I'm breastfeeding mom of 14 months old boy. I'd like to switch to bottle feeding?

Question

I'd like to stop breastfeeding and I've know that I should be feeding him till at least 2 years either bottlemilk or breastmilk. So what are the best way to make him like to bottle feeding? Thank you.

Answer 1

At this age, I would recommend not even introducing a bottle. Try for a cup instead, either with safety lid or without if you are brave. After the first Birthday, babies who cling to the bottle often have a difficult time letting it go (pacifiers, too!)
Congrats on giving him the best start possible, rest easy that he is old enough to be weaned from you straight to a cup. I nursed both my children and they never even had a rubber nipple of any kind. It's better for their little teeth as well to avoid the bottle.

Answer 2

He is a bigboy now! Please don't waste your money to get bottles!!!!!! Bottle fed kids should start being weaned of bottles by this time, so you don't want to take a step backward.
Have himpick out some cool sippy cups, make sure he picks them out! If you want, you can pump for a while and put the breastmilk in his bigboy cup, or you can start him on half breastmilk and half whole milk, then after a few days of him getting used to that, just give him whole milk.....
You don't have to worry about warming up the whole milk, he will be okay drinking it cold!!!
You have done a awesome job breastfeeding up to this point!! Your a wonderful mother! Not alot of mothers last past the first birthday :) (that would include me!!)
And another pointer, if you want, you can start to only give him milk when he wakes up, once in the afternoon, then before bed, the rest of the time he can have juice or water..... Then when hes about 16-18 months you can start milk once or twice a day.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I have a 17 month old and I weaned him off at 10 months. With my son we had to find a nipple that he liked before he would take the bottle. The brand is called Second Nature Feeding System. The nipple has small holes on it. It didn't look like it would work, but my son loved it. He would use a cup during the day, and he had a bottle of whole milk before bed. He did this for a month, then I just gave him the cup. You just have to be consistent with not giving the breast. It's not going to happen overnight. Hoped that helps. Good Luck!

Answer 4

You don't need to switch him to a bottle. It is recommended that children receive breastmilk for the first two years (according to the World Health Organization). If you'd like to follow this recommendation but don't want to continue to have him nurse, you could pump and give him milk in a cup. Most pediatricians recommend that kids over one don't take a bottle. Another option would be to switch him to follow-up formula in a cup.

I hope that your reasons for stopping breastfeeding are your own and not from pressure. Breastfeeding toddlers is great for them so if there's something about it that's not working, try to change that before you quit, and if someone is trying to tell you you have to quit, then don't listen. Of course if you really want to quit you have still given him the benefit of breastmilk for longer than most kids get it and he will benefit from that. I just want to make sure, though, that it's really you that wants to quit and not someone telling you you should.

Answer 5

Of course the first thing is to talk to your doctor. You will need to start by getting him used to bottles. Pump your breastmilk and put this into a bottle. It will probably take several tries. Usually you would wean a bottle-fed baby to whole milk in a cup around one year old. I think you have done a good job by breastfeeding your boy this long! Good luck.

Answer 6

Stop offering him the breast and if you feel concerned about his eating then slowly weeing him away by only offering the breast at night and no during the day. Skip the whole bottle and go straight to a sippy cup and explain to him that he is a big boy and that is why he gets a big boy cup. It may take a while of convincing but he will eve naturally get the idea and be all game for it.

Answer 7

You need to get him on a bottle or a cup. Not a breast milk bottle. You need to give him cows milk, regular milk. He needs the different nutrients in that milk at his age and you need to give your body a break. It sounds like his biggest change won't be the milk, but the form that the milk is given. Switching to whole milk could cause diahrrea for a couple of days or could cause the opposite (constipation). It depends on the child, so be ready for either. The change could have no effect at all so don't be surprised if he handles the milk change like a champ! As far as the bottle or breast up to two years - I've never heard that, your already past your limit on that. You may have to go to bottle for a couple of months but I would try to speed him to a sippy cup real soon. Isn't he drinking juice and water out of a bottle already? The cup shouldn't be that big of a shock to him. Good luck!!

Answer 8

I agree with most, don't even bother with a bottle. As for breastmilk, that's up to you if you want to pump, but buying formula would be a waste of money at this point. MANY babies are only breastfed for a few months, are on formula until they are one, and switch to whole milk at age one. There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of those kids, my oldest included. Kids who are already one are generally getting their main nutrition from regular food anyways (I am hoping you already have him on real food).

Answer 9

Here is a great bottle that is only $14.95 and it's shaped like a breast.
http://www.leapsandboundscatalog.com/product/85207/686/117.html

You can also skip the bottle and go straight to a cup. I only gave my children a bottle at night. See what he'll like...try different nipples, bottles, etc.

Answer 10

Skip the bottle, go straight to the cup! That way you do not have to wean your child of the breast and then off the bottle.