Bottles? - When did you stop giving them?

stella6979 wrote: Avery is 15 months but she still takes a bottle in the morning and at night. Throughout the day, she does use a sippy cup, but I was just wondering how old your child/children were when you stopped giving them a bottle all together? And was it a hard habit to break?

gr33n3y3z replied: They went right from breast to cup 12 months

The boys had a bottle from 4 1/2 months to 11 months bc they didnt breast feed long

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: 15 months. I'd heard that if you go too far beyond that it can start to damage their teeth alignment.

stella6979 replied:
Wow, really? I don't think I ever knew that. I guess we'll take the bottles away starting today. Thanks everyone!

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: I'll be the first to admit I don't know everything. So, if she resists, don't force the issue. Logan gave it up really easily. I just told him no more bottles, and he didn't ask more than a few times. We still do sippy cups at cuddle time before bed and teeth brushing.

stella6979 replied:
I knew that juice in bottles could damage their teeth, but I never knew the bottle itself could be damaging. She really doesn't cry for one or anything, I think we just thought she needed it for the comfort, especially before bed. I do think she's too old to still be using one though, so they'll be gone after today.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Yep. That is what I've also been told about pacifiers, so I personally have always had issues with bottles and pacifiers after 12 months.

We started transitioning Tanner to a sippy at about 10 months when he showed he "could" do it. By the time he was 12 months he was done with the bottle. A lot of times it's getting them to break a habit, because that is just what they are use to, they are comfortable with it. Some are more attached to the bottle than others. Thankfully, Tanner wasn't too attached to the bottle. I hope Aiden will be just as easy, but I wont hold my breath. He's already picky and shows preferences for things Tanner didn't. But, I'm also a stearn mama... ...if he don't like it, too bad.

You could try giving her a small amount of milk or water in a sippy before bed, if she really likes that night time drink before she lays down. From what you've described, she might be really easy with the transition. Good luck!

stella6979 replied:
Man, I feel like a horrible Mother. She still takes bottles and pacifiers. LOL! Seriously though, I appreciate the feedback and we'll definately be packing the bottles away today. She only uses the pacifer at bedtime so we'll work on that one next.

Mommy2Isabella replied: Bella is already off of the bottle at 11months. It wasn't hard at all to switch .. also she has no pacifier either ...

I heard of both starting to damage teeth ...

Hillbilly Housewife replied: OMG I must be horrible. I took them all off their bottles between 7 and 10 months. They were able to play with Sippy cups since they got the hang of holding their own bottles... and when they were able to drink out of a sippy cup properly, we just took the bottles away.

Emilie was the longest with the pacifier, she was baout 18 months I guess... she bit through it, we made her throw it in the garbage, and that was it.


The older you wait, the more aware they are of what is going on, and the harder it is to take away comforting things.

PrairieMom replied: Benjamin was off bottles and paci's at 11 months, it was no problem getting him off them.
Al was off at a little over a year. I had a harder time with her because she ended up in the hospital at that time with dehydration, so anything she would drink out of was fine with me. We took away her paci just this week, and 13 1/2 months. The first 2 days were HORRIBLE, with the screaming and fits, but she is over it now.
My Ped's rule is no bottles or paci's after a year.
I agree, the longer you wait, the harder it is.

Calimama replied: Bella is off of bottles and she's 11 months. She's never used a paci so that wasn't an issue. It wasn't a hard switch, she prefers the sippee cup because the colors.

stella6979 replied: Wow, I'm feeling more and more horrible with every post.

MyBrownEyedBoy replied:
Don't. Logan was 15 months, too. We never had a paci baby, he used them for teething toys, but never really needed to suck on one. You are not a bad mommy.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Yes, don't feel bad one bit! NOW...would you believe I've seen children as old as 4 and 5 in public with pacifiers and 3 year olds with bottles!? Now THAT I cringe at and I dont care what anyone says, there is no excuse for that at that age. 15 months is still pretty average so don't feel bad.

Rocky, don't feel bad either. I think it's great you transitioned so early. What a great way to promote independance.

Tanner was a pacifier baby. Took it away at a year (aside from the factor stated above) because he would wake up, I kid you not, 10 times a night because it would fall out and he would play lazy and not go get it himself. Needless to say, the pacifier game got old real quick...buh-bye paci. Aiden is a pacifier baby too, but he seems more reliant on it than Tanner ever was, so, around that time I am scared to see how he will react. Only time will tell...yikes.

stella6979 replied:
Ya, my nephew Owen is 3 and still uses a pacifier and that's something I do not want.

lovemy2 replied: Olivia was maybe a little over a year - Dylan well he is only 7 months old but he is already using a sippy...

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied:
DON'T feel horrible! Kids just do things differently. Wil went to a sippy cup at maybe 13 months or so. I can't really remember, but he had a paci way past his second birthday. Wesley is still BF, but he also takes a sippy with a straw. He has never used bottles, but believe me, it's not because I NEVER tried...He just refuses to take bottles, pacis or regular sippies.

I will tell you though, for us, it was doing it cold turkey. I don't like to push my kids before they are ready, but Wil with the paci after two...I figured it was time and I just threw them all out one day. Have you thought of trying this with the bottles?

On another note...Wil's speech therapist suggested we go straight to a regular cup with Wesley if we can. Or use the straw kind. Because they believe that prolonged use of both bottles and sippies and pacis can lead to speech delays. I have no research to back this statement up, but this is just what our speech therapist said. I asked my ped and she agreed.

stella6979 replied:
Oh, I absolutely agree about the speech delay. I've heard that as well. Dh and I talked at lunch and we're just going to get rid of all the bottles starting tonight. We really don't want to take everything away all at once, so we'll take the pacifiers in a couple of weeks.
Thanks again everyone. You've all been very helpful.

Boo&BugsMom replied: Stella, one kind of sippy I found to be helpful for transitioning was the take and toss brand. You can squeeze them to show them there is liquid in them when they put it to their mouths. Tanner did really well with them, as well as other kids I have taken care of.