weaning toddler off the bottle

I am currently trying to wean DD off her bottle. She doesn’t have one at night any more, but she has always had one first thing in the morning and then probably 3 or 4 throughout the day (one of the reasons I want to get her off them is that I think she is filling up on milk and not eating enough at mealtimes).

We went cold-turkey this morning which made her very upset (she usually gets up and has a bottle of milk on the sofa before getting dressed – she has breakfast when she gets to daycare). I can understand where she was coming from as I don’t like having my morning routine altered either! I offered her different sippy cups but she wasn’t having any of it. I managed to distract her in the end with getting dressed and ‘helping’ me in the shower, but she didn’t drink anything at all.

She drinks water out of sippy cups and normal cups at meal times with no bother at all so I know she can do it. And I know that she drinks milk out of sippy cups at daycare. (I have asked them not to give her any bottles today).

Anyways, I am looking for any tips that may make this easier. Is cold turkey the best approach? I feel like the meanest mum in the world when I think of her teary face this morning.

What about cutting holes in the teat of the bottle so it is rough and not nice to suck on. Similar theory to the dummy wenaing.

Or what about a story about some needy baby needs her bottles and it would be very nice if she could give it to the baby. At her age she will understand that.

I weaned Ds (2) at christmas from his bottle onto a sippy cup-it was only a ore-bedtime bottle though. He hated it at first, and would refuse to drink anything and it has only been in the last week or two that he has started drinkign 100mls or so. He doesn't need the milk for filling him up as such cause he has slept through with out it. But jus as a calicum top up for us as he doesn't have much dairy.

Hi, my boys have 4 - 5 bottles a day and I'm having the same issue.

I have however lessened their intake down to 40mls per bottle so that's 1 cup a day. I want to get rid of them (tried everything except cold turkey) but just can't be bothered with the stress of it all at the moment so as long as the milk isn't before food (apart from the morning) then my thoughts are it's fine and we'll tackle the issue latter.

As Laurie says - try to cut down the amount and then I suppose making sure it isn't before food and she doesn't suck or hang onto the bottle so it doesn't upset her teeth development. let me know what you do.

i would be inclined to cut out the day ones before the first thing in the morning one...

thanks for the replies guys - we have stuck with cold turkey this week - and daycare have done so too. The bottle-fairy came on Tuesday night and took all the bottles away for the needy babies and left a new sippy cup and a bottle of bubbles in their place. DD has been fantastic and though she isn't drinking milk at home now she drinks water out of cups, and has plenty of dairy with milk on cereal and yoghurts.

She didn't ask for a bottle at all this morning - it seems that habits are easily broken and formed at their age. Just got the weekend routine to get through now which will be the next test. If we can get past that i think we have cracked it!

yay you!!!

Thank god for this thread.
I think I have the worse bottle dependency with my DD, its all my fault with forming the habit. DD usually has a bottle before her one sleep during the day and before bed. However she also demands its when she has hurt herself, is upset about something else. She just loves getting her snuggles bear, sitting in her little chair and having a bottle. At almost two she still wakes in the night for a bottle. To be honest I am completley lazy with not wanting to go thru the hours of crying overnight. It is getting ridiculous at how much milk she is having, I do end up diluting it with water.
I know I have caused this habit, I really dont know where to start. As I think its going to be really hard to get her off the bottle......HELP!

salz - i had the same thing with my dd , she was still waking in the night once, sometimes twice or if it was a bad night then three times and would only go back to sleep with a bottle , If i went into her room to settle her in the night she would expect a bottle and cry untill i got her one then my DP started going in and instead of giving her a bottle just telling her to go to sleep calmy but sternly and putting her blankets on her , making sure she had her teddy , and giving her a kiss .... and it worked! so it turned into being his job to get up to her but it only lasted a week or so and now (6 weeks later) she pretty much sleeps through every night and if for any reason she does wake i can go in now and tell her to go back to sleep and she will (without a bottle ) . She tends to listen to dp more than me ( it might be the deep voice , im not too sure )

she was also having alot more milk during the day but i have cut that and she seems fine with it , i sometimes give her a bottle of milk in the morning or like you , if shes upset (she also likes to sit on her couch with her teddy) its a comfort thing more than anything i think .