My daughter weaned herself off the bottle now.......?

Question

I gave my daughter a cup during meal times (solids) at 6 months and by 7 months she was only taking the bottle for nap times and bed time and by 9 months she was only taking it for bed time. Then she was taking the bottle every other night by 11 months and on her first birthday she seem to just give it up on her own, but I didn't pack the bottles up until she was 13 months. I kept them out incase of a "bad" night and it was just taking up space! :-)

But now I am wondering if she took herself off the bottle too soon, she recently found her Cabbage Patch doll and it's bottle and now she pretends to feed her baby and also picks the bottle up and sucks on it for a few seconds before giving it back to the doll.

I don't want her back on the bottle and I have no intention on bring her bottles back in, I was just wondering if there may be any problems when we have another baby with her wanting her bottle back?

Answer 1

She's fine! She's just playing. Her sucking on the bottle might be her way of "testing" it for her baby (like you tested it on your hand for her).
Our daughter (age 3.5) does that too, she actually bottle feeds and breastfeeds her babies because she sees me both breastfeed and bottle feed her brother.

Answer 2

Seams like kids know when to stop Drinking Bottles. Some parents just don't stop. No Kids Just play like that with dolls, my daughter did that too! Never go backwards with Kids Always move forward. When the new Baby comes home Just buy Her a new cup or sippy cup, and make a big deal of it and she will love it. Every time you get the baby a bottle get her drink too. Just so she won't feel left out. If she ever takes the new babies bottle tell her no, and get her a drink, in her cup, and tell her big girls drink from these. Ask her if she would like to try and feed the baby. Remember,she has been your only kid so far, so she may feel left out sometimes. Have her help whenever you can, with the new Baby.

Answer 3

Congrats! She was just playing with her doll and as stated before, was just remembering what it was like to have a bottle. Did she ask for one afterwards? A year is the age they should be weaned off the bottle. My younger daughter took herself off the bottle after about 8 mos, she wanted to be like her big sister.

Many children "regress" when a younger child enters the picture. She may try to do baby like things like want a bottle, talk like a baby or wet herself if already potty trained. The best way to combat that is to make her involved w/the new baby - one you have one, and give her that kind of "good" attention. She may get frustrated becuase you have to spend so much time with the baby, so have her help you by letting her help.

Answer 4

I breastfed my children until they were 9 months old, then they went straight onto cups. Once they are used to drinking from a cup there is no need to go back to a bottle. The pretending to drink from the dolls bottle is quite normal and nothing to worry about. She may at times act as though she would like a bottle back, but I don't think you should let that happen. She'll be fine. :)

Answer 5

that is perfectly normal. Some kids never use a bottle. She's a smart well adjusted independent healthy child. Feeding her doll has nothing to do w/ her own short bottle time. All kids play w/ dolls like that. If when you do have another kid she wants the bottle back it will deffinetly not have to do w/her being weaned from it too soon but of jealousy or seeing attention.

Answer 6

The sucking reflex dimishes naturally in babies as they mature. Letting her wean herself naturally was the best thing you could do. Most little girls will try a quick suck on a doll bottle while playing. This is completely normal. Many toddlers temporarily revert to some younger behaviours when they get a new baby brother or sister. If they recieve plently of positive attention for their big kid behaviours and have the ' baby' behaviours ignored, they quickly grow out of this.

Answer 7

She'll be fine. My niece took herself off the bottle when she was 8 months old. She has an older brother and always wanted his sippy cup. Now, a newborn is in the picture and gets a bottle occassionally, and she has no problem with it at all, in fact she holds the bottle for him and she's only 14 months old right now.

Answer 8

thats great that she is off bottles so soon! my son will be 2 and its soooo hard to get his bottles away...he will drink juice in a cup but only his milk in a bottle....we are expecting another baby in Nov and i am also worried, thinking he may stick to bottles even longer...i think if we just tell our kids that cups are for big boys and girls maybe they'll want the cup instead of the bottle...i wouldnt give her her bottles back though..just wait and see what happens let her suck the babys bottle once in a while and then she'll probably out it down....dont give her attention when she dos it though because thats probably what she wants,...but remeber shes still a baby too:)

Answer 9

Nope, she should be fine. Having the doll with the bottle reminded her of when she had it so that's normal. As long as she isn't completely attached to the Cabbage Patch bottle she should be fine! Just keep an eye out for that. Good luck.

Answer 10

Congratulation's u now have a big girl! Take the remaining bottles and either pack them or throw them away. Your daughter clearly no longer has a need for them.....however until she learns better the only association she can make between her and any bottle is to suck on it...thats all she knows doesn't mean she wants or needs it back. Stop worrying.

Answer 11

Both of my children gave up their bottles at 12 months. Though they did use a pacifer to help them with their need to suck on something.

We talked to them about being a "big" girl/boy and that bottles were for babies - just like their baby dolls. We also made sure to keep the cuddle times that get lost not having that nightly bottle.

Good luck!