Formula and the Bottle at 12 Months

I got rid of the bottle at 11 months for my 2nd and 3rd and just put formula into a sippy cup until they were a year old. Then I gradually switched to whole milk and there was no fuss at all. I made the mistake of putting juice and milk in the bottle with my oldest, and the transition was a nightmare.

Do NOT milx milk and formula to wean them off of formula. Just stop giving it to them. If they will take milk in a sippy, stop both milk and formula cold turkey. The sooner you stop using the bottle, the easier it will be

if you think you can just pull them off the formula with no problems go ahead and do it. if not do a mix and each day pit more milk and less formula till its all milk. i would suggest a sippe cup. they like drinking out of cups anyway because they see you doing it. good luck!

My twin girls were given whole milk right at the 12 month mark. I also took away their bottles and tried to take away their passy's as well but soon found out it was just too much. Mine didn't seem to mind the switch from formula to milk so that part was easy but yours may follow differently and might upset their systems as well so you could try mixing the two for awhile if you see that occur.
As far as weaning them from the bottles it was a little easier than I thought. I basically threw them all out so that I had no option nor did they to have a bottle. There are also particular sippy cups that are good transitional ones you can buy but I can't remember the name but I think it started with an "N". (Maybe Nuvent???) Anyways my twins were much more attached to their pappy's rather than bottles so I think that might be the reason the transition was so simple for me...as I said I tried taking away the bottles, switching to whole milk, AND taking away their pappy's all at the same time and I ended up caving on the pappy thing and figured it was just too much to take away at one time. I finally weaned them off the passy's at 18 months of age. I miss those days...mine are 7 now and it's so hard to believe! Good luck momma you will figure out what is best and believe me not your children will let you know :())

With both of mine I cut out all but a nighttime bottle of formula at 12 months and then gradually weaned them from that over a month. Sounds like your twins are getting a great start and plenty of good stuff without fooling with formula anymore!

I stopped giving my daughter both the day of her 1 yr appt. They're all individual but she didn't seem phased. One thing that I do think helped was the sippy I would give her last milk in didn't have handles. It felt similar to a bottle for her. I nursed her until 9 months though so she wasn't as attached to bottles as some kids. Just a thought though. Good luck!

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I stopped giving my daughter both the day of her 1 yr appt. They're all individual but she didn't seem phased. One thing that I do think helped was the sippy I would give her last milk in didn't have handles. It felt similar to a bottle for her. I nursed her until 9 months though so she wasn't as attached to bottles as some kids. Just a thought though. Good luck!

Talk about hard to believe -- my twins turn 6yo next month! Wow! I would get rid of the formula first, especially since they already drink milk okay. Way cheaper! I would go ahead and give the sippy cup regularly at meals, etc. But I wouldn't worry about getting rid of the bottle if they are reluctant. At this stage, they are still getting a large amount of calories and nutrition from milk. My 12-mo-olds would drink little bits from the sippy cup, but not nearly enough. I was not willing to deprive them of their milk just so I could get rid of the bottle faster. My twins kept the bottle, especially before bed, till about 15-mos. My doctor didn't seem concerned, and we haven't noticed any problems. I remember being a little stressed that I couldn't switch them to the sippy cup faster, but it just happened without trouble once they were ready. What seemed impossible at 12 months was a breeze just 3 months later. Good luck and enjoy!

I stopped both at the same time (think I did it a week or two after my daughter turned one). My daughter had no issue with the change, I think if there was protesting I would have given only water in her bottle and milk/water down juice in her sippy cup.

Hope the transition gose smoothly for you :)

My personal... my babies weaned themselves of bottle and breast around 15-20 mos. I did take them both off formula around 1 yr. My ped said to wean them, and I did what I knew was best for them. Good luck to you during all these transitions:)

Each child is different to break from a bottle trial and error. I would suggest whatever seems to work with you both and with less resistance. I have 3 boys so each one has been a bit different. I do suggest getting the sippy cup out putting milk in it and getting away from the formula, once totally off the formula you should still consider a vitamin of some type. See what your ped suggest and ask other moms what they like to use. You can get a good amount of vitamins from food yes but kids personal opinion because sometimes they don't eat as good as we'd like should have a boost....they are still growing. My kids are 9,7,6 so I still give them vitamins...good luck

There is toddler formula out there if you don't want to keep using formula. I liked using formula because when we were out I just had to add water. Milk, you have to keep cool in a freezer pack and I was always traveling. We didn't get rid of evening bottle until my son was two. We used sippy cups during the day, but at night we used a bottle. So, do what is comfortable for you and your kids. If your kids are great eaters then you can probably do without the extra nutrients in the formula but it is easier if you travel a lot.

When we switched from formula to milk, we did the gradual switch, where you replace a little of the formula (1/4 of the serving) with milk for a day or two. Then begin making it half formula and half milk for a couple days. Then go to 3/4 milk and 1/4 formula for a couple of days. Then just milk. They hardly even noticed.

Then however you want to do the bottle thing doesn't matter.

For me, the answer is more personal. Do the girls need bottles or are they simply eating from them? If they are attached and don't want to give them up right now, don't get to anxious about it. It won't hurt anything for them to have the bottle for a few more weeks while you wean them off. I would quit the formula straight away though, if for no other reason than the cost. If they are ok with milk, run with it. Good luck!

I also have twins. We just took away both bottle and formula a week before they turned 1. We had no problems at all. They didn't miss either one. It might have helped that my kids NEVER had baby food. We didn't even blend it up. They had cranberry sauce and mashed potatos at their first Thanksgiving and they were only 2 months old. So they liked regular food so much, they didn't miss the bottle.