Really struggling to move away from bottle (for milk only)

[sim75]

DS has been using a cup with a straw in the lid (a Dinkee) for 4 months now to have water and the occasional diluted juice. He is now 11 months and Im attempting to start making the transition for his milk away from the bottle. It's been a week now and it's a disaster.

If I put milk in his Dinkee he spits it out and goes balistic. When he is prone to tantrums there is no controlling him and he will continue screaming until he throws up. This is what he is doing.

I have tried other cups - every single one available. Ones with spouts, ones that are free flow, ones that look like a bottle with a spout (the Avent one) and even other drink bottles with a straw. As soon as he sees them the tantrum starts.

Ive tried using his formula, Ive tried even cows milk. Ive tried warming the milk as at 11 months, he still wont drink his ff unless it's pre-warmed    Ive tried it cold as well as room temp.

Ive tried switching just his afternoon bottle which is only 150ml as if he doesnt take this he is still getting the minimum amount of milk per day with his morning and night bottle. But it's disastrous.

Ive tried introducing it at meal times. He will have none of it.

Im at my wits end here as this whole change has brought back his temper tantrums which have been manageable for the past few months now. I am absolutely tearing my hair out.

Is it absolutely necessary to go through this change away from the bottle??

I am due with No. 2 late Jan so if a change has to happen it needs to happen sooner rather than later. But at the minute Im willing him to drink from the damn bottle til he is 10 years old if he so pleases!!! PLEASE HELP!!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Is it absolutely necessary to go through this change away from the bottle??

No, it isn't! As long as they aren't sucking from a bottle all day or taking one to bed, it's really not a big difference and no timetable to get him off of it.  If it is causing you both that much grief and stress I wouldn't worry about it just yet. Perhaps when #2 comes along he will want to be a big boy and switch anyways!  Oh, and my 2 year old still drinks warmed up milk!!

[sim75]

It really cant be worth it to have to endure a tantrum every afternoon to achieve this. Today's has just stopped - it lasted 50 mins of intense screaming. I had to just hold him in the rocker with me until he was finished. I cant help feeling that it is not only causing him stress, and me, but my baby as well who I can feel kicking away in there with all this going on.

I think I will take your advice and just stop trying to enforce the change to remove the bottle.  He doesnt suck on a bottle all day long, nor take it to bed. He is happy to just take his 3 milk bottles a day and that's it. And he happily drinks loads of water from his Dinkee when he needs it as it is always on offer.

I just read the Too Old for a Bottle? thread and I feel reassured by that too that it's not a real problem until they are 2 years old.

So now, I will just work on the transition to cows milk instead! (I was going to tackle them one at a time as it was too much change for him at once). He already has this with his cereal so see how we go.

Thanks, I think I just needed someone to tell me it's ok that he still takes a bottle. I would much prefer he did it in his own time as he is very strong willed and really detests change!!!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Sounds like a good choice to pick your battles! Wow, he sounds spirited for sure...I have 2 of those!  Good luck with the milk, I did it an ounce at a time (with soy milk, not cow's though-allergies).

[*Liz*]

It really cant be worth it to have to endure a tantrum every afternoon to achieve this.

I really don't think it is. A lot of LOs just outgrow the *need* for one. This was an issue I couldn't be bothered to tackle with my food refusing DS as I cared more about the food going in than removing the bottle. I honestly though I would be sending it to Santa when he was 4!!

But he dropped to 2 milk feeds at 12 mths, then dropped the am bottle himself at about 20 mths (just started to refuse it as he would wake up busy and wanting to play instead). One day when he was 22 mths I told him his bottle were mucky (he hates stuff being dirty) and would he like his milk in a cup instead. He said yes - proclaimed his bottles as 'MUCK' - and that was the end of it. No bottles anymore. He has drank as much or as little as he wants out of a cup since that day.

I also diluted my DS onto cows milk.

[sim75]

Thanks girls, I think he will just do it in his own time too. And yes, very spirited he is!!  Although very challenging at times with the strong head of his, he is very entertaining with his independence.

I wish he would adopt your son's attitude to dirty things Liz - my son LOVES to eat dirt. It drives me mad cos Im always digging it out of his mouth! Oh and the cat litter 

Id rather he has his milk than go without at this stage. Though today he refused his afternoon bottle when I replaced 50ml with cows milk! (It was a 150ml bottle) I think Im going to have to use less cows milk to start off as he is a clever little chap and obviously detected the difference!! See how we go tonight!