Take Away His Formula??

I would take away the bottle but not the formula. Have his learn about the sippy cup and or some other means for him to drink it. Give it to him the same as you would a bottle, just in a sippy cup. Good luck!!!!

I think you have a pretty normal kid. Can you switch out his formula with whole milk either in the morning and at night or the ones at daycare? Put it in a sippy cup instead of a bottle will help too.

I think a lot of it is personal preference. My doctor told me I could switch to whole milk at 1 year and stop with the formula, so I did. I also took the bottle away at one year, but I know lots of kids who have them longer. I wouldn't worry about what other people say and do what you feel is best for your boy. If he is healthy and growing well, I don't think you need to worry.

I think the most important thing is to transition to a sippy cup. Whether he drinks formula or whole milk doesn't really matter after 12 months, but whole milk is certainly a lot cheaper! We helped our sons adjust to the taste by mixing formula with whole milk. Instead of giving them 8 ounces of formula, we made 6 oz. of formula and added 2 oz milk. After a day or so, we cut it down to 4 oz of each. Then 2 oz. formula and 6 oz milk, and then finally straight milk. And if he's used to a warm bottle, you should work toward getting him to like it cold.
BUT it sounds like it might be harder to do that at daycare. I've never done daycare, so I don't know--do they have the capability to refrigerate 3 sippy cups for him?

If you want to cut out his instant morning cup, just skip it. You say he won't eat anything if he has to wait too long. It sounds hard-hearted at first, but if a kid is hungry enough, he'll eat. And since you say he's healthy, he won't suffer from missing a breakfast if he absolutely refuses to eat. I would guess it won't take him much longer than a day or two to figure out that he CAN wait a few minutes for a bowl of cereal (I used to just put enough milk on it to moisten it) or oatmeal or a banana or whatever. And give him his cup of milk at the same time you give him the food. If you want to do it more gradually, have him wait one minute before you give him the cup, then 3 minutes, then 5, etc. until he learns that he can survive hungry for a few minutes!

I have two boys with very large appetites, so I really do get the "suddenly starving, must-eat-now" thing. My boys have learned that they are okay being hungry for a while. Because otherwise, we'd be buying all sorts of fast food and other garbage while we're out, because they're ALWAYS HUNGRY!!!
Good luck!

If he's a year, he doesn't really need the formula or the bottles. If he'll take milk, it'll be a lot cheaper, too. You can always add just a touch of chocolate, too, although the yogurt is healthier. We used both ideas when weaning our boys. I'm all for getting off the bottle younger, too, as the kids are less opinionated about those things. Not having to worry about a bottle or formula is always a happy day in our home. GL!

At one we started introducing whole milk. We did this very slowly over the course of a couple of months since there is a strong allergy to milk on my side of the family. Since my daughter refused to drink it out of a sippy cup we let her have the bottle. Slowly over the next six months she transitioned herself from bottles to sippies. We NEVER let her have juice from a bottle, so I think she learned to enjoy the freedom of a sippy. Especially since she was allowed to be mobile with a sippy, but not with a bottle.

Try giving him his milk in a sippy cup. I believe at one year of age babies can drink whole milk then move to 2% later. I'd double check with your pediatrician, but do the sippy cup because milk does do a body good. ;)

I stopped bottles all together about a week after my son turned 1. It is so much easier to do it now then later. I would just give him a sippy cup of whole milk instead. He was a little sad at first, but never really screamed for a bottle. He is mellow, so that may just be his personality. But I know one thing for sure, do it now! My sisters little boy is 2 and still takes a bottle.

By age one they are fine to start drinking whole milk. It might be worth considering changing out some of the bottle feedings for a sippy cup of milk. (if he refuses plain milk throw in some yogurt to give it a sweeter taste and have some probiotics too).

The Dr may be concerned that he's getting too many calories from formula rather than food and now is the time to start transitioning. Some kids will happily fill their calorie needs with milk and not eat as much. And at this age thats not a "bad" thing though you may want to be more conscientious about getting him more solids. JMHO.

Hi S., I don't see that you are doing anything wrong at all. Ease up on yourself there. You little guy is still just 12 mos and sounds like a well-proportioned healthy kid with a healthy appetite. My son is exactly the same way. Like yours, he had to have a bottle first thing or else he just crashed. He is a slow-waker so with him, he was happiest if we would bring him a bottle in his crib and let him enjoy it in peace. I would have never done that with my first - it wasnt in the book afterall. funny isnt it?

He rejected milk at 1 yr (still does) so we used the 2nd stage Enfamil formula until he was close to 2.

I think if the bottles are not interfering with his normal meals, then let him have what he needs until he grows a little more. You can start transitioning to a sippy cup in the meantime. If your son is like mine, he's a calorie hound with a big metabolism. Bottles are his way of making up the difference.

As far as your husband's family goes, I encourage you do the best you can and handle it with a good sense of humor. I told my sisters that if they saw Coca-cola in my son's bottle, they could say something - otherwise, I'm the mama! lol

best of all things,

C.

It's all personal preference. My almost 3 yr. old girl never had formula until she was 11 mo because she was nursed or had sippy cups milk, juice, or water. At 11 mo. she stopped nursing so we that's when we bought formula. At that point she got a bottle at bedtime (nap & night). The rest of the day was sippy cups only - no bottles. Our son, however, is now 14 mo. He has been formula since 6 mo. We at 1 yr. we started with the whole milk. Again, during the days it is sippy cups only. At 1 yr. we stopped with the afternoon bottle all together and just gave him the sippy cup. Now we still have some remaining formula, but the whole milk is so much cheaper for us to buy than formula - which is why we did the switch over. Now the formula is nice for car trips and trips over the hill for our shopping days. He is now down to 1 bottle at bedtime, or right before bed.

Again - it is all your preference - don't let anyone else tell you what your baby needs or wants - it is your choice. I can say that weaning away from the formula bottle and into a milk sippy cup at 1 yr. for my kids was soooo much easier for me than my sister who waited until her kids were 2 yrs. and walked around all day with a bottle.

S., good morning.

I understand what you're going through. I took my little boy off the bottle at 13 months. I transitioned him from formula to whole milk slowly so as to avoid constipatoin. All I did was swap the bottle for the sippy cup. He is now 21 months old and is more attached to the sippy cup than he ever was to his bottle. He is also a healthy size little boy.

All I can suggest is try cutting back one bottle/cup per day until he is maybe down to 2-3 servings of milk. I know he is a little young, but try a regular kid sized drinking cup to let him drink out of. They think they're being a super big kid. I've currently been experiencing with this myself and it seems to have increased my son's appetite for food rather than milk.

Good luck to you.

S.

Mother of a 5 1/2 year old daughter and 21 month old son.

I would say to trust your own intuition. I don't see anything wrong with your situation. If he's eating solids well, he'll gradually eat more and replace the bottles. The bedtime one would probably be the last to go.

Each child has their own needs. Sometimes people just don't get what they say hurts. My first son was on a bottle until he was nearly 3. I would hear comments he's still on a bottle that is not good....blah blah blah. My son turned out normal :) The twins were on bottles until they were 2 and the only reason they got theirs cut earlier was because we lost the bottles one by one (well really 2 by 2 :)) and we couldn't find them....to much chaos. I always moved my kids to whole milk early though because it is way cheaper, but that is the only reason. Just know that you are your son's best mommy and you are the one that knows best for him.

First off you are doing nothing wrong. Every kid is different at walking, taking and eating. I have 3 kids and they were all off of the bottle at age 1 or a little after. They would rather eat what we were eating so taking the bottle away was easy. If you are ready to ease up on the bottle then I would just increase his regular food intake during the day. Start off with one of his regular bottle feedings and replace that with a normal food feeding. I would do the night time and your morning bottle feeding last since those would be the hardest. My thought is that if your doctor told you that he still needs some bottle feedings then I would stick with the nighttime and morning feeding for now and nix the rest.

My doctor told me that right after age 1 he should be done with the bottle. I think that goes right back to it's a "personal opinion" since your doctor says that your son should still be getting some formula everyday. I just got sick of paying for formula and washing the bottles all of the time. Normal food was just easier for me.

I get up early everyday and try to have something ready when my son wakes up. When he does wake up I just take him straight to the kitchen table and strap him into his seat and he eats right away. Sometimes if he is a little on the cranky side I will give him a fruit bar or nutrigrain bar or something simple. If he is a little better then I can make him some toast, eggs, or something that takes more than a second to make.

I have an 18 month old and also watch another 1 year old. The little guy that I watch doesn't take a bottle when he is at my house. I found that he eats better if he doesn't have it. I talked to his mom about it and I have taught him how to use a spoon and feed himself and he does great. His mom does give him a bottle at home and then he won't eat dinner for her. I give him a sippy cup instead with milk, water or occasionally with juice.

Remember that everyone has an opinion about how you raise your kids, but you are the only one whose opinion really matters. You know your son better than anyone else. Take all of their comments with a grain of salt. You are doing a great job. I hope I helped you a little bit.

S.

He would think that you would transition him to cow milk at one, especially if he is eating solids well. It will probably take some time, but I think it's recommended that he get about 24 oz of milk, so try to give him milk with food, and just cut back some.

As for the bottle, have you introduced a sippy cup yet? Try that first, then switch over some of the day time ones.

I agree with some about giving it to him in a sippy cup. And using whole milk now. One year is the standard for switching to whole milk (much cheaper too!).

In case you're interested, I found powdered whole milk in the Mexican section at the grocery store (I've seen it at Macy's, Harmon's, and even at Wal-Mart). It's meant for little kids even - comes in a can that looks a lot like a formula can. Labeled: Leche Entera, and has a picture of a little kid on the can. Makes traveling super duper easy.

Start introducing drinks (milk to start with) in a sippy cup so he gets used to it, and gradually try to replace his bottle with a cup. He'll get there. But don't worry about it too much. The important part is progress.

I would say it really depends on the age- there is a huge difference between a 12 mo old and an 18 mo old and a 20 mo old..

I didn't use any bottles, but I nursed all 3 of mine til 18 mo: matter of fact I am trying to wean an 18 mo old right now.
They never "switched" to cow's milk though- when we quit nursing, we just went to water, juice/water mix. etc.
(No need after 1 year for cow's milk if they are weaned. With all the ultra-pasteurization it zaps most of the nutrition anyway- they can get more calcium from one serving of broccoli.)

He needs something to drink in the morning, no matter what it is. If you think about it, he hasn't had food for probably 8 to 12 hours depending on his sleep schedule. So, just like you and me, he is thirsty, and his blood sugar is a little low (this comes from a doctor--I never would have thought of this on my own). As for not eating as a large a breakfast after he has been given a bottle, maybe you need to look at your routine. If you let him drink a bottle and then fix breakfast right away, I can see how he isn't hungry. Maybe if he drinks something to tide him over for an hour or two, you can get your day started and then fix breakfast and he may be more likely to eat. As for bottles, start trying different styles of sippy cups or straws, until he finds one he likes. We owned tons! For some reason the ones where they sucked were the best (straws or no-leak versions). I'm sure daycare just gives bottles because is it easier for them, so you will need to work with them. And for bedtime, maybe a small bit if food, like fruit and crackers with a drink could be the new tradition instead of a bottle to give him something else for his new routine. Just suggestions, but I wish you the best!

This is one of those areas where different people are just going to have different opinions. At 12 months old, kids are certainly able to move to milk. I know that we have always been told it should be whole milk, but the most recent research (very recent) says that kids get plenty of fat in their diets and we should be moving directly to 1% milk (check this out with your pediatrician). At 12 months a child is also able to wean off of a bottle to a sippy cup. That is not an absolute necessity, but I will tell you that the longer you wait to do it, the more difficult it will be as the child becomes more aware of his surrounding & attachments. I would replace one bottle with a sippy of milk and every few days until that's all he's being offered. You may get some resistance at first, but it will not take long before he is drinking it like a champ. Kids will not let themselves starve or get too thirsty if they are not ill. In my opinion, it's worth the little bit of struggle to avoid a much bigger hassle later on. What I've observed with my friends is that the babies who hung onto the bottles past 12 months ended up having a huge resistance to drinking milk later on. If that's not a big deal to you and you'd rather deal with the transition later, then wait. But I would recommend doing it now to avoid other problems (not that they will necessarily happen, but you do run a risk).

At 1 he should still have a bottle. There are still things that he needs in it. i nursed my dtr until she was 3. So giving a bottle to your son is a personal choice and who really cares what others think as long as he is getting what he really needs.

The american academy of pediatrics recommends stopping the bottle by a year. My doctor told me (and from what I've read) is that they dont need formula anymore at a year. They can graduate to whole cows milk. It has enough vitamin D that they need and because they are eating solid food they should be getting all the nutrients they need. Also pediasure is a good supplement if they need it. Besides the AAP recommendations (I think it hinders the teeth, not sure all their other reasons), I think appearances are a big thing. He's probably walking and talking (mostly his own language), he doesn't need a bottle anymore. It's more like a crutch. I know it's probably easier since he will go to sleep with it. In the morning give him a sippy cup (my son uses a straw cup) with milk and then feed him some cereal (we do cheerios) and that's really quick. Meanwhile you can cook him eggs or whatever and yogurt is a good choice. All of those are really quick. Also, he should be able to go to sleep on his own, so that is a good task to learn and try to tackle. We just make sure my son has had enough to eat and have him chub the milk from his sippy before lying him down for the night. Good luck. Gradually is probably easier but you can also do the formula in the sippy. Just because the Dr thinks he still needs formula doesn't mean it still needs to be in the bottle. Good luck and consistency is the MAIN factor when trying to wean him. You could also just stop it altogether because other times throughout the day when he does get a bottle, he might refuse the sippy cup because he knows he will eventually get his bottle (which is what he's used to) if you just stop the bottle cold turkey, then he will learn that the only way he gets a drink is from the sippy. The amount he drinks will probably decline for a few days to a week, but that's okay. it'll pick up again. He needs 2-3 cups of milk (24 oz) and then diluted juice on top of that a day. Good luck to you. That was along answer!!

1 year is the point at which everyone seems to want to put in their two cents on how your child is fed, whether you ask for it or not. my oldest was very attached to his bottles for certain times, like first thing in the morning. even though he'd drink water and juice from a sippy cup, milk (which we started giving him at 1 yr) HAD to be in a bottle or he wouldn't drink it. this went on until he was 2. i was embarrassed, but i wish now that i hadn't been so worried about it. eventually he was willing to drink from a nuby cup and then move on to a cup with a straw. and his teeth are very healthy. WIC told me he shouldn't be drinking so much milk because it was taking from other nutrients he could be getting. but i say, toddlers are hard enough to feed because of their pickiness and changing tastes. give him a chance to eat other foods, but don't worry so much if he still wants a lot of formula or milk. the daycare is probably giving him bottles because it's easy and you haven't asked them to do otherwise. ask the daycare to give him food for at least one meal, but have a sippy of formula or milk for after the meal available just in case.

I am not sure why your son would need formula after the year mark if he is eating solids. He doesn't need a bottle though at all. It is bad for teeth and a hard habit to break later. Believe me if you take it away now not nearly the battle you will have later.
Just take him to pick out fun strawed sippies or sippies and then just start giving it to him. I personally when my kids turned one just threw them out, done, not an issue, they never asked for them and it was over. They went right to sippy cups without a problem. He will wait, the difference is you tolerating his upset until breakfast is served.

I say just when he wakes up get breakfast ready for him. Get it set up the night before so he doesn't have to wait so long. You can get the flavored oatmeal, my kids loved that! Have some hard boiled eggs in the fridge already cooked.

Same with the other meals, feed the solids first.
He shouldn't need 3 bottles at daycare if they are presenting foods to him, giving him sippy cups either.
Make sure he isn't just drinking all his calories.
Take the bottles away now to save yourself later! :)
Whole milk and solids should be more then enough. They do have toddler type formula that helps if they aren't healthy eaters but he should be eating solid foods.

You need to set up a breakfast routine, where you get him up, don't give him milk/bottle right away, set him in his high chair and give him oatmeal, eggs, yogurt, diced fruit or dry cereal on his high chair and let him eat first, then offer a sippy of milk during the meal at some point.
He sounds like a healthy kid so I suggest just throw the bottles out and start sippys and whole milk.

At 1 he should be having cow's milk instead of formula (unless it is a toddler based formula and I think this is generally only used when you are out on the go). I would try giving him milk in a sippy cup since bottles are not as good for their teeth. My doctor told me that my daughter should have between 16-20 ounces of milk per day at her one year checkup and she is a very, big solid girl. Also, she recommended 2% milk for her since she is bigger so maybe this will work better for your son rather than whole milk-maybe ask your doctor. Anyway, hope this helps!

Why is this a big deal? Is there a rule against baby bottles? If you really worry, give him milk instead of formula - he's old enough. Then in a few weeks, give it to him in a sippy cup instead of a bottle. But it sounds like you're embarrassed or something, not a health issue, so relax.

I agree to definately wein him away from formula, a little at at a time. My daughters and soon my son, rarely used sippy cups. My first born was in a montessori childcare when I worked and they used shot glasses to teach 9 month olds to hold a cup. I think we as parents are so worried about the "mess" that we stiffle our kids developement. My girls were holding cups well at 1 year old and drinking whole milk for 1 year and the 2percent at 2. Try the shot glass...

You're supposed to switch them from formula to whole milk at age 12 months. Don't worry about the quantity. Just don't give him juice. (No nutritional value and lots of sugar.)