My baby is 18 months, how do I get her off the bottle?

Question

She is 18 months old. I really think she needs to be off the bottle already, but when she is your only baby it's hard. Please help! How did you get your baby off the bottle?

Answer 1

Don't force her. Lots of children stay on the bottle until they are three or so. Many doctors suggest children and their mothers would be healthier if the children stayed on the breast until they were three.

My children, (all 10 of them), came off the bottle between 2 and 3. they reached the point where they wanted to be Big Boys or Big Girls. They will do it naturally. Don't force it. Mine are all healthy, well adjusted adults now. Let children be children as long as they need to be.

And all my grandchildren are doing fine! Their parents are all treating their children the same as we did. Healthy children, all of them.

Answer 2

You should have done this around 12 months. We started when our son was 14 months. We gave him fewer bottles during the day. Got him started on Straw sippy cups or just the hard type cups. The hardest bottle/s are the ones at night. The middle of the night bottle was the toughest. We just gave him a sippy cup at night. He hated it. He quickly realized that it was the sippy cup or nothing at all. Now, at 17 months he's off all bottles and doesn't wake up at night for the late night bottle any more. Good luck. It just takes time and don't give in or let your family or friends give a damn guilt trip about it. Continued use of the bottle has negative effects on their teeth, and also causes more frequent ear infections.

Answer 3

If she does not have a disability then, give her a cup instead of a bottle when she wants something to drink. She will drink out of the cup if she sees that you refuse to give her a bottle to walk around with. If she really needs it, she would only get a bottle when she is going to bed. After a certain time there is no reason for a child to be still on the bottle or in diapers unless there is a physical issue that prevents them from developing like a regular child. Hopefully this will work for you. GOOD LUCK

Answer 4

At 18 months, I doubt your baby is fixing her own bottle, so I think the question is "How do I face the fact that my little girl is growing up". It's time for mommy to break out the sippy cup and have a lot of patience. If it isn't already, her new favorite word is about to be NO!

Answer 5

I had both of my boys off the bottle by the time they were 9 months. The trick is as soon as they sit up in the high chair to eat you start giving them little sips of stuff to drink each time they eat increasing the amount each time and never letting them carry the bottle around. You really have to start from when they are born to avoid any problems. First by never letting them fall asleep with the bottle or letting them hold the bottle themselves. I used to feed them thier bottle and as soon as they were finished it went in the sink that way they never had a chance to get attached to it. But since your little one is already 18 months she is pretty attached to it by now. The only thing I can think of so she doesnt trip is to start putting stuff in the bottle that she really doesnt like and put the good stuff in a little sip cup. Start putting water only in the bottle. She will give it up real quick

Answer 6

Offer three meals a day with cerals, vegetables, fruits, and soft meats. 2 or 3 small snacks of ceral with fruit or mixed with milk, juices, or crackers, toast with jam, etc. Limit table food as we sometimes put too much salt in our food that we eat. Give milk in sippy cup that has the valve in the spout, and that will prevent spilling, and your baby can carry it around if she likes. At night it is best to not give her milk in her bottle, as water is best. You can try giving her a cup to take to bed with her. When you shop for the sippy cups, involve her and let her pick out the ones she likes.

ifyouonly's answer about putting only water in her bottle is a excellent idea. When she finds out the sippy cup is the only thing that will have milk in it, she will get used to it quicker.

Answer 7

What my sister did is brought her son some sipping cups to slowly get him off the bottle.

She said to only put your baby drinks in the sipping cup during the day, and only give your baby the bottle at night before bed.

Answer 8

Every baby is different. I have four children, all went to sippy cups at different times. By the time they were two they were through with bottles (with the exception of my son who still had them for bedtime at twenty-six months...) Don't force it. Make it fun and your little girl will enjoy it...

Just a hint... if you start putting water in her bottles and the good stuff in sippy cups she will go for them a lot faster!
Hope it helps!
-Amanda

Answer 9

My Dr. says 1 year old-thats it. So w/ my 1st I did as I was told, I was young, trust my Dr. I am now older, more children, still trust my Dr. completely! Just let them know that she is a BIG girl now & it is time to say Bah-bye to the bottle. do this for a couple days, that day when she wakes up, today is big girlday. that is it take it away, it may be tough for a day or two, but that is it. You are not hurting your only baby! You are helping her, she is growing up. Let her pick out her new special cup. Make it a big day. Have fun!

Answer 10

Some kids really need the bottle. I knew a kid that almost took it to kindergarten with his snack. When got home he told his mom. no more bottle. no one drinks them.. I had the good fortune to have a glass bottle break and i told my daughter, OHOH all gone. That was it. But you guys have plastic. Could you arrange loosing it on a shopping trip. At her age she might not think to ask you to buy another. Or put a hole in it. When it drains all over her she might not want the messy thing. OUT THINK HER but, my other children got rid of the bottle on their own. Have patience also.