Toddlers and Bottles of Milk

Hi. I have same dilema. My twins sons are 17 months and need to get off bottle too. I give them breakfast first (8am) and then after breakfast they play and at 10:30 they have a second bottle and then nap. Lunch is at 1pm and at 3/3:30 comes a second bottle. Dinner is at 5:30 and they get another bottle at bedtime. I'm trying to make the first and second bottles 'sippy cups' but they don't like drinking milk from them (ok with water & juice) Someone said if they get hungery enough they will drink it but they cry for the bottles.
I would feed first bottle/cup after breakfast in mid morning. What advice have you been given?

My son is just turning a year and we still have him on a bottle with formula (which I plan to switch to milk soon). My question is: what's wrong with the bottle? He gets so much comfort and nutrition from it. How harmful can one or two bottles a day be?

Good question. I'm having that problem with my 15 month old. I've found that if I keep offering it to her, she'll eventually get used to it.

Most Dr.s want the babies of the bottle by one. Do what you have to do to get the baby to drink it's milk. Some parents allow their kids to have a bottle till they are 2yrs old. I did with my two older kids now 5 and 4. I plan to do the same for my 1 yr old. Milk in bottle, water and juice in zippy cups. It worked for my kids. Let them eat whatever they want for as long it's healthy. They have the rest of their lives to be picky and on diets.

At this age, your child only needs 2 cups of milk a day. Sometimes toddlers will eat less if they drink a lot of milk. Has your pediatrician said anything like that? Does he eat well otherwise? You could eliminate one bottle of milk altogether. As to the sippy, since he has no problem drinking water in it, he technically is able to drink milk from there as well. He doesn't want to because maybe it's more comforting for him to have the milk from a bottle since he's been drinking it that way for so long. Try giving him a couple ounces in the cup and then giving him the rest in a bottle after he drinks from the cup. Over time you can put more in the cup and less in the bottle until he's drinking all 8 oz from the cup.
As to your question about breakfast, let him eat or drink in whichever order he likes. I don't think it matters since he's probably thirsty when he wakes up. My son just turned 2 and he likes to have a cup of milk at the same time he eats breakfast (Cheerios with milk). He takes a few sips from the cup and eats the cereal and then drinks some more. He goes back and forth like that. If you're worried your son isn't eating enough for breakfast or if it's too long to wait till he's hungry for it, you can try giving him only half as much milk to start.

Good luck!

Goodmorning Ladies!!
My daughter is 19months right now, and she does not drink milk from a bottle since she turned 12 months old. And again sge wouldn't drink milk from a cup.
I started to introduce milk in a cup when she was 9months old, she wouldn't drink at first, but i was just keep doing it. And yes after a while i figure that i had to get her "those special cups" just for the milk. When she turned 12 months old, she was off the bottle.
Yes if your baby miss a bottle of milk, or don't drink too much it's ok, he is a toddler now and should be eating other things.
Good luck!!!!!

Well H......the bottle is always a big debate and you are going to hear many different sides to the story. I have a 6 year old son, Bryan and a 15 month old, Tyler and I have learned that there is no book that tells you exactly what to do.
I do think that you should do breakfast in the morning before giving him his bottle. You could give him one sippy cup with water and one with milk and see which one he chooses on his own. Sometimes when given the choice it is amazing what they pick. If you still have to give him a bottle in order for him to get his milk......it is OK he is not going to walk down the wedding isle with his bottle! Ha-Ha Remember it is all about keeping a sense of humor!

I am having the same problem! My daughter is 16 1/2 months. She is also not interested in milk from a sippy cup. Even last night she kept pushing away the milk in the sippy cup but when I relented and got the bottle out, she was eager to take it. I'll be interested to hear other responses....

HI,
I had a similar experience but have just successfully made the transfer with my 19-month old. This is what happened. My friend was trying to do the switch so when we went to visit we made a big deal of the "beautiful special Dora milk cup" that her friend was drinking out of. You need to get a special cup the toddler hasn't seen before and designate it as the milk cup. We got exactly the same one as her friend so she understood it was THE milk cup.
First day I gave her bottles in the morning and at night but the cup during the day--not too bad. It doesn't matter if they don't drink much milk for a few days--they are getting plenty of food and if u r concerned give more cheese and yogurt during that time. Anyway, the morning bottle is the hardest and u just have to commit to it and deal with the screaming and pushing and asking for the REAL bottle as mine called it. Try distraction but leave the cup available. Eventually they go to it when they realize there's no other option. I showed her that all her dolls were enjoying the yummy milk and she would sip but resist.
After 2 days we were done and now when she asks for her bottle she expects the special milk cup. For now I'm giving her milk only in that cup. Juice and water in other cups.
Good luck and commit when u r ready otherwise, just like the sleep training, it's too confusing and sends the wrong message.

me too. and he's so sweet and asks so nicely (in his own language). we've tried cold turkey, but the second he tastes the milk from the cup, he just lets it run right out of his mouth. he stopped drinking milk completely the whole day, then we gave in and gave him the bottle before bed.

i know the right thing is to "lose" the bottles, there are no more, and you've got nothing to do but accept there are no bottles, by the third day, he will be fine. (i know.)

it is your email that will inspire me, now, this very morning. NO MORE BOTTLES.

there. its done.

yesterday i introduced a straw to him with milk. that is what i am going to do today to get him to have milk. (though i know bed time will be the hardest. when he usually snuggles up with his bottle while we say our bed time prayer and sing our lullaby.)

i'll try to remember to let you know how it goes.

We experienced the same thing. My daughter loved milk in a bottle but would not take it from a cup. Our pediatrician asked what other sources of calcium she would eat such as yogurt and cheese. those happen to be her favorite foods so we just stopped the bottles. She has never been a milk drinker and still does not drink milk at 3 1/2 years old. Every once in a while she will drink chocolate milk but that is maybe 1 or 2 times a month. Lots of kids do not drink milk so try not to worry.

I hope this helps a little.

Hi,

My son is the same age and we got him down from 3 to 2 bottles by gradually reducing the amount of milk in the morning bottle until he no longer asked for it. It was a sudden change -- one morning he simply didn't say baba, so we quickly distracted him by putting toys in his crib. He never asked for it again.

As for the nap and nighttime bottles, I'm assuming I will eliminate them in the same way, but I haven't done that yet. Anyway, I recommend this as a good start to a bottle free life.

Best,
K.

Your doctors right. You just have to go cold turkey on them. It's uncomfortable, it takes three days to change habits eg. removing pacifiers etc. Kids don't go hungry for too long and he just needs to learn. He has no incentive to learn when he still gets the bottle.

I think you're doing the right thing with the bottles. I have three boys under five and they have all had a bottle first thing in the morning, one after their lunchtime nap and one before bed at the age your son is.

It's horrible when you're little one is upset, but it's better for them in the long run. Stick with it.

Hi- i am a pediatrician in nyc and just write a short piece on my blog modernmums.com about milk- and basically you shouldnt worry if he wont drink it from a sippy cup, as long as he is getting the important compoenst of milk- fat, vitamin D and calcium- from other sources. Your doc is right- better to get him off the bottle- offer him yogurt, cheese etc instead- best, NWG