Getting 1 Year Old off Bottle

My daughter is almost two and has given up the bottle except for after nap. I figure one or two bottles a day is not going to harm her for life, and it makes her happy. So instead of a twenty minute tantrum after nap, I figure a five minute bottle break will not harm her!

Not a problem! Our daughter just turned 1 on Dec. 28th and our pediatrician told us to change her from formula to milk and from bottle to sippy cup in one shot. Not so easy! I figured if the World Health Organization recommends breast-feeding until age 2, how bad can a bottle be for naptime and bedtime? It's not like our daughters are in kindergarten. The fact that they can drink from the sippy cup for meals is great. It's a gradual process.

dont worry my 2,5 y old still wants a bottle at nighttime and i dont care what pediatricians say, he'll give it up eventually. i do not let him fall asleep with it though. i brush his teeth afterwards to prevent cavities

My 20 month old daughter still drinks from a bottle in the morning and at night. She was breastfeed until 1 year. I don't see a problem with the bottle, because it is the only way she will drink milk. She drinks juice from a sippy cup during the day. I plan to wean her from the bottle by age 2 though.

I don't think it's a problem. Baby's love to suck and it's very soothing for them. Don't worry. If she already drinks from a cup your are doing well.

My 16 mos old little monkey also wants the bottle at night. She drinks water very well from the sippy cup with meals and thorughout the day. I agree I need to get her off, but it will happen some day. She doesn't drink any juice and I brush her teeth daily. In other countries, esp where I am from, it is not uncommon for kids to be on the bottle till they are 2 or so. Only in the USA it's stressed to go cold turkey at one. Yeah, it will be hard, but believe me she won't be sucking on a bottle when she is in preschool or kindgergarten!
But when I do plan to get her off, I will probably go cold turkey. By then she will be more verbal and can understand why we are not giving her it anymore.
So yes, technically they should not be using a bottle after 1, but realistically, relax! As long as she's not running around with it or taking it to bed with her. It's not the end of the world, in contrary to those tongue-waggers who tsk tsk you if they see your child is still on the bottle. Look around, how many kids u see are still using the bottle?
Kids mature at different rates. Most 1 year olds are still babies and the bottle is very soothing. I've seen 1 year olds though, who can pass for being 18 mos old just for being so developmentally advanced (there's one kid in our Gymboree class who is always 6 mos ahead of everyone else in her peer group). They will grow out of it eventually.

At the advice of our pediatrician, we took our 13 month old off the bottle cold turkey. She was upset for two days, then just refused to drink milk out of any container for three weeks. I was concerned and emailed this group. Lots of suggestions, one of which was to get the sippy cup that has a top that is more like a bottle nipple. I bought that and my daughter drank and drank milk - exactly once. Then she never wanted to use it again and only would drink out of her sippy cup or an adult cup.

I recommend trying one method you think you can live with (cold turkey, graduated method, other) and sticking to it. If she thinks that she'll be able to get her way by being stubborn, you'll set yourself up for all the other battles that are still to come.

My younger son was the same way. I think as long as they don't keep the bottle in their mouth all the time (walk around with it) or fall asleep with the bottle in their mouths, it's not a huge deal with their teeth. It seemed to bring him a lot of comfort. We did transition him to sippy cups, but then he just got hooked on those ;-)

I think a year is still pretty much a baby and they sometimes need help to soothe themselves to sleep. Maybe give it another six months or a year and see if she naturally loses interest.

Sounds like she may not be emotionally ready to give it up. My daughter could drink from a cup, regular water bottle, cans, and sippy cups, but she still wanted her bottle every now and then. One night she woke up in the middle of the night and the only thing she wanted was apple juice in her bottle. We were desperate, so we gave it to her and put her back in bed. She just cuddled with the bottle (never drank it, just snuggled with it under her arm). The next morning she had given up the bottle for good. If your daughter is still only 1 year old, it's not worth the power struggle to make her give it up just yet.

Hi Brenda,
I would propose to give a little bit water into the milk. Just start with a little portion, so she couldn't taste the difference. Every other day give her a little bit more water. I swear it works, however I didn't have a chance to try it - my daughter wasn't attached to bottle so much.
I recommend a great book by Tracy Hogg "The Baby Whisperer solves all your problems". This method is from this position.
Tracy was great and most of her ideas works for me just great.
Good luck,
A.

15 month old is usually the age to take them off. I suggest burning the nipple which leaves a weird taste. But also putting what she doesnt like to drink in the bottle. And her favorite drink in the cup.

You just have to do it cold turkey... she is going to cry today or she will cry in a month when you try it again. She probably won't drink milk for a couple days... but then she will start drinking it again. I know it seems extreem... but it does work... you can wait till she is ready... but who know when that will be... I have a friend who kept waiting, and he child was over 3 before she took the bottle away...I have done it with my 2 children and I am going to be doing it with my 3rd in 2 months...

I guess I am not the norm of your responses... but my point being... anytime you switch, your child is going to have a hard time...to me it is better when they are younger than older when they really get attatched and actually understand you taking something away.. is it harmful... no.. but it only gets harder and harder as they get older to take it away.. so when they are at this young age.. they will get over it quicker. I am sure you will do what you are comfortable with... but I can assure you they will cry at age 2 when you try to take it away again...remember they become much more verbal at that age...

good Luck