when to stop bed time bottle

[Nee]

I know I am jumping ahead but I was wondering when do you stop giving a bottle before bed? and how would you arrange the milk intake during the day?

[Lana]

When we were in the process of cutting out the bedtime bottle B was 13 months old.  It was an 8 ounce bottle and I gradually made it smaller by one ouce every 3 days until it got to 3 ounces for three days then I stopped giving it to him.  While I was doing that I started to give him cereal as a snack before his bath and as the bottle got smaller the bowl of cereal got bigger.  He also has his sippy of milk at all meals and snacks as well as anytime he tries to get it out of the fridge on his own

HTH

[Nee]

thanks that gives me a better idea.  Right now she does get milk at every meal in a sippy but she only drinks max 2 oz out of a sippy but I do give her 3 bottles a day as well.
wich bottle did you guys cut out first?

[Lana]

When B was about 9 months old we started to do a routine like this:

8 solids
10 bottle
12 solids
2 bottle
5 solids
7:30 bottle

I cut out the morning one first and did the same as the bedtime one and gradually made it smaller.  When it got down to 3 ounces we switched to a snack and his cup.  Once that one was gone I did the same with the 2 pm one

HTH

[momofclaire]

I am going through this right now. Claire LOVES her bedtime bottle.  She doesn't get a bottle at any other time in the day and although she drinks from a sippy great she simply WON'T have it at night.  We watered down the bottle and now we are going to start giving less and less liquid.  UGHH It has been a long process and every night she tells me it's bedtime by saying "ba ba ba."  She doesn't fall asleep to it so I guess that is good but I am sure we are going to eventually have to do PD because of it. 

I tell you all this because if at all possible I would (once your lo is fine with a sippy) switch all milk/liquid to a sippy.  Especially the night time drink or you'll end up in my shoes.  It's not a fun place to be.  I live in fear of getting rid of that night time bottle   

[binxyboo]

I wouldnd't stress so much about it at all. When I started to wean Riley at 11-ish months, he refused the sippy, but would accept the bottle (this after months of bottle refusal~he was always nursed). So, I took what I could get and went with the bottle, although I would have preferred sippy. Now at 18 months, he still has at least one bottle a day. It really doesn't bother me in the slightest.

[momofclaire]

It's not that I think it's a problem it's just that if I try to brush her teeth after the bottle she gets all worked up and can't get back settled to sleep.  SO no teeth brushing at night and my ped keeps say "you really should stop that bed time bottle"  blah blah blah 

I want to try to change the routine a little but dh has been out of town so much and I don't want to do it alone IYKWIM.  She's strong willed about that bottle.

[momofclaire]

No, at about 7:00 we put her in pj's and sing the "clean up" song till her toys are picked up. Then we read a book or two and without fail she will start saying "ba ba ba" which mean bottle so I hold her on the couch (she's never been fed in her room, even for night feeds when she was young) give her her bottle she sometimes closes her eyes while drinking and sometimes not.  When it's empty she pushes it away and I put her on my shoulder for a minute, tell her it's bedtime, I love you all that and take her to her room and put her down.  She is awake, eyes open when I put her down. I usually walk right out unless she wimpers or cries and then I just say "night night" and put my hand on her shoulder and she rolls over.  Ok I know that was long but I don't think the bottle is a prop but maybe it is?
Thoughts??

For naps (one) I take her in change her diaper, hold her and sing one song and then lay her down and I am outta there.  No problems with naps. 

I think I could do the same for night time but she gets so upset if I even have to make her wait for her "ba." I mean if she is ready to go to sleep she will walk in the kitchen and point to the fridge and start her "ba ba ba" dance 
I tried to give her the sippy one night instead when we were out of town and I forgot the bottle....I am embarrassed to say that DH ended up running to the store for a bottle.
 

[momofclaire]

I would LOVE to throw them out, but I am scared
I will talk to dh.  I would rather throw them out than change the routine because the end result is no drinking milk before bed so I don't want to go through more steps than I have to.  Nothing can be done until monday when he gets back though.  I need support....she's crazy I tell you...crazy!!!   Just joking. Thanks Stacy. I will let you know how it goes.  I promised myself the bottle would be gone by 15 months, I have 12 days......

[MDHmommy]

Lurking to hear how it goes.