Today my daughter had her one year well baby check up. The doctor told us to cut out her night time bottle with formula. She said it would be okay to give her water. She normally drinks most with this bottle - 7 - 9 ounces. I hate to cut her off cold turkey because she looks forwad to this bottle. She points to it when she's ready for it. Does anyone have suggestions for weaning her? Thanks.
I made it a special together time and my daughter never even missed the bottle. We still cuddled and we read a book instead of a having a bottle. It's never good to have a bottle or cup in bed--there's too much choking danger, and it increases chances of inner ear infections whether it's water, milk, formula or whatever.
you should make it less and less and give her a smaller water to take the treat out of that bottle ... take your time, most babies dont need things like food to be taken cold turkey ... "binkies" yes food/bottles NO
I'm just curious why he said to cut it out. I was never told this and my son, who turned 2 in November, still has his milk before bed. We brush his teeth afterwards. I was planning on weaning him from it when we potty train, but for now (he's not even close to potty training yet) he looks forward to it so much. Could you message me back and tell me why, please? I don't get what the problem is with giving them milk or formula before bed.
C.,
If you are determined to wean her from that bottle just put less and less milk in it and substatute with a little water or juice before bed. Soon she will get used to having juice or water before bed and loose the bottle. Sometimes its a comfort thing before bed have my bottle then go to sleep. Have you tried giving her the milk in a cup instead of the bottle? It's always hard to wean but just giving her a few ounces less each night might get her away from it. Good luck
Maybe just give her 5 ounces and then go to 3 ounces and then to 2 and then cut it off. I don't think the doctor meant for you to do it cold turkey.
You could give her a little rice or cereal, it would probably keep her satisfied.
I would just decesase it slowly and start adding water in it to dilute it and eventaully it will be water. Its ok to send them to bed with a water bottle.
Hey there C.!
What my dr. told me was that instead of putting 9 ounces of formula in the bottle, put 7 oz of formula and 2 oz of regular vitamin D milk, and gradually work your way down that way..They are "suppose" to drink whole milk after one anyway..and that is what we did and my daughter eventually didnt even notice that it was all milk...Worked for us, you should try it....
Hope that helps
A.
I still give my 21 mo old a bottle before she gets ready for bed. I use the soy formula for toddlers. Since i just recently weaned her from the breast, she really looks forward to it and it signals it is time to wind down (she drinks it while we read books). I brush her teeth after and give her a water sippy cup in her crib.
Even if you wean, if i were you, i would still recommend giving formula instead of cow milk until 2 years. The iron in it is so important. :) Liz
I'm not telling you to go against your doctor, but we transitioned our daughter from formula to milk, but continue to give her a cup of milk at bedtime. She sleeps about 11 hours at night and I think she needs it to stay satisfied during this length of time. I would transition the formula to milk as the other posters have suggested, but would continue to give her something at bed time. My daughter is 18 months old and still gets her milk cup at bedtime and we have no plans to stop.
I agree with the doctor but you can ween her. I had a neighbor that gave her daughter a bottle at night and all her teeth before she was a year old had to have gold fillings in them. They looked aweful and thank God it was not permanent.
Hi C.,
That is ridiculous! My son had a night time bottle and he finally gave it to me 1 night. He does not transition well cold-turkey except when he makes that decision. I think he was about 18 months when he gave it up.
If you want to do, do it gradually, not all of a sudden. That is not right. If she drinks 8 oz, then put 7 oz in 1 oz water, do this for 2 to 3 nights, then 7, then 6, then 5 and so forth...I did that with my son, but he still wanted it. He was getting water and not just the formula, so I think that is much better.
DO NOT DO MILK, unless you know she can tolerate it!! Try it out in a sippy cup w/ just a few oz, she could be allergic, my son was and so I had to do Soymilk. He could still eat Mac & cheese & yogurt, but it wasn't the milk per say, it was the concentration of milk that gave him hives!! So, be careful!
Good Luck!
Gladys
