When to stop bottles?

[black_rose]

We tried with dd1 to stop her having bottles but she would cry and cry. It was only when she felt like a big girl that she was ready to make the decision herself. I am taking the same approach with dd2, but hopefully we can get ds off them soon so they can do it together.

[kelsbels]

Well you all gave me some courage and we cut out the morning bottle and had a big breakfast instead. So far so good! We will keep her other twobottles for now and I'm going to look around for a special milk cup to swap to and then continue with a mid morning milk and before bed milk.

Hope you got some answers too OP!

[starangelk]

a big breakfast is fab, it's my DDs fave meal of the day.

The last couple of nights Dd has only drunk about 100mls of her bottle. Tonight I even went back in after 10 mins and tried to give her more but she wouldn't take it. Maybe she's going to wean herself off the bottle and all my worry is for nothing! Lol

[CrazyLady]

lol, I still struggle to get any meal bar breakfast into my DD. She hooks into it!

[starangelk]

I am pleased to report that today was a bottle free day in our household For her after lunch milk feed, I decided to bite the bullet and give her the milk in the straw cup but without the handles so she couldn't grab it and throw it away. She was fine! In fact, it was so successful that I decided to try and give her the before bed milk in the straw cup too. I put her in the cot and she sat up and drank the milk, then handed it back to me, lay down, grabbed her toy and rolled away from me. I almost had to laugh. Seriously, it was too easy. I've been worried about this day for WEEKS and it was just way too easy. We'll of course see how the next few days go and then the rest of the week, tomorrow is another day but for today - I am celebrating the first bottle free day. Yay!

[CrazyLady]

woohoo! awesome work! It looks like she was ready and you were stressing for nothing. Now just make sure you don't give them back

DD's only vice now is her dummy... I think that's going to be a present for Santa this year...

[prama]

well done!! so proud of your DD!!!! and you of course!

[starangelk]

Thanks ladies!! I am so thrilled. I am considering packing up the bottles so that we don't cave...............but I'm wondering about daycare. How will they heat the cows milk because they use a bottle warmer and the straw cup might not fit. Might have to send the milk in a bottle with a cap and get them to heat that and pour it into the straw cup? I don't really want them to microwave because we have never done that at home.........

Yayyaya, can't believe how excited I am about this

[peanutter]

hmmm, I think we're going to have to start too ...

you've inspired me!

[feeb]

Well done hun what a huge achievment for you both!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cass72]

FWIW I'm not even considering weaning DS off the bottle. He only self-weaned from the breast just over a month ago. If he hadn't weaned I would still be BFing morning and night so I figure he can have the bottle a little while longer.

That being said, some mornings he wakes late and he just gets breakfast - no bottle. I'm letting him lead me and not following the "rules".

Also, he's been sick this week and honestly, I don't know what we would have done without the bottle as he's refusing all food and the doc said, give him as many bottles as he wants!!

[starangelk]

Cass - I think you raise some really good points and I also share some of your thoughts. We are still giving DD milk - just not through a bottle. She's drinking the cows milk through a straw cup so still getting milk, I am totally not ready to stop giving her milk, I think it's very important. The main reason behind my wanting to give up bottles is because it is recommended as bottles can cause some dental issues whereas drinking milk from a straw, sippy cup, normal cup or even better the breast doesn't have any effects at all.

[Cass72]

Cass - I think you raise some really good points and I also share some of your thoughts. We are still giving DD milk - just not through a bottle. She's drinking the cows milk through a straw cup so still getting milk, I am totally not ready to stop giving her milk, I think it's very important. The main reason behind my wanting to give up bottles is because it is recommended as bottles can cause some dental issues whereas drinking milk from a straw, sippy cup, normal cup or even better the breast doesn't have any effects at all.

Darn it! Parenthood is hard!! He won't actually drink milk from a sippy cup - he'll have a little bit then throw it (he throws everything when he's finished with it - it was cute for about 2 minutes hehehe!).

To be honest I'm probably more than a little um, lazy in trying to get him to resettle through the night without the bottle AND and he probably would but there's also a part of me that is holding onto those night-time cuddles and feeds for as long as I can. I don't let him fall to sleep with the bottle in his mouth and he's always awake - though sometimes drowsy - when we put him to bed so I figured he wasn't falling asleep with the milk in his mouth as such......

Aaah, maybe I should harden up and let my baby grow up and become a toddler

[starangelk]

Hahah - I don't think it's about hardening up, I think it's just about being ready - you AND him. I was ready to give up the bottles, I fell pregnant when DD was 6 months old and she rejected the breast so I was expressing full time for 4 months until I stopped at 10 months. DH is SAHD too so she's been having bottles since week 2 and we were totally over the whole bottle washing, making up formula stuff. We were also a bit selfish, we really wanted her off bottles by the time bub #2 arrives, I don't think we could handle 2 kids with bottles at the same time!! LOL But that said, if she'd hated the sippy cup, I would have gone running straight back to the bottle.

I think because it's been 6 months without the boob, she was ready if that makes sense?? The bottles were frustrating her because they were slower than when she drinks water out of the straw cup and often she'd chuck the bottle away in frustration. Such a little miss that she is.....not sure where she gets that from!!!