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Forum -> Parenting our children -> Toddlers
How to wean a 2.5 year old from milk bottle?



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tsc3




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 19 2017, 4:51 am
Dc still needs a bottle to fall asleep. Doesn't have any during the day, still asks sometimes but we don't give. At night is a different story... if dc is not tired enough to fall asleep will have up to 3 bottles. And even in the middle of the night wakes up (not always) and half asleep asks for a bottle. Since then dc is half asleep there's no 1 to talk to...
Funny thing is, dc can fall asleep for a nap with no bottle but usually asks for 1 if very tired. It's a comfort thing.
At my wits end because it's long past weaning age plus leaky diapers every morning...
Sorry if this was all over the place.
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 19 2017, 5:25 am
Babies should never have bottles in the bed, it makes them dependent on them to fall asleep. If you have to give in, don't give anything but water or else you'll be looking at some serious dental bills soon. Google "bottle mouth" pics, you'll be shocked and horrified enough to follow through.

2.5 is certainly old enough to explain that big kids don't need bottles, and that bottles are for little babies. A sippy cup with water next to the bed is fine for now, until you wean off of that.

Until you can stop fluids during bedtime, you're going to have a heck of a time potty training for night. Liquid in / liquid out.

Sorry to sound so harsh, but I have no idea why doctors don't explain this to new moms.

DD never, ever had a bottle in her bed. She was using a sippy cup at 1.5, gave up her paci at 2.5, and was completely dry at night by age 3.
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amother
Copper


 

Post Wed, Jul 19 2017, 5:29 am
OP, FF is right that the best way to do it is probably to offer water in a sippy cup, but please don't panic. Thousands if not millions of parents have done what you have done, DD will be fine just fine. Please don't worry!!.
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tsc3




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 19 2017, 7:36 am
Thank you very much. I am quite aware of the problem, hence I was coming for advice and help on how to stop. FYI this is my first and only child to do this out of a few kh.
Any practical advice? Ignore the tantrum? Dc is quite old enough to understand but also old enough to put up a stink. They don't call it terrible twos for nothing...
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rgr




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 19 2017, 10:39 am
Not experienced in this, but a few things came to mind.

Can you water down the bottle over time?

Introduce something else that he can self sooth with such as a blanket or a stuffy.
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amother
Purple


 

Post Wed, Jul 19 2017, 4:17 pm
My son also still has a milk bottle at night and before he goes to sleep in the afternoon. He went through a phase where he wasn't really drinking much of it. Now I water it down so it's mostly water with only about 1oz of milk sometimes more sometimes less.
In a way I'm sometimes happy he still has it because when it's very hot and he's not drinking enough at least I know he's having those bottles.
I would just water it down more and more. Maybe only give him 1 bottle a night and let him know he's only having one bottle. If he wants more give him water in a sippy cup. He may scream the first few nights and then he will get used to it. Or maybe make each bottle less and less...
Have to try this with my son as well now... gluck.
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tsc3




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jul 20 2017, 1:26 pm
I prepped dc all day that tonight there will only be 1 bottle (which is very watered down already for months). It was a total failure. DC screamed for over an hour. Very stubborn. I don't think I can do this...
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amother
Papaya


 

Post Thu, Jul 20 2017, 1:48 pm
im a mean mom Smile

I wait till the child is sick and either sleeps a lot or has no appetite.
I weaned both kids like this.

dc1 was 11 months old, had a high fever slept tons and didnt ask for a bottle for 2 days...after he recovered I simply didnt reintroduce it and gave a drink in a cup instead. he didnt mind at all. ok he was really young.

dc2 was 30 months old when he was sick (just recently) and slept a lot. hence he didnt ask for a bottle, he was simply so tired anyway. after the third day he finally felt better b´´H and immediately asked for a bottle. I said the bottle is currently busy helping babys to fall asleep, but he is so welcome to try his new cup (with aeroplanes drawn on it), and he said ok. he never asked for the bottle again.

especialy dc2 was totally addicted to his bottle and there was no way to wean him unless he himself wouldnt ask for it.

I know this is NOT a method, but both times it worked great. 2 days is a LOOOONG time for a toddler. often the time is enough for them to 'forget' or get adjusted to something new.

it sounds so harsh to wait till the child doesnt feel well...I know...and dh and my mother both say im cruel. Wink

obviously I pray for my children to be happy and healthy children. and im grateful, that they both only get small infections or a cold. may all our children be always healthy and live 120 years!!!
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tsc3




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jul 20 2017, 1:53 pm
Dc has a Sippy cup all day (with just water). The bottle is only at night. Even takes Sippy cup with water to bed too like older sibling... I'm out of ideas.
Nothing personal and not judging but I'd rather dc have a bottle till the age of 12 than be that mean...
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mommy_r




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jul 20 2017, 2:18 pm
I actually weaned my almost 2-yo son from a bottle with a similar method - we went away for Pesach and "forgot" to buy bottles. He was a bit upset but because it was a different environment it was much easier to distract him and by the time we got back, I just threw out all the old bottles surreptitiously - he had forgotten all about it. before we left for pesach, he was really attached to his bottle, so I was surprised that this worked, but it really did.

and I wouldn't call that method mean - you're not trying to make them sick, but it happens to be a good time to wean them...
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amother
Diamond


 

Post Yesterday at 6:25 am
Can anyone help me wean my 3 year old??
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amother
Daisy


 

Post Yesterday at 6:51 am
amother Diamond wrote:
Can anyone help me wean my 3 year old??


Take the bottles and toss them.

Yes she’ll cry. Yes she’ll tantrum. Yes she’ll be ok
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teachkids




 
 
    
 

Post Yesterday at 7:14 am
We switched to a sippy so the sucking was less soothing and watered down the milk
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amother
Sand


 

Post Yesterday at 7:22 am
Once they can use a cup or straw stop bottles. Simple. We just stopped. Once they eat a decent amount of food we dropped to 1-3 cups of milk a day. Mostly water. They are sad for a day or two and then move on. We had to stop cold turkey with my oldest when I didn't know better. She was fine after 2 days. Just make sure to give lots of attention.
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amother
Mayflower


 

Post Yesterday at 8:57 am
I think an important piece here is your own mindframe.
Seems like you're thinking along the lines of "me vs her" (or him). The truth is, though, that teaching your daughter to self-soothe is a very, very important life skill. It isn't you vs her, it's you being a mom and teaching her a life skill.
One day while she's calm and in a good mood, talk about throwing out the bottles. Do it with her. Pack them all up in a bag and throw it in the dumpster with her. Also discuss other ways she can calm herself (if she's old enough, you can ask her for ideas, or give her some like hugging a teddy or sucking a pacifier, etc) Then before she goes to sleep ask her if she needs another drink (one thing at a time, can't worry about potty training while you're doing this). Leave the sippy cup in her crib, tell her she has it in case she gets thirsty. You can tell her again "tonight you're going to sleep all by yourself. If you get sad, you can hug teddy/snuggle blanket/etc. Mommy is right outside the room even if you don't see me." If she screams (highly probable!) leave her for up to 5 min (I personally do about 2.5 or 3 min) and then go in and say exactly the same thing you said before.
The first few nights it might take up to 1.5 hours for her to fall asleep. It's not easy. But there's nothing mean about it - on the contrary, she knows she is safe and you are there, and you are teaching her a very, very important life skill.
Most likely within a few nights she'll be able to sleep just fine without the bottle and it will be much healthier all around.
Good luck!
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renslet




 
 
    
 

Post Yesterday at 10:37 am
I would do (and have done) exactly like mayflower suggested.
On a calm day, talk about the it's time to stop using bottles. Make a ceremony putting them in the garbage/fancy bag etc.
You can even make a certificate, or have a Nash.
That night remind them again and again and stay close by cuz it will be hard for them to fall asleep.
It takes a few days but totally works, and yes they may scream for two hours, you could hold them, sing to them etc.
Alternatively, and this might work if you go away for pesach, don't take them along.
Again, it might take a few days of you sitting with them till they fall asleep.
With one of my kids , we went away for the summer and I left the bottles at home by accident and only realized at bedtime and she was the easier to wean.
My son is three and a half and still points to the bottles on top of the fridge, those are my bottles that I put in the bag. He sees them but falls asleep fine
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