How do you stop babies from drinking from bottles when they are so used to it?

Question

My baby likes her bottles at night. She's 19 months and the iron in her milk is decaying her teeth + he dr said she can only have 2 bottles per day. She drinks from cups too and sips straws very well but at night she yearns for that bottle to keep her asleep. Even going to sleep she wants milk right before she goes. What do I do?

Answer 1

When giving the bottle, slowly dilute the milk with water and then just water. Your child should slowly adust the cup more if she is receiving just milk in the cup.

Answer 2

I had this issue as well. Two things- You have to be the one to make the change, and stick with the changes even when she cries. Also, you can encourage her by letting her know that bottles are for newborns and little babies but sippy cups and straws are for big kids.

First, don't offer her a bottle at all during the day. Sippy cups and straws only. Get her used to eating and drinking before bedtime rolls around. When it's time for bed, let her have a bottle with water. Tell her if she wants milk, she has to drink it from a sippy cup and then she has to brush her teeth. Then gradually decrease the amount of water in the bottle.

You can also let her know that big girls don't use bottles. Big girls use sippy cups, and doesn't she want to be a big girl? When you go out, point to the tiniest baby you can that's using a bottle. Then when you see bigger kids using straws, sippy cups, and regular cups, say, "See? That big boy over there isn't using a bottle. He's got a cup!" Then tell her that you're going to circle her 2nd birthday on the calendar. That's the day that all the bottles go in the trash, because that'll be the day that she's finally a big girl. Tell her she can throw the bottles in the trash herself, say bye-bye, etc. Tell her you'll go to the store and she can pick out a new sippy cup or two. Make a big deal of what a big girl she is now!

Try those ideas and you'll be successful. In all honesty, you could do it fairly quickly, much sooner than her 2nd birthday. :)

Answer 3

She only requires this night-time bottle for comfort. If she is drinking normally from a cup during the day, then that's it. Never give sweet drinks at night in her bottle, unless you can afford huge dentist bills--it will rot her teeth. Before bed give her a supper time drink--warm milk, chocolate [diluted and not too sweet] and in a CUP. Then clean her teeth and put her to bed with a bottle of WATER. I'm tipping she will put it in her mouth out of habit and go to sleep, because she has had her 'supper' drink with you and dad, so she won't be really 'hungry' for milk or whatever. Until she is a little older [or you can wean her] let her have a BOTTLE of WATER and ONLY when she goes to BED, never a bottle at any other time. This worked perfectly for my kids. Good luck!
I think it's the lactose [milk sugar] that is rotting her teeth, not iron!

Answer 4

Hi, You will have to train her in no more bottles. It's hard she will cry for her bottle but don't give in. Tell her she is a big girl when she drinks out of her cup right before bed. She will do fine in a week or so.
poppy1

Answer 5

I did this and it worked for me and my 3 youngsters. whilst they have been waiting to take a seat up on their own and carry their own bottle i began out introducing a sippy cup. The bottle in elementary terms had formulation in it and the sippy could have water or juice. except it replaced into warm and that they ought to maintain hydrated then that they had a bottle of water/juice. They make a large number at first and you somewhat ought to help them out then they get the handle of it after which you will start up taking the bottles away. by the time they have been a million each and all of the bottles have been thrown away. They have been given to show screen me do it and stated bye bye. that's what worked for me, my boys have been somewhat greater stable to %. this up besides the incontrovertible fact that it nevertheless worked. additionally my youngsters have been snoozing threw the nighttime and by no ability went to mattress with a bottle, properly perhaps sometimes yet very very uncommon. stable success

Answer 6

my boy loves that baba too. he seems to do very well with the sippie cups that have a soft top like the bottles. it seems to help the transition. save one of the 2 milk bottles for night. make sure baby is wore out before bed. good luck!

Answer 7

I stressed about this one too. One day I gave my son a choice between the big boy cup and the bottle and he chose the big boy cup for his milk and we haven't looked back.

Answer 8

cold turkey. for 3 days u may have to put up with a temper tantrum but remember its for a good cause.

a good thought to keep in mind while putting up with the tantrum is to think that "its better to cry for the bottle for 3 days then to cry because of pain from the tooth decay"

i suggest doing this on a long weekend.

Answer 9

Instead of milk in the bottle, give her water. If she really wants the drink, she'll drink it. And, it won't cause bottle rot. If she's just drinking it for comfort, she'll probably cry for the first few days, but she'll get over it, and be healthier for it.

Answer 10

Stop giving her bottles. Yes she is going to cry about it. That's what babies do when they don't get their way. If you don't want to thouroughly rot her teeth stop giving her bottles. Let her cry it out at night.