Bottle Question....?

Question

My son is 14 months old. At his last Dr's visit they told me they wanted him off the bottle by 14 months...

How much milk should my son be getting in a day?

I have got him down to just a bottle before bed. I could take him off the bottle completely without a problem except I am afraid he will not get enough milk for the day...

Help!!!!!!

He has been drinking from a cup since he was 6 months but we fill his cup in the morning (the cup holds 6ozs) and it takes him all day to drink it all gone...

Answer 1

Your answer is simple, don't let him hold it all day.. This milk must get too warm and sour. After breakfast take it away and give it back to him with juice or water in mid morning and at lunch give him milk again and with supper. He'll consume it all and maybe ask for more.

Answer 2

my daughter(now 3) was off the bottle by 12 months. she took herself off though. i had decided that i wanted her off by her first birthday. my friends little girl just turned 2 and still gets her bottle at night.

basically its all in the way your child takes to it. mine didnt want it. shes really independant. little kailei isnt so independant.

Answer 3

He'll get used to the cup, are you using a cup made for his age group? there are several sippy's out there, one for beginners, intermediate and older children, make sure your using one he's comfortable with. Also try one that maybe has his favorite character on them, this  may help... I always put a little chocolate Ovaltine in the milk not a lot just enough to flavor the milk... but as soon as you talk the bottle away completely he will drink more from the cup, but if your concerned talk to your Ped, he'll steer you on the right track...he'll be fine

Edit:  I agree, I wouldn't be as concerned about your baby being on the bottle as yiur baby getting enough milk, I believe that Doctors don't recemmend more than 16 24 ozs a day, they can consume too much a everyday too. You could aslo try one of those Baby sports bottles( the ones with the spill proof valves) and use it Just for Milk. Some babies are fine with sippys with water and juice in them bt for whatever reason they won't accept them with Milk..this could be an option...but If you need to continue giving your son a bottle before bed time don't worry about it he'll outgrow it, just make sure that your not putting him down with the bottle because then you can harm his teeth..

good Luck you sound like a great Mommy!!

Answer 4

I was told that my son should be drinking about 16 oz of milk a day. Whether its plain, chocolate, or strawberry.  I wouldnt worry too much about him being on the bottle. If its once a day, especially just at night, its not that big of a deal. My son is 18 months and still has a bottle. He gets one before bed, and one when he wakes up in the middle of the night (yes ... still wakes up). His doctor said that as long as he's eating right throughout the day, and drinking from a sippy like he should, the bottle isnt a concern. He told me as long as its gone by the time my son turns 2, he wont be worried.

Maybe its the cup that he doesnt like. Maybe its too hard for him to drink from it? My son doesnt like the hard spouts. He will take all day to drink one cup of milk from it. We have the Gerber Sip-n-Smile 7oz cups. He sucks them down like nothing. They have a soft spout. He likes those ones. Try giving your son a different cup. He might do better with it!

Good luck!!

Answer 5

Well, I have an almost 12 month old, and we are not going to take her off of a bottle for at least six months.  My son was 18 months old when he gave up his last morning bottle.  We are doing the 9-24 month formula, because she doesn't get as much nutrients with cow's milk as she would with formula--something we didn't do with our son.  

Kids should get at this age anywhere from 24-32 ounces per day.  If you only give your son one bottle, and he only drinks 6 oz. a day, then keep giving him the bottles, because he is not getting enough fluid.  You don't want him to dehydrate. We have been there, and the dried out p**p is not fun at all.

We give our daughter a sippy cup of water for each meal per day, and she likes it.  She may drink 6 ounces total from that all day with her three meals.  She doesn't like her milk in that same cup, so we just give her bottles.

Every doctor has an opinion, but as a mother you know what's best for your son that may be different from a doctor.  I've seen three year olds on bottles, and I don't encourage that, but he is still a baby.  He may just not be ready to give it up yet, and that is really okay.