Advice for Bottle Weaning and New Nap/bedtime Routine

I have 4 children (5 and under), and in weaning 3 of them (1 is 10 months) I weaned to bottle and then to cup, much like you have. Often mine would not take certain cups, so I'd try different ones until I found one they would. I would go through the similar routine, just giving them a cup instead of the bottle. Maybe try the cup more throughout the day with milk in it, so he's more used to drinking milk from it. I wish you the best of luck. I know it's emotional for you and for him.

Dear T.,

I have learned that kids start managing us at early age. I think you are doing right because,
1. You are teaching him some discipline. My kids learned from the beginning what is bed time. Now 13, and 9 they go bed 9:0pm with not discussion at all. But I learned to be firm. If you already stoped leaving the bottle in his mouth before sleeping, keep the same discipline. One thing that I did also was to star singing or telling some small stories, even when you know hi will not understand. Small kids learn in different ways.
2. Another big reason, is health. We made the mistake with my old son to leave the bottle on his month overnight. The first time we took it to the dentist, guess what? all his teeth were already damaged, It has taken money, time, and a little bit pain to bring his teeth to a healthy point. NEVER LEAVE A BOTTLE WITH FOOD OVERNIGHT. IF POSSIBLE CLEAN HIS MONTH WITH WATER BEFORE SLEEPING.

You take care.

A friend

We had the same problem with our now almost two year old son. I tried the Nube sippy cups with the silicon squishy tops and put formula in those and my son seemed to have no problem giving up the bottle as long as we used those cups. As he got older we started doing half formula/half whole milk, gradually switching to all milk. As he got older, he stopped drinking milk altogether and still wont touch it, so we have gone to water in a cup before bed. Those cups worked wonders for us though- you might want to give them a try:) S.

Hello I to breastfeed my child and doing the weaning. It's hard for both me and my child because I feel bad but I have read many books and they all say to start by doing 1/2 and 1/2. So if you want him to drink water do 1/2 water 1/2 milk. Try using a sippy cup it only takes 3 days to brake a babies habit. The first 3 days will be hard but you can do it. I hope this helps some.

first- you are doing a great job Mommy and don't be so hard on yourself-I didn't wean mine until they were two! The bottle thing can get tricky and he probably wants to suck more than he wants milk per se- After"feeding" either by bottle or breast, lay him down with his lovey bear, etc and stay calm- if he sense that you are stressed and afraid that he will "scream" then he will pick that fear up from you and do just that- find your peaceful happy place and quiet room- silent or with soft classical music and try teh laying down slowly- it make take several times of him faling asleep on you and you laying him down before he is read to go back to "putting himself to sleep"= but think of it as a transitin and not so black and white- trial and error is best-
And remember- you are a great Mommy- He chose you! You are doing EVERYTHING right for yourself and for him
best of luck

Hi

My third child is 16 months now. Still being on a bottle isn't all bad just before one year. I know with my first two we took the bottle away right at one year; with our third it went a few weeks later.

Some things that might be worth trying is:
1. Instead of sippy cups, try cups with flip up straws (that's all my daughter will use).
2. Try rotating your evening routine so that the bottle is first- while he's still toddling around- long before the actual bedtime routine starts. Maybe you can gradually take it out of his bedtime expectations.
3. Try watering down the formula litlle-by-little or switching to whole milk. Maybe this will start detaching him from this dependancy.

Lastly, I know it's hard but sometimes it's ok to let them cry. It usually will abate in a few days.

Oh, in address to his naps: don't stress that too bad. Usually just around or past a year, their naps will start to draw to a natural flow. of just once a day at the right time. Plus, I used to work alternating shifts with my husband to avoid daycare. Because of it, the person coming off of nights often needed a nap. Maybe this is why your little one is napping in the morning. If it works for y'all (and you don't have to worry about childcare center needs) then I don't see a problem. Often as parents we're too busy thinking our kids, routines, development, etc, has to measure up to everyone else. It doesn't. You're doing great with your son!

First off I think you are being too hard on yourself. Your son is only... not even one. There is no problem with him still taking a bottle. I know hoards of moms will bash me on this but my daughter was the same way. Be thankful that he goes to sleep on his own. Yes, even with a bottle. That is his security. Sounds like he is a good sleeper. One 3 hour nap or 2 (1.5) hour naps. That is what his body needs. And I couldnt nurse my daughter so you are lucky to have that great bond with him. Dont worry his is not going to be nursing when he is in kindergarten. And my daughter gave up her bottle when she was about 1.5-2 I started cutting it with more and more water with milk. You are a hard working momma with too much to worry about, take a break, nurse your baby and enjoy it, give it a couple of months and try again. As we know kids at this age do what they want....not what we want.

I am sending a big hug to you!

T.,
Don't be so hard on yourself. If the bottle is really bothering you, try using a sippy cup that has a rubbery lid. If that doesn't work, it really isn't a problem for your son to have two bottles a day. He isn't using them in his crib, or walking around with them all day (which would be bad for his teeth, and something constantly in the mouth can delay speech). It sounds like you have created a very nuturing routine for his naptime/bedtime. I say don't sweat it. He won't go off to college with the bottle :). They grow so quickly, and when he is older you can reason more easily (have the bottle fairy come for a birthday or something). Good luck. It sounds like you are a great mom.
Tami

For my oldest son I moved the nursing/bottle to earlier in the routine until it was the first thing on the list. Once I had it first I moved the nursing/bottle out of the bed room and into the living room then continued with the rest of the routine in the bed room. I then substituted the nursing/bottle with a snack. Done.... It took about 2 weeks.

As for the one morning nap I had to do the same thing you are and move the nap by 5 - 15 mins. until it is now at 1:30pm (he is 2 1/2, but didn't give up his 2nd nap unil almost 2.

Hope this helps:)
S.

Hi T.

My son will be a year in a week and also is still on his bottle. He is drinking a lot less during the day since he is eating meals - but loves his bottle before bedtime. I used to give him his bottle in his bed when he began rubbing his eyes - but have been trying to let him drink it first then putting him to sleep and tucking him in.

I agree with what someone said that he probably likes the sucking - I found that mine often would be fast asleep before most of the bottle was gone.

As for the naps - you can try to build a routine that may break that long nap into a morning and afternoon. Even if it means waking him up and then waiting for those "I'm tired" cues in the afternoon. My son takes a 9:30 nap and a 2:30 nap like clockwork and then goes down for the night at about 8pm. I attribute some of this to daycare but it is also just a daily routine he got accustomed to. It may be tricky in the beginning with a cranky baby - but could benefit you in the long run.

No matter what - you are doing a great job. If he is happy and healthy - than SMILE!

So what's the problem? Your son is only a year old, he's still a baby. Why do you think you have to wean him off the bottle right now, right away? I had 4 children, 3 of them in diapers at one time. My second and third are only 15 months apart. My second one was off the bottle before the third one was born but when she went from the breast to the bottle, he started taking her bottle away from her and drinking it. So, to keep her from starving to death, we gave his bottle back. This was in the days when we still used glass bottles. He had one left and I told him that when that one got broken, he would not get another one. The day he broke that bottle, I picked up the pieces, showed him I was throwing it away, and he never asked for it again. Each child is different and they grow and develop at their own pace--let them. He'll give up the bottle when it becomes cumbersome to him but don't push it and don't make an issue out of it. It's not that important in the whole scheme of things and in his lifetime. This is your firts one so you don't know how fast they do grow up and that one day you will be wishing he was still a baby. I now have 7 grandchildren--and they are all different. That's what's so much fun.

I started to wean my son at that age too and it turned out to be a bad time for him. Maybe because he was experiencing the big change of switching from crawling to walking and couldn't handle the additional big change of weaning. I work out of the home and may husband stays home so it was espcially challenging for me to wean because I wasn't home with him during the day to give him love and comfort in other ways. So, I began nursing on demand again and he was back up to 5 or 6 nursings a day and then we gradually weaned again once he started getting used to the freedoms that walking brought for him. I always think that this period in life when they are aware of everything around them but so limited in their communication and other skills must be such a frustrating time. I know my son had a very difficult itme at that age and just when I thought he was ready for some independence (walking, talking, socializing) is when he started to rely on my closeness and reassurance more than ever. Will your son take a cup with a straw? My son always loved a straw and thought it was much more interesting than just a plain old sippy cup. Since they get the same satisfaction of sucking with a straw but without getting to use it as a crutch like a false nipple it might help to do the bottle weaning. I completely wimped out and just went back to nursing on demand until I felt my son was ready (even though I was ready to wean months before I actually did) so I am not really one to give advice on the topic. But I feel your pain.

Hi T.,
I have a 15 month old who I still give a bottle or two each day. I nursed him until he was one. I finally had to stop nursing because he wouldn't sleep thru the night. My older two I nursed longer. Anyway, while he will drink from either a cup or bottle, I think they enjoy sucking on a bottle (and it's less messy - he manages to get any cup to drip down his shirt). So, I alternate.
If you are worried about bedtime, gradually start diluting the bottle with water. Once it's just water it really doesn't matter if he drinks it before bed. Life is too short to fight over the little stuff.
Sounds like you are doing a great job!
Patty

From Grandmother age 66, give him the bottle and don't worry about it. If he were 4 or 5 it would be different, now don't worry.

Hi T.,

Sounds like you're doing everything right, maybe just a little early. There's no harm in the sleep time bottle, babies are sticklers for their routines, as you noted.

Continue the weaning, continue to offer the cup, (have a cup of something yourself at the time, as he grows, he will want to copy mom and dad) but don't refuse the bottle if the baby wants it. If he is still requiring a bottle by age 2, then you may want to push harder for the cup. In any case, weaning will happen all by itself even if you don't set a time line.

Back in the day we just let the kids wean themselves, and they all lost interest in the bottle around age 2

By the way, congrats on your decision to keep your baby at home, that is probably the one best thing you could have done!

Nanna

Just a thought....Maybe if you put water in the bottle he will start to realize that he doesn't like it as much and may give it up on his own.

What ever you do, make sure you are wiping your sons mouth out and brushing his teeth if you are giving him bottle or breast before bed (former dental hygienist speaking:) We weaned our daughter off little by little. We first gave her water in the bottle in her bed(for a few months) and then no bottle. She did cry but she is fine and we got through it. Make sure your son is full too. I would feed him real food right before his nap and bed and then the bottle or breast. On the naps, my daughter used to take 2. One in the am and one in the afternoon. Maybe you could shorten his morning nap and give him an afternoon nap too.