've decided not to worry about it for now. My older one who also did that sleeps through anything now.

Okay, first stop blaming yourself for this M.. It does not matter how the problem was formed, it only mattersw the actiuons yoou take to get rid of it. Many times when we continue to blame ourselves for something, it interacts with our psychoego and it makes you give in easier. So first off, let's take a deep breath and point no fingers.

Now, you are going to have to choose a Friday night in order not to disturb the boys as your little Princess takes a huge step into toddlerhood.

You are going to have to set the date and just do it cold turkey. I would have her help you wrap the bottles up into a box. Kids at this age have HUGE Magical thinking. I would during the day go with her and leave the box for the "Bottle Fairy" who is going to come and get the box to take to needed babies. Then have BIG celebration of her helping other babies, go somewhere that is special to her. You have to get someone else in on the game, because when you come back, the Fairy has taken the bottles. Now you should go and buy her a SPECIAL BIG GIRL cup (while you are out on your outting). When you come back home explain to her in this cup she is going to get magial sleepy water that will be at her bedside so when she takes a drink at night, she will have magic sleep water. This will ease part of the habbit of two things she has going on. The transition will be a tid bit easier than just pulling it all away at once. The water thing will eventually fade once the vanity of it is gone. If you have someone that can leave the cup in the box from the Bottle Fairy, it makes it even more special. I just think a transition is a bit easier emotionally on YOU. Good luck and let us know how it works.

Oh, just FYI- I have heard of people placing holes in all of the nipples so that they did not want it or filling the bottle with water, but to me that is not getting rid of the problem, it is just dragging out the weaning process. ((((HUG)))).

Here is my question. What is she getting in the bottle? My neighbors give their almost 2 year old a bottle still and when they put her in her crib for bed or nap its always milk. She does the same thing.

I have never done this due to having my children off the bottle by 9 months. What I did was took a paper bag and put all the bottles in it. Because we are in an apartment with a storage unit, that is where I put the bottles. Out of sight out of mind. I then gave sippy cups and my youngest is still using a sippy at 16 months.

Don't use juice/milk or anything other than water in her bottle. They are not good for her teeth and will have bigger issues later.

I would do as everyone else has said and quit using the bottle cold turkey. What you could do is either have her throw the bottles away herself or put them in a bag for later using if you still want more children. If you have her do this herself than she will be more up to quitting using it. With my daughter I had to do this with her nuks. I had her throw them away herself and it was hard during the night for bed. She kept going to the garbage can and trying to take them back out. So I had her help me bring the garbage bag out to our dumpster and we told the nuks goodbye.

Do what works for you. Don't give in and buy her a new bottle because that didn't work either.

I totally agree with some of what's been said. Lose the bottles immediately and if she needs something to drink, give her water. She should be brushing her teeth before bed anyway, so why give her milk or juice after that? I had to do this with my 16 month old daughter, as she was asking for milk as a stalling tactic after we'd get all ready for bed and read stories (she knew what was coming). We would offer her water only, and after one or two nights, she gave it up. This made me feel better ~ I was feeling guilty for not giving her milk, but if she's truly thirsty, she will drink water. And my suspicions of stalling were confirmed.
But most importantly, stand your ground and don't give in! It will be painful, but it will get better!!!

I have a friend that breastfeed her daughter during the night until age 1, then gave her sippy cups with milk in bed all night long until age 3 and now she has 7 cavities and had to have surgery. The doctor said it was because of her drinking milk in the middle of the night. It is really bad on your teeth.

I'm only telling you this for momentum to stop with the bottles! My friend was terrified of having her 3 year old have surgery on 7 cavities with 3 more potential cavities on the way :(

I'm not even sure if you mean she is drinking milk in the bottles, but just thought I would let you know. Sometimes my son wakes up and is thirsty and I always gave him milk, now I always make sure I give him water instead :) I had never heard this before, so I had no clue that milk gives kids cavities!

Good luck

I totally agree with the bottle fairy idea. i did this for my daughters pacifier and it worked like a charm. she was so dependant on it to go to sleep but once the "binky fairy" took it away she never looked back. Make sure you replace the bottle with a surprise toy that you know she will love and talk about the bottle fairy coming for several days so that she is ready for it. I plan to do this exact same thing for my 3 1/2 year old twins who are still dependant on their sippy cups at night.

Good luck!

This is going to sound weird, but Rachael Ray had an episode about this, with the actress Leah Remini (sp?). I don't remember exactly what they told her to do, but the situation sounds really similar. Below is the link to the episode where they discuss it. You should watch it.
I hope it helps.

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/view/539/

A.

If you are worried about waking the boys up, start on a friday night, TONIGHT!! cold turkey. Today, play a game and find all the bottles, and throw them all away, or "give" them away. Then if she wakes up tonight, let her cry for at least 20 minutes, or, when you lay her down, give her a sippy cup of water. That way if she wakes up and wants something to drink, her sippy is right there.. You have to get rid of that bottle. All my kids was off the bottle by the time they were one.. Good luck.

I made my hubby come home early one night. In the meantime, my daughter and I BOTH packed up all the bottles in a trash bag. When dad got home he took the bottles after my daughter said goodbye. We made sure she saw them go bye-bye. It also happened on trash day, so she literally watched the trashman leave with them. She never asked for them again. I am now getting ready to do this again with our son. DO NOT CAVE IN and DO NOT keep an EMERGENCY SPARE bottle hidden. It would be to easy to get it out and then your daughter will have called your bluff.
Good luck. We could do this together! You pick the day and I will do it with you.

Hi M.-

My husband and I were in the same boat when our oldest (now 14) was little. The cold turkey method worked for us. It is hard, but worth it. It took less than a week. We learned our lesson with the bottle, but then our fussy son came along and we ended up in the same predicament with the pacifier. That lasted until he was 4 yrs old! He would reason with us as to why we should not take it away! Cold turkey method applied again. He is now 10 and he is fine. :o) It only took us 2 children to learn these lessons! We are having #5 at the beginning of the year. Good luck. Stay strong!

I know you don't want to hear this, but the only way to go is cold turkey. She's old enough to understand what you tell her. Explain that bottles are for babies. Maybe even make a big deal about giving her bottles to the babies who need them. Then get rid of them and ride it out. It probably will not be fun for a few days, but she may really surprise you and it won't be as bad for as long as you think. It could take a couple of days, but it could be a couple of weeks. Just remember that you aren't doing her any favors by allowing this.

Since you have the older kids in school, maybe you could start it on Friday night so it doesn't interrupt school nights. Hopefully by Sunday, things will be more calm.

There is no turning back, so set your date, have your talk with her and stick to your guns - no matter what.

Good luck to you!
K.

I didn't read all the responses so I'll quickly add - I agree, the best idea is cold turkey ASAP. But keep in mind that you've "given in" so the protest will be stronger than had you not given in. Another option is - I started mixing 1/2 water, 1/2 formula - in a few nights, 3/4 water and eventully all water. He didn't love it, but it was that or nothing, so he took it. She's old enough to find a water bottle in the bed in the middle of the night. Don't drag is out too long. Switch to a sippy cup. Be sure to start on a night when there's no school/work the next day. It will be tough, but the temper tantrums will only get worse as she gets older. Be strong and buy ear plugs for the older kids and yourself. (You may go through the same thing with the nuk in a few years)

You already said that you give in..... so you know that she freaks out, because she knows you will give in. If you are willing to let her freak out for a few nights, then start on a Friday night. The only way to break the cycle, is if YOU break the cycle.

Maybe you could give her less and less in her bottle each time, then break the cycle.

It may be difficult, but you'll get through this.

Good luck :)

Hi! I have a three year old that was still "attached" to a bottle at 2 1/2 as well! The technique I used was similar to some of the techniques I learned about from Elizabeth Pantley's NO CRY SLEEP SOLUTIONS FOR TODDLERS book. (Which I highly recommend reading by the way.) The trick is to do it GRADUALLY! Let her have her bottle and then just pull it out of her mouth for a moment. Put it right back in... and then do it again...back in. The next time she has a bottle, pull out the bottle again, this time for maybe just a few seconds more, or maybe a time or two more. Make up some excuse that you need to go adjust the curtains, or the light, or go get her a teddy bear, etc. But break up the time she has the bottle in her mouth. Then, gradually increase the time that she has the bottle out of her mouth. During those times, you can try to introduce other self-soothing methods, such as getting her a "lovey" - like a teddy, or a doll. Maybe try some soothing music, etc. Give her something else she can gradually get used to "using" to help herself fall asleep.

Anyway, this method really worked for my little one! AND... It WORKED without having her crying all of the time. It helped her to gradually learn how to soothe and calm herself. I do not believe leaving a child to "cry it out" helps them learn to sooth themselves. I believe that simply exhausts them to sleep. But, of course, you need to follow your own heart on this one!

Good Luck!!

ok first of all stop worrying about it being your "fault" and stop feeling so guilty.

as moms we make choices. whatever choices we make determines the next set of choices. makes sense. however, when it seems like we have done something that goes against what "the world" is doing - we tend to start feeling guilty.

heres the most important words in mothering: you are the mother. your instincts matter more than anyone's advice, more than anyone else's experiences, more than anyone elses suggestions. your instincts are what helps you and your family survive. (literally and figurativly) - you make the choices that helps your family get the most sleep, and theres nothing wrong with that.

first of all, do you use a nuk with her? it may be too little too late, but all babies start out with the strong need to suck. babies who arent allowed to suck as often as they need to end up with an undesireable habit later. im not saying this to make you feel guilty, again, your instincts are the ones that matter.

do you use the bottle during the day for any other drinks? if its a yes, you should probably start using ONLY sippy or regular cups for drinks with meals, snacks and all day in general. maybe you could start with naptime since its the shortest amount of sleep, and just give her a sippy in bed. my son is 22 months and we give him a sippy in bed. he doesnt use it all night, or hardly at all, but if he wakes up thirsty, he takes a drink, puts the cup back in the corner of his crib, and lays back down and goes to sleep.

give a drink before bed, to try to get rid of the thirsty feeling before bed. again, starting with naptime. the more routine you can make it the better.

yeah, i would probably try to drop the bottle really fast. the thing with bottles is that when left in the mouth they will drip drip drip and that causes LOTS of teeth issues, especially if its not just water. make sure that you never give milk or juice in a bottle anymore. if she wants those things she needs to use a cup. you didnt specify what is in the bottle, so i had to add that in there.

www.askdrsears.com has lots of information, and best of all, it supports following instincts that moms have. trust yourself and your instincts, and you will be able to best give your daughter what she needs...

M.--
First of all, try not to blame yourself! I also have a daughter, my second child, and she isn't quite as old as your daughter, but she still takes a bottle twice a day. She is lactose intolerant, and the only way I can get her to take her soy milk is in a bottle. Honestly, I can't foresee an end to her bottle feeding. She is also loud, will freak out, and REFUSES to take her milk in anything than a bottle. After having a difficult, strong headed child like my daughter, I have realized that no one should ever judge another person's situation--sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Your daughter won't take a bottle forever, but it just may take her a lot longer to transition off of it. You have three kids, you stay at home, and sometimes, you just need a break from the stress. My advice is this--every once in a while, when you are feeling up to it, try to give her a sippie cup instead of a bottle, or reduce one of the feedings. Weaning, like potty training, is a tough job, especially if your child isn't ready. Just keep trying when you have the energy, and eventually, it will work. To my knowledge, there are no teenagers who still take a bottle, so there is hope! =)

Hi M.,
I had that problem, sometimes it was easy, but sometimes it wasn't. What I did was put a sippy cup by the side of the bed with water in it and gave my son that in the replacement of the bottle...the first few times wasn't all that easy, but it eventually got him over that whole phase. Try it over a weekend so that your 7 yr old isn't being bothered so much....

Hi M.,

You have two separate issues here: (1) she's still waking up in the middle of the night; and (2) she's still using a bottle.

I would deal with the bottle issue first. Throw out the bottles TODAY. Tell her she is a big girl now, and big girls drink out of cups. She will pitch a fit and scream and cry for a few days, but once she realizes the bottles are no longer in the house AND you're not going to give in, she will stop.

If after you take the bottle away she is still waking up at night, give her a cup with a very small amount of water in it. Don't give her milk or juice or anything interesting, just enough water to quench her thirst. Then lead her back to bed. If she keeps getting up, bring her back to bed, even if you have to do this 50x the first night.

Yes, she might wake her brothers up the first few nights, but the sooner you deal with this, the sooner everyone else in the house can get some sleep, including YOU. Give the boys some earplugs and/or move them to a different area of the house for sleeping.

Just cut it out cold turkey. She'll cry for a couple nights (I'm guessing 2) but will quickly give up when she sees that you're not giving in. Key here: Don't give in! You're in charge! You're the mom and you have to set boundaries for her -- it is your job to teach her what those boundaries are!!! You can do it! It is really that simple. Sorry, but there's no other option. You've got to show her she's a big girl now and doesn't need a bottle anymore. I've heard others say they put the bottles in a bag and explain that since she is a big girl now, we are giving them to other babies who need them, etc. Good luck! Stay strong! Push through a couple long nights and she'll give in.