I've Tried Everything, But I Can't Get My 18-MO Baby Off the Bottle: What Should I Do?

Motherhood
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QUESTION:

"My question is, how did everyone get their babies off the bottle? My son is 18-months-old, and his doctor really wants him off the bottle, but I’m at a loss. He only takes a bottle at nap time and bedtime.

I have custody, but his father has 50/50 visitation, and he told me he wouldn’t go to sleep, so he just gave him his bottle. I’m struggling without help or support. I tried replacing the bottle with a sippy cup, but he doesn’t want it (he doesn’t associate it with bedtime, so he just throws it on the floor or plays with it).

I tried just no bottle, no sippy, just rocking him and laying him down in his crib, but he will get up and play or climb on his crib (it has a changing table connected to it that he climbs on).

I just don’t know what to do, and I’m a young first-time mom. I have a relaxing routine for bedtime. We eat dinner, then take a warm bath and relax, and then I rock him in a rocking chair for a while and lay him down, and he usually goes to sleep himself once I lay him down. Please, no judgment I don’t have any help or anything I just need some helpful advice. Thank you so much, it really means a lot."

RELATED QUESTION: When Did Your Child Get a Sippy Cup?

TOP ANSWERS (AS SELECTED BY MODERATOR):

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“You’re supposed to take the bottle at a year for many reasons. The milk in the bottle will rot his teeth, especially when he’s drinking it then going to sleep. The earlier you take it the easier it is. You need to just take it and replace it with a sippy cup that has a soft nipple. He will eventually be thirsty enough that he will drink out of it. It will be hard but you have to stay consistent and make his father do the same thing. The baby’s health and teeth are more important.”

“My little boy still loved his bottle before bed at over 3 years old. He gave it up in the click of a finger when he was ready. My little girl is over 2 and she still enjoys hers. Not really sure what the issue is. They’re only little for such a short time and if it gives them comfort without causing them harm, so what?”

“Why does his doctor ‘really’ want to take him off the bottle? If you and bub are happy and comfortable with him taking it as comfort then don’t put pressure on yourself. Of course for the long term yes it’s good to try and wean him off, but what’s the big deal? Start with smaller amounts of milk. Then start stopping the daytime bottle then slowly hopefully it will work but please do not stress over it so much and don’t worry about others as you stressed you have not many people for help. I can’t imagine how stressed you may be.”

“Also it’s always a good idea to introduce a sippy cup around 5-6 months so when it’s time to take the bottle baby is already used to the sippy cup and it’s not a huge change.”

“I started to switch my daughter to a sippy cup when she turned 1. It took a little while, but she was completely switched after about a month. It just takes some time and dedication to get them used to it. I thought they really aren’t supposed to go to bed with a bottle too.”

“If the bottle works, why take it away, he’s not old enough to reason with yet, I say do what works for you and your boy.”

“I think at bedtime & nap time, really shouldn’t be a problem at this age, But your pediatrician knows best. Usually around this age is normal to take it away completely. I told my kids I needed to give their bottles to other babies & that seems to work.”

“I switched to the sippy cold turkey however the bed routine is a different issue. I had to put my son back in a pack n play with higher sides because he was climbing out of his crib. He gets a drink before he goes down but he, on his own, never falls asleep with it.”

“First, know you’re doing a great job. Second, it’s a habit so it takes a bit to get rid of the habit. Just stick to your plan and get ready for a few tears. It will happen.”

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READ ALL ANSWERS BELOW:

34 Likes
2

Off completely at 1yr. Started sippys at 8m.
You can start with sippys that are similar to bottles and go from there

4 Likes
3

Hes young, screw what the doctor says

10 Likes
4

Some bottles have a sippy type nipple that u put on bottle. You could try that

5

Both my boys took themselves off by 9 months. Started giving them cup around 6 months. Pretty much just one day they just refused the bottle all together. My granddaughter a as on bottles that turned into zippy cups. They had three stages. So was easy.

6

Without dad in same page not sure its gonna work…

1 Like
7

Maybe try putting water in the bottle, and milk in sippy cups only. Will make sippy cup more appealing.

2 Likes
8

12 months look into a nuk learners sippy cup they worked great for my daughter.

2 Likes
9

If the bottle works, why take it away, he’s not old enough to reason with yet, I say do what works for you and your boy

4 Likes
10

Try a different sippy, maybe let him pick one

1 Like
11

My girls it took til they were 2. I learned fast and 6 years later had a boy and broke him from a baby bottle at 6 months. He took a sippy till last week now he is on the 360 cups he is 13 months old.

1 Like
12

You just need to keep working with him on taking the sippy cup. He will have a fit at first but once he sees that mom isnt going to give in he will take the cup and drink it…

1 Like
13

My son is 22 months and he’s just come off bottles completely and all by himself, I don’t see the rush or the harm of waiting until he’s ready :woman_shrugging:t2:

3 Likes
14

I’ve got 6 kids…all 6 kids were broke from the bottle by 9-10 months…only a few of them used nooks/pacifiers…and those were gone by 8 months…

1 Like
15

I say let him have it if he wants it. I let mine until he was 2 and he just threw it down after that. I made sure to brush his teeth tho so the milk was never sitting on his teeth

3 Likes
16

1 year, but I did the sippy spout the last 2 months then a cup by 12 months

17

My youngest just turned 2 at the start of the month and we just got him off bottles. He was the same only having them for nap and bedtime. We started just switching his nap bottle with a sippy cup with milk to get him use to it then after a week we switched his bedtime bottle to a sippy with milk

1 Like
18

My daughter was pretty much off by I believe 7-8 months old but she done it on her own after I got her a sippy for shit and giggles around 4 months (everyone said I was forcing her to grow up to fast) but I definitely try a softer tip sippy maybe he just doesn’t like the hard pice

19

I think at bedtime & nap time, really shouldn’t be a problem at this age, But your pediatrician knows best. Usually around this age is normal to take it away completely. I told my kids I needed to give their bottles to other babies & that seem to work

1 Like
20

My first. 10.5 months. My younger one 12 months.

21

I got my bbn son off the bottle around 14 months.

22

I just take them on their first birthday if they cry they cry it usually takes a day or two and theyre over it both my girls were using weighted strawcups by one so they didnt really care when i took the bottle

2 Likes
23

You need to just find the right sippy cup. Just take the bottle away it will be hard for the first week the child will take the cup when the are thirsty. I think it’s the nub or nubby it’s a Silicon top he might like that better.

24

Pretty much when they could hold a cup I did do night bottles but was worried it would wreck their teeth not that there’s any proof of that, so about 1 I cut them off

25

My son threw his against the wall one night and from that point on,he never wanted it back, he just wanted a sippy cup!

26

I threw all the bottles out on my girls first birthday. They will be ok without it, doesn’t take long for them to realize they are not going to get it anymore

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27

1st birthday with all 4 of mine! They threw them away themselves with my help! We never looked back!

28

I have tried the sippies that are the chewy ones with nipple-like rubber on the top I guess similar to a bottle not necessarily the same shape doesn’t have to be hard but it’s the soft chewy ones if that works great if not honey make it easier on yourself he’s only going to be little for so long if it’s easier giving him a bottle at night do it it’s your baby he’s not sick he’s not hurt just keep doing it

29

My youngest I took it away at 11 months and gave her a nuk cup
My oldest was on a bottle until a little over 19 months my 2nd was on a bottle until 2 1/2 dr and dentist approved because she was on medical formula and didn’t eat normal food my 3 rd was about 15 months . Every child is different my youngest was the easiest she didn’t care that I took the bottle away

30

You take it cold turkey and throw it away :woman_shrugging: keep a sippy filled at all times and if they’re thirsty they’ll take it eventually.

31

My first I threw away all bottles on her first birthday and my 2nd I started about 10m with a cuppy and then took away the bottle at 11 months. It can be hard but he’s going to have to learn that you won’t give in when he gets mad or cries about it. It won’t take long and he will get over it quickly

1 Like
32

Its not gonna happen in a night its gonna take a few nights all 3 of mine were off the bottle by 1 and they cried for it. Tou gotta say NO and its gonna be harder if tou dont start showing them what they can and cannot do the 2s and 3s are gonna be rough. It does harm the teeth including overbite. Being a parent is stressful but you gotta stick to it.

33

Have you tried a transitioning sippy?? Its a bottle but with the nipple of a sippy

34

My oldest was a little over 2 we literally made all the bottles disappear and she was ok with it. My baby is about to be a year and shes still on the bottle…heck I have yet to find a sippy cup she is ok with and refuses the bottle if it has anything other than her formula/milk mix.

35

Like 3 weeks ago… he turn 4 last week… :disappointed:

1 Like
36

13 months I packed away all the bottles and gave my son a munchkin 360. He figured it out within a day

37

You just need to have some patience with him,replace his bottle of milk with water.You need to find a soppy cup that he like then you can go from there.Every child is different eventually he will realise that he is thirty and drink the water.:blush:

38

Sippy cups / bottles/ pacifiers/ thumb sucking are all not good for teeth development. Try to wean from all these things…

1 Like
39

The best thing to do, throw away all of the bottles (that way you won’t be tempted to cave in) it may be rough for a couple of days, but it will get better & I promise your baby will not refuse a sippy to the point of being dehydrated or cause medical issues. My son was around 10 months when I took his and just threw out all of the bottles, he was 7 months when I threw away all of his binkys.

40

My 1st son: off the bottle easy at 12 months when we got off formula.

My 2nd son: sounds just like yours, I just got him off at 18 months, tried everything, sippy nipples for bottle, every cup, etc. he wouldn’t let go of bottle for nap or bedtime. I even did the water in bottle, milk in sippy everything, nothing worked. Finally cold turkey I just stopped. To get him to sleep I have to hold him and walk in circles for 15-20 minutes and he falls asleep or is drowsy for me to lay him down.

41

My daughter was attached to her pacifier so we said we are going to put them in a bag and give them to little baby’s that needed them. She was game and night time she cried for a week but I wouldn’t give in and she got over it. Her dad which we weren’t together wanted to give in but I told him if he can’t wein her then she will stay with me until she gets over it. He got in board cause he wanted to see his daughter. Make it fun for your son reward him and if he cry’s at bed time ignore it and eventual he will tire out. Good luck

2 Likes
42

I replaced the milk with water at nap and bedtime, put the milk in a sippy cup with a silicone spout and after a week she was switched

43

I cut my son off at 1. At 18 months he went through a horrible sleep regression. I had to wear him out before bed. He stopped taking naps at like 19 months but honestly I just got tired of fighting about it.

44

Try giving him his milk in a supply cup prior to bedtime, maybe a few nights of tantrums but it’s power of the wills. :blush:

1 Like
45

Try these they are great for transitioning

46

My oldest was off the bottle at 2. My youngest turned 2 in June and still gets a bottle 4 times a day with milk. You do you mama.

47

Why does his doctor “really” want to take him off the bottle? If you and bub are happy and comfortable with him taking it as comfort then dont put pressure on yourself. Of course for long term yes its good to try and wean him off, but whats the big deal? Start with less amounts of milk. Then start stopping the daytime bottle then slowly hopefully it will work but please do not stress over it so much and dont worry about others as you stressed you have not much people for help. I cant imagine how stressed you may be

3 Likes
48

All mine were bottle weaned at 11-12 months. But my kids were never attached to a bottle as I breastfed. I personally don’t see much wrong with giving a bottle with water at bedtime. Kids grow out of things eventually, he will give it up too

1 Like
49

Quit cold turkey completely. My daughter was 18 months and I put all bottles away and gave her water before bed not milk since it’s less sugar. Then I played her nighttime music and had it all dark in her room. It’s going to be hard at first but so worth it

1 Like
50

We had the “bottle fairy” come one night. First few nights were tough but we made it through.

51

Keep him on the bottle if he’s happy and you are then leave him be my daughter is 18 months she has a bottle still only at bed and early morning but I’m not taking it away and ain’t planning too any time soon my 1st daughter stopped at 2 years Xx

2 Likes
52

Cold turkey is what I did for my son. Really hard for the first week or two and you have to be determined

1 Like
53

First recommendation, would to be to make sure his crib is set to the lowest position it can go.
My daughter is 21 months old and her bed is on the lowest position. She can not climb out of it. She also has a stand next to her bed.

As far as the bottle, I give my daughter her milk in a sippy cup that looks like a bottle and has a soft sippy cup nipple… Really I don’t see a problem with it unless the doctor is worried about him getting buck teeth?

It’s really just about consistency, we gave my daughter her sippy cup, at first she refused it. But after a few days of going to bed without a drink because we didn’t give into her, she finally started to drink from the sippy we gave her.( Yes, we put her in bed and let her cry it out) Now she doesn’t even need a sippy to go to bed.

1 Like
54

I had a hard time getting my son off of the bottle too. His father has visitation and kept giving it to him. Finally I told him it was time for the bottle fairy to come and take them all I brought him to the store and let him pick some out after that he took the sippy with soft rubber like the bottle.

55

My daughter hated the hard spout sippy cups so we got silicone tops and 360 cups. Those were her favorites and she was away from a bottle at 1. It’s just about finding what they like and being consistent

56

Keep trying different sippy cups until you find one he likes for bed time. Only use that sippy for bed time.

57

Got my son off closer to 2yrs. But both households need to be on same page for consistency for it to work. I gave my son a sippy cup.

1 Like
58

12mo. Tossed em for good. 3 kids. 1 set of twins.

1 Like
59

You’re supposed to take the bottle at a year for many reasons. The milk in the bottle will rot his teeth, especially when he’s drinking it then going to sleep. The earlier you take it the easier it is. You need to just take it and replace it with a sippy cup that has a soft nipple. He will eventually be thirsty enough that he will drink out of it. It will be hard but you have to stay consistent and make his father do the same thing. The baby’s health and teeth are more important

9 Likes
60

My grandbabies get taken off the bottle a.on their 1st birthdays. They cry a couple of days but it’s worth it

1 Like
61

Also it’s always a good idea to introduce a sippy cup around 5-6 months so when it’s time to take the bottle baby is already used to the sippy cup and it’s not a huge change

3 Likes
62

When I switched from formula to milk I switched bottle to cup my daughter put up little fight because it was a different liquid in a different cup I never put regular milk in a regular bottle…it did take a while to find the certain kind of cup that worked for her

63

My girl was 3 lol she gave it up on her own.

64

I switched to the sippy cold turkey however the bed routine is a different issue. I had to put my son back in a pack n play with higher sides because he was climbing out of his crib. He gets a drink before he goes down but he, on his own, never falls asleep with it.

1 Like
65

22 months first 1,after a year i threw bubbas away with my second n went to sippy cups, planning on doing same with my 3rd

66

I threw them all away and stopped making them available and only offered sippy cup . It takes a lot of patience but that’s just what you gotta do .

1 Like
67

9 months with my kids

68

2 years old! Doc was the same, didnt want her on a bottle. I decided one day no more bottles, she cried and threw tantrums and at night too but be constant! If u start dont give in. I did that alot and it was harder for her.

69

My daughter was off the bottle at 11 months. However, she didn’t care what it was as long as milk was coming out lol.

70

Change the ‘ritual’. Sippy cup of milk, maybe a cookie, at the table, the brush teeth and off to bed. Explain it to him. He might not understand everything you say but he’ll get into the new routine

71

I took the bottle from my son as soon as he turned one and just encouraged the sippy cup. Yes he cried and whined for the bottle the first couple of days, but I just kept encouraging the sippy cup and even acted like I used it. Lol. He was fine though.

72

My daughter’s first birthday.

1 Like
73

It is a difficult task , and I know we dont like to see them cry, but be consistent and don’t wait to long because its going to get much harder

74

Mine had their bottle till naps and sleep time stopped it was the babies choice xx :kissing_heart:

2 Likes
75

12 months. His first time having milk is in a sipping cup. Might work for you to wean the night time first. Move it to before bath. He is going to protest just have to deal with it. No easy way. Just do it

76

My daughter weaned herself at 8 months and was on a regular sippy til a year then on a 360 cup since. We’re working on not needing spill proof cups now. You just have to be persistent and put your foot down with dad that it has to be done :confused:

77

I took my kids bottles away literally on their 1st birthday. Yes, (it was a week with each of them) that week was hard, but so worth it! Told them that they are big boys/ girls and threw their bottles in the trash.

78

Took the bottle away at 12mo. It forced him to find an alternative way to soothe. Which was super helpful in the long run.

79

Get sippy cups that looks and feels like a bottle

1 Like
80

My 11 month old doesn’t drink out of bottles anymore. I started with bedtime and then just threw them all away a month later. It’s been two weeks

81

My son was 15 months when he got off the bottles we introduced him to the 360 cups

82

When they started throwing out of the crib

83

Put glad wrap between the seal and da teat! They give up when nothing is coming out, worked 4 me lol

84

Find a calendar with the signs of the almanac , when they are in the knees it’s safe to wean. My grandmother told me that and she had 14 children . I weaned 3 without any crying like that

85

Both kids off around 14 months

86

I started to switch my daughter to a sippy cup when she turned 1. It took a little while, but she was completely switched after about a month. It just takes some time and dedication to get them used to it. I thought they really aren’t supposed to go to bed with a bottle too.

2 Likes
87

My 3 grandsons were off the bottle & on sippy cups at 6 months old

88

Been there. I literally had to just toss the bottles in the garbage on pick up day. It was a rough 3 days but after that they were fine.

1 Like
89

First know your doing a great job , second it’s a habit so it takes a bit to get rid of the habit. Just stick to your plan and get ready for a few tears . It will happen

1 Like
90

Are his sippy soft kind? My grandson won’t use hard spout sippy only soft ones

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91

Start watering down the milk oz by oz until its all water. Our dentist said they were more worried about the milk sitting on the teeth all night vs the actual bottle

1 Like
92

We slowly transitioned milk in sippy in morning with breakfast. Before 1st nap with cartoons—but then read then nap so she doesn’t rely on it for sleep…which within a few weeks we were able to just move the 2nd milk sippy to lunch. Then the night time bottle is same routine as nap.

We like munchkin 360 and nuke

1 Like
93

I don’t put them to bed with a bottle .So it’s not a problem to take it away .

94

Nuby sippys w handles are great! They have them at walmart w mickey mouse on them

95

Just have to take it away. It helps if you actually throw away or put away - out of sight - any and ALL bottles. I’d suggest throwing away or sell, physically make it not an option. Soft nipple sippy to start and I would do milk before you lay him down. So you can brush teeth then its off to bed, so an adjustment to the routine. If he needs it for comfort in the bed, do milk before, brush teeth and switch to water in the cup for bed. Dad needs to get on the same page, it’ll probably be a process (a week or so) before he finally realizes the bottle isn’t coming back and it’ll get easier.

96

I bought my daughter the Tommy tippee sippy cup because she was the exact same way. the nipple is similar and it was an easy transition, now she will use any kind of sippy!

97

Throw all the bottles away thats how you get ur baby off the bottle.

98

My son refused to take it anymore at 10 months… I took my daughters on her first birthday.

99

We used the soft nipple sippy cups by Nuk and they worked great weaning my son off his bottle. Plus it will take time but you can do it!!

100

Maybe tell him that he can pick out his own sippy cup if he will throw away his bottle. Let him be a part.