How do I wean 13 month old from bottle?

Question

My baby is drinking his cow's milk 4 times a day from a bottle. He gets about 24 oz. a day of milk. I have tried to let him drink his milk from a sippy cup, but he will not have any thing to do with it, maybe a sip or two. In the morning he is really hungry and wants a bottle to drink a lot. At night he really likes to drink a big bottle and then he puts himself to sleep after I brush his teeth. He eats a lot of solid food before each bottle. I wonder if I just cut out the bottle for lunch and dinner and only offer in sippy cup, but I worry if he will be getting enough milk. Please help!

Answer 1

When my daughter was 14 months old, she wouldn't have anything to do with a sippy cup either.  After consulting with her pediatrician, I just took the bottle away all-together.  It was rough for a few days.  But as her doc told me, kids wont dehydrate themselves.  Once they get thirsty enough, they will drink.  I felt terrible, but it worked itself out in a couple of days.  Hang in there.

Answer 2

Try just giving him a bottle at night before bed time.  During the day offer the milk only in a cup.  It's not going to work the first, second or third day.  It may take a week or two.  But don't give in and don't give him the bottle during the day.  You have to stick to it.  If your baby is getting one bottle a day and little sips from the cup, that is enough milk.  He will catch on to what your doing and drink from the cup more.  You can also give him foods that have milk in it.

Answer 3

you can't take him off the bottle this early if he won't drink milk from a sippy cup then if you take the bottle away he won't drink milk at all. all you can do for now is to keep offering milk in the sippy cup or even give him juice in the sippy cup so he can get used to the cup first then giving him milk won't be so hard.

Answer 4

I always started them off on their 1st birthday.  What I did was with their cake, gave them a sippy cup of chocolate milk, had them take their bottle and throw it in the garbage, because bottles are for babies, and they are big kids now.  A friend of mine also only gave formula in a bottle and only give milk in a cup.  Once they taste the lukewarm chocolate milk, they didn't want formula anymore.

Answer 5

There are now sippy cups that are very similar to bottles in the way the child drinks from them, they may help. Please be careful giving him milk before bed after you brush his teeth, the milk staying in his mouth over night can rot his teeth. We had to try different types of sippies to get our little one to use one regularly.

Answer 6

I had this problem with my son.  I just offered juice in the cup, gratually working it in to the day.  Then I started offering it at lunch, then supper then in the morning.  I offered chocolate milk at supper and that was a help and a reward for drinking out of the cup.