Author Topic: Cutting out bottles  (Read 5287 times)

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Offline *Kara*

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Cutting out bottles
« on: January 28, 2013, 00:03:29 am »
With all of the milk trials we did with DD, we never swapped her milk out to a sippy.  The intent was to wean onto milk, then to a sippy... after so many failed trials, we ended up at age 2 with a bottle!  Yeesh.  She was still having 2 per day (one 5 oz and one 7 oz) before nap and shortly before bedtime.  She has never wandered around with a bottle and in fact, still won't hold one herself!  She doesn't feed to sleep at either time...

So, I took the plunge today.  Cut formula and cut her bottles as well.  Lord help us.

Nap went okay... she was upset but not hysterical... I ended up having to rock her to sleep (normal nap is into crib at 120, sleep around 135)... today was into crib at 140 and rocked to sleep by momma after much snuggling... into crib asleep at 215.  Woke crying at 320, rocked back to sleep by 335pm.  Will wake her now at 4pm. 

Need some vibes and support that this will get better!



Offline *Becky*

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Re: Cutting out bottles
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2013, 12:13:14 pm »
I don't have any BTDT advice Kara but sending vibes and holding your hand. Stay strong and am sure she will 'get it' xx




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Offline jessmum46

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Re: Cutting out bottles
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2013, 12:16:51 pm »
No advice here either I'm afraid but (((hugs))) and vibes coming your way :-*

Offline Ima shel Alon

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Re: Cutting out bottles
« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2013, 12:57:25 pm »
(((Hugs))), Kara. I am following along, we also still have BT bottle and was thinking the other day what am I going to do about it...
I read somewhere that around age 2 LOs give up the bottle themselves, but I can't see him doing that any time soon, lol.
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Offline creations

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Re: Cutting out bottles
« Reply #4 on: January 28, 2013, 13:30:58 pm »
Vibes Kara - didn't fancy going for a GW then?
I know you read my experience of ditching bottles at 12 months, I worried about it but it was a case of mummy-worries-more-than-LO-notices.
Did you give a sippy milk or snack before her nap to replace the bottle?

Ima shel Alon, I don't mind if you PM me wrt the BT bottle.  It went smoothly for us.

Good vibes for you both, which ever way you go with the bottle drop xx


Offline Hedgehog17

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Re: Cutting out bottles
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2013, 13:47:00 pm »
Hugs Kara  :-*

We were forced into going cold turkey on bottles at 21mo as his sharp little fangs were biting holes through the teats  ::)

He switched to a sippy pretty quickly as he soon figured out that he'd get no milk otherwise  ;D Now he only gets a sippy at BT, as he'll drink from an open cup during the day  :)

Vibes for her getting used to it soon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline *Kara*

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Re: Cutting out bottles
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2013, 23:15:31 pm »
Thanks everyone!

Creations: I am thinking of starting PT in the next month as well so I was needing to cut out a big dose of fluid at bedtime too ;)  Yes, we are offering a small snack (yogurt or a half banana with water).  DD can't have cow's milk and doesn't like all of the "alternative" milks out there - she has all other dairy so no concerns nutrition wise thankfully!). 

Ima Shel Alon - Creation's GW approach is a great option if you are still going to offer than BT milk!

Well, we have had 2 naps and 1 BT without a ba-ba... nap #1 wasn't too awful.. I did rock her to sleep to start her nap and an hour into it as well though.  Bedtime last night was a bit better than I had expected!  I used WIWO and only went in twice... stroked her forehead to help her calm and she drifted off 15 mins after being put down!  Nap today was a little more dramatic and the first time she actually demanded her ba-ba.  Ugh.  I snuggled with her for 10 mins or so to calm her down, then put her down and she chatted for a few mins and drifted off.

Thinking we might have to substitute a 10 min snuggle for the missing bottle as I suspect it was her calming mechanism... I don't mind at all!



Offline creations

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Re: Cutting out bottles
« Reply #7 on: January 28, 2013, 23:58:34 pm »
I am thinking of starting PT in the next month as well so I was needing to cut out a big dose of fluid at bedtime too
Yes PTing is a good reason to reduce liquid before BT.  DS has been using his potty since 10 months so for us too I liked to reduce the amount of pre BT fluids that's why his sippy of milk is over an hour before BT so he can wee before his bath ;)
The GW only took a couple of weeks, if that.  I expected much longer.  Now he has a sippy of water just before nap and BT if he wants some (usually just a sip unless ill or teething then a little more).
I think you chose the right route going cold turkey because I think Alexandra associates the bottle with sleep more than DS did.

Nothing wrong with a 10 min snuggle hey :)


Offline *Kara*

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Re: Cutting out bottles
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2013, 01:10:12 am »
I think you chose the right route going cold turkey because I think Alexandra associates the bottle with sleep more than DS did.

She totally does!  Not so much with the actual sleep, but it was certainly a strong part of her wind down routine!  I didn't realize how ingrained it was as she rarely if ever feeds to sleep at either time... but I guess that she did enjoy the little snuggle and that comfort of her bottle :)

Nothing wrong with a 10 min snuggle hey

Agreed!  Gotta take those snuggles when they are on offer now - busy toddlers are much for quiet snuggles!



Offline katiepierce

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Re: Cutting out bottles
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2013, 08:47:08 am »
Kara please keep updating, we are in the same position. 1/2 bottle before nap, full at bedtime, just turned 2. ugh!

I have decided on school half term hols, when DH is home, to go cold turkey. So thats less than 2 weeks away and I'm scared!! Like your LO Henry doesnt fall asleep on bottle but he is super spirited and it is a massive part of his wind down, he goes from 100 mph right down to calm in that 3 or 4 mins it takes to drink bottle - what else is going to do that?!

Also baby n

Offline katiepierce

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Re: Cutting out bottles
« Reply #10 on: January 29, 2013, 08:48:53 am »
Oops DS pressed enter!

Also baby no.2 due in 6 weeks so want it well gone by then incase BFing doesnt work out and we have to use bottle for him/her from early on.

Good luck to you lovely, let me know how it goes : )

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Offline *Becky*

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Re: Cutting out bottles
« Reply #11 on: January 29, 2013, 19:18:21 pm »
sounds like it is going pretty well tbh kara. :)




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Offline *Liz*

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Re: Cutting out bottles
« Reply #12 on: January 29, 2013, 20:43:04 pm »
My DD just gave up bottles at 2.5. They lingered so long for the simple reason that I couldn't be bothered to deal with it all  ::). By the time I pulled it she was only on one bottle a day as she had dropped her nap already. I think at just over 2 she stopped having me give her the bottle and started wandering all over with it  :P. But she did love her milky bottle so much at that point.

By Christmas I noticed she wasn't really sucking it like a baby anymore - more drinking like a sippy and a certain amount of biting and fiddling with the teat.

So I told her Elf wanted her bottle for babies, and she had lots of lovely new big girl things. She asked why every 15 minutes for about 3 days, then admitted defeat and now drinks out a sippy instead. She uses an open cup usually now, so the sippy is just so I don't end up with milk on my carpet from a floppy tired toddler  ::).

It was actually very similar to DS except he was younger - 22 mths - and I told him his bottle was mucky and he needed to have a clean cup instead.

Anyway - I guess what I am saying is that at around this sort of age they do kind of allow it to be dropped really.

Megan was def using her bottle as part of her calm down as well. TBH we have had some rough bedtimes this last month - not directly related to the bottle but I do wonder now if that hasn't helped - just a very tired, awkward, opinionated 2.5 year old thing. I have just separated her bedtime from DS and am back to doing a story in her chair and that seems to be helping a lot. They do need something to calm down I guess. DD had her bottle in the dark directly before sleep until she was about 2! And was BF to sleep as a baby as well. In never affected her night sleep or ability to go to sleep, so I never did anything about it before.

Hang in there, soon those bottles will be all gone. Would she buy a story as to where it went?? Seems I did this with both of mine  :P.

Offline *Kara*

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Re: Cutting out bottles
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2013, 23:05:08 pm »
LOL Liz!  I love that you told DS it was mucky!  Alexandra would likely toss it in the dishwasher if I tried that!

I have just hid them all (in case it all went totally upside down) and she has no idea where they are...

Bedtime and naps are actually getting so much better!  Little bit of a mommy-victory today!  Nap was at her normal time and we read a story (the new substitute), i offered her a sip of water and we had a few mins of snuggles and I popped her into the crib - ensue: angry as heck toddler!  She was screaming at me, but not that "I need mommy" cry, it was very much a "why is this all different than it has been since I was 8 weeks old!?" scream.  I left the room, she hollered intermittently with a few sad little "mommy!" bits in there, though never a true cry, IYKWIM.  Just angry at the change still.  She stopped the theatrics after a quick few mins and started her typical singing bit before dozing off!  She was asleep about 15 mins after I put her down!  WOOT WOOT!

We shall see how bedtime goes.

Katie - you are in the exact situation I was, just without baby #2 ;) 

DD had her bottle in the dark directly before sleep until she was about 2

^^ same here!



Offline katiepierce

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Re: Cutting out bottles
« Reply #14 on: January 30, 2013, 09:15:34 am »
Yey, sounds like its going really well Kara - you give me hope!!

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