Transitioning from Bottle to Sippy Cup with MILK!!!

I think all to often 'we' (being society) get all caught up in ages...what magically happens to a baby at 12 mos. that makes them 'ready' to give up the bottle etc?

I have never heard of regs. requiring cups - but I suppose the day care could have that policy.
And I know that some dentists worry about oral dev. if babies stay on the bottle too long.

Honestly, if she is only taking the bottle a couple of times a day - and not falling asleep with one in her mouth I doubt that there is any serious reason to stop it immediately.

My oldest was the only one who took anything by bottle (she was exclusively on breast milk). She could drink from a sippy, a cup with straw but continued to take breastmilk from a bottle until around 15 months old or so. (She wanted nothing do to do with breastmilk from a cup IIRC- though she would drink milk/water/juice from the cup)

Also, I don't think she will be missing out on nutrients if she is getting a good diet and has milk when she is at home. (Depending on how long her day care day is)

It's not about the flavor of what's in the sippy cup. Don't add flavor! It's about her strong will to not drink the milk from it. If she wants the milk, she will drink it. I would give her the bottle at home if she wants it and send the milk in a sippy cup to school if that's the rules, but let her drink water if that's what she is determined to do. If her diet is nutritious then not drinking milk for a few hours isn't going to hurt her. Send yogurt or cheese to school or some other dairy if you feel she has to have it.

She is NOT going to want a bottle for very much longer, so what does it matter if she's not using it to go to sleep with.

Wow lots of mixed suggestions here, but thought I would toss in my 2 cents. Honestly as a mother I believe that at 1 children should stop using the bottle, they are old enough to use a sippy and as many others have stated it isn't good for thier teeth or mouth development.
When my son turned one, we immediately switched to sippys, we bought several different brands until he found a couple he liked the best. He was a little bit reluctant to use it at first, but very quickly (about 3 days) realized that if he wanted a drink that was his only option and it was never an issue.
I should add that in that 3 day transition, he was never thirsty or remotely near a dehydration risk. When it comes to eating and drinking, babies are alot smarter then most adults and know when they need it or not!

Hope this helps.

Hi M.!
Sounds like you have a lovely little girl there! I understand what your going through. When the same situation happend with us, I just totally put water in my sons bottle. I allowed him to drink out of it, but thats all he could have in it. In a couple of days, he was drinking milk out of the sippy, and he totally threw his bottle away.

Now, if that doesnt work, or she is demanding the milk in the bottle, i personally would let her have it. Children tend to give it up when they are ready. However, I also see no problem with using a little flavoring, IF nothing else works. Its not as much a nutritional issue with the syrups, but rather often they lose the desire to drink it plain, as is understandable.

I also think, if she is on a well balanced diet, she is probably getting enough calcium through her food intake. Does she like/eat cheese, bananas, yogurt, etc? Sounds like your in touch with her, and you will do fine.

Best of luck!
Y. D.~

My advice is, take the pressure of & give her the bottle at night. Each kid is different & there is too much pressure for all to conform to the same standard. She will give up the bottle in time but at 12 month I would not even make an issue of this. There are enough real battles to overcome in life, so don't allow others opinions to create battles that don't matter. Good luck

First off, I have two beautiful girls that are 9 and 10 and we went thru the same. 1 year olds should not have a bottle no matter what, especially if they have teeth. It is not good for their teeth and their ears. It is about you. You have got to get control of yourself and not cave. Box the bottles up and let her watch you do it. Explain what you are doing to her as you do it. Then put them away, forever, or until your next child is born. Show her the sippy cups and tell this is what you will drink from. This will help you not cave also because they aren't around. You can flavor the milk with chocolate mix or carnation instant breakfast (sugar free one) or strawberry milk. It doesn't have to be strong. Then gradually reduce the amount. Remember you are the boss not her. I babysit for a living also, and have come across kids like yours. Parents cave at home, but I don't. They do quite well with me and I tell the parents the same thing...You are the Mom/Dad, the adult, the boss, not her/him. They are to listen to you. If you don't start now, then when they are older you will have even bigger problems than drinking milk from sippy cups. You've got to take control now when they are little cuz if you don't, then they will have control when they are older and not you. And I'm not talking teen years, I'm talking 4,5,6,7 years old. Good Luck.

What a crock!!!! D.H.S. cannot dictate when a child is to be off the bottle! They can make recommendations only where that is concerned. Your daycare can make recommendations and suggestions as well. They should never tell you that your 1 year old baby cannot have a bottle. Three year old's are too old for bottles and it is highly recommended that by the age of 2 they are off the bottle.

Don't ever let them tell you that she has to be off the bottle by the age of 1. It is not recommended that they have a bedtime bottle as it can lead to tooth decay. But come on, if we let D.H.S. dictate how we raise our children, what will they dictate next.

You can continue to encourage her to drink her milk from a sippy cup, but I would not make a big issue of it at this time. She will take milk in her sippy and give up the bottle soon enough. Let's let our babies be babies.

I M.. The only thing that I did to switch all my girls from bottle to cup was just offer the cup. After about a day of them realizing I wasn't giving them a bottle they gave in. I would guess that the longer you keep offering the bottle the longer it will take. good luck.

Nothing wrong with flavoring her milk, I started giving my son whole milk at a year old and put ovaltine just a real small amount enough to give it a different flavor, or you could use other flavors like strawberry or vanilla. What kind of sippy cups you using. I used the sippy cups with the nuby nipples they are alot like bottle nipples.

Good Luck

Don't be to hard on yourself. I am a daycare provider and have never heard about any regulations that say a child should be off the bottle by one and I've been doing this for over ten years. If she's not ready she's not ready. If the bottle is a big issue and you don't want her to have it make sure the provider is giving water to her in the cup. so she's not going all day without drinking. What's worked for me in the past has been to offer the tippy cup with milk at each meal when meal is over give half a tippy cup of water.after about a week of not seeing the bottle she'll start drinking the milk from the cup. You sound like a great mom good luck.Just called the local health department they have never heard of this so called regulation. Hope every thing works out welland good luck.

When I switched my son to sippy cups I used the Nuby cups. The spout is soft like a bottles nipple. So I think it reminds them of the bottle. Also, I have seen a cup with a skinny soft spout at Babies R Us. I know a few friends who used this because they were having the same problem as you are. I hope that helps. Good luck!

We went through this same thing. It is a preference thing for her. It is a poer thing. She will hold out for the bottle if she knows she will get it. Our son loved sippy cups as a novelty, drinking water etc. When we started putting his milk in it he would completely refuse it and even would throw it. We had decided to get rid of the bottle and did it cold turkey so he didn't have a choice. He went through 2 days of being mad when he saw the sippy and the 3rd day some veteran Moms suggested a little flavoring, ie: chocolate- just a teeny bit to just flavor it. He couldn't refuse it. He immediately started doing better with the cup and within days it was no big deal at all. I then tapered off the amount I put in until it was white milk again. We also used the cups with a built in straw--Playtex--with the flip up straw. He could get the milk faster and that would reduce his frustration. We still held him for alot of his milk drinking just so he/we wouldn't miss out on the cuddling time. Soon he stopped that on his own. Remember, they will drink when they need to. I was soooo freaked out those 2 days, I am sooo glad I have my Veteran Mom friends who so calmly talked me through it. I thank them every day for all their support they offer me.

I had the same issues with my son when we went from the bottle to the sippy cup. The first thing I did was make sure he was getting lots of calcium in his diet. I fed him Yobaby yogurt and other foods high in calcium. I had to limit water and cut out juice completly. I also stopped giving him a bottle at all. At first I felt like he was not getting enough to drink, but my doctor assured me that he would be fine. It took a while, but he did start to like milk and now he drinks milk very well.

I know it might sound mean but you need to be firm and not give her a bottle... My son was the same way and I just had to be firm.... They will not die of thirst if you keep giving in to her it will be like that with everything... She will know that you will eventually give in....

I run an in home daycare and have two little ones that didn't like drinking milk either. I have started putting a little of the powdered Nesquick in their milk and they drink it right up. You will want to use the powdered variety as it has less sugar than the syrup kind. You definitely don't need the amount they say is a serving. The kiddos like it just fine with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon in there, just enough to give it a little flavoring. Good luck, hope it works for you!

M., this is a tough one, and remember, it is just my opinoin..:-) First of all, if she knows you will cave she will try even harder to get you to cave...Ask yourself how long you stick to it at home before you cave, does she really know you are going to give in? I would continue to offer milk in the cup until she takes it..THe other thing is, are you warming the milk in the bottle but not in the cup? If maybe you are warming the milk for the bottle but not the cup, try that? Or make the bottled milk cold like the cup, try to stick to the same temp in both. If it's really going to be a big deal for daycare to have her on the cup, sounds like you have a choice to make. It stinks, but maybe it's a sign from above to bottle break now. I wouldnt try flavoring, it only adds more upset, kwim? Its something else to break her of later. I personally would just quit the bottle, offer the cup, she won't go dry, i would bet on it. Keep offering different styles of cups, too. Sometimes a cup with milk in it that is clear so you can see the milk is different than milk that she can't see. It's all a game, unfortunately they make us think they are really going to die during these transitions, but frankly, they probably won't. Let us know how it goes..It is only my opinion, it's so much easier to see the child and talk to someone and help them than via email! :-) Good luck!

it sounds like you have nothing to worry about. really, at this age, they only NEED a bottle of milk a couple of times a day, though they usually want more. i have two children, and i took both of their bottles away when they turned one. the first one went over pretty well, but my 20-month-old was not happy about it. she had never had any interest in sippy cups before the age of one, and i took her bottle cold-turkey. it took a few days, and we lost a small amount of sleep, but when they don't have a choice, they will eventually conform. however, if you don't mind the fact that she has a bottle occasionally, then let her have it. i think the most important thing is that you do what you feel is right. and it's not like you're just letting her run around with a bottle sticking out of her mouth 24/7!

I hated that my daycare pressured me to stop giving my daughter bottles the first day after her 1st birthday (literally). I agree that she'll adjust and eventually start drinking it out of a cup, as long as you keep offering that to her first. I don't think it would be a good idea to give her flavoring though. I know several people whose kids will only drink chocolate milk. It would be best if she could learn to appreciate the taste of unflavored milk. Just keep offering it to her, and eventually she'll drink it.

Hi M.,
I am a mother of two but was a nanny to my sister's two daughters for almost three years after she passed away. I went through the bottle to sippy cup and/or pacifier change with three of the four of them. My advice is that one year old seems the best time to do it. One of my nieces was 2 and 1/2 when I had to get her to change and it was far more difficult than my own daughter and my other niece. It seems to me that with any change for a one year old, they will only take 1 to 3 days to accept the change. So, on the first day when your daughter is screaming for the milk in the bottle just keep telling yourself, it'll be over soon. But do make sure that you give her comfort in other ways, as the bottle probably gives her comfort; i.e. the way you hold her when your feeding her with the bottle, of course you cannot have her lie down with a sippy because it will probably spray her in the face or something and just make it that much harder; but you can sit her on your lap and snuggle and talk to her a lot about being a big girl with a sippy cup. She may not understand everything you are telling her, but she will understand that you love her even if you have to help her make a change in her life.
My daughter is very determine with everything, and I think if she hadn't of had three older children around her constantly we would have fought over this for at least a week; so if there are other children, especially a friend of hers, in the daycare that are using sippy cups you could point that out to her when you pick her up each day.
It also helps to talk with her about it before you try it. In the car on the way home, at dinner when she's already using the sippy cup, and then right before you give her the sippy cup for bed. "Today, we're going to try a new thing, you get to use a sippy cup with milk in it for bedtime tonight! Won't that be great!!!" That sort of thing.
Good luck!
K. B.

Have you tried a Nuby cup? They have the silicone sipper thats very similar to a bottle nipple. Thats what I used when transitioning my daughter and it worked great. You could gather up all your bottles 'give' them to babies that need them, have your daughter help you gather all the bottles and put them in a box or bag to send to babies that need them at a shelter or something (or just pack them away if you are going to have more kids)

I would definately not try to flavor the milk, because you'll have a very difficult time getting her off of the flavored stuff.

This was one of the hardest things for me with both of my girls, especially my first. I was so nervous she wasn't getting enough fluids. I took her off the bottle at 13 months and only gave her sippy cups. I promise they eventually start to drink how they are suppose to. I think it is just getting past the learned behavior. It might take a couple of weeks, but she will learn. Don't feel like you are being neglectful in any way. Best of luck!

I never flavored the boys milk. What I did was gradually water down what was in the bottle over the course of about a week until it was really watered down and then only put the good stuff in the sippy cup. Usually the boys stopped taking the bottle before it became straight water.

I still offered them water sippys though. Maybe have her pick out a special cup for milk? I used the bigger Playtex cups for water and the smaller ones or the ones with handles for milk until my kids could drink all the milk in the bigger sippy cup.

I had the same problem with my daughter. The peditrician said just don't give her a choice. It took a few days of not putting into the bottle and then she just finally starting drinking milk out of a sippy cup. I started with the softer nipple ones. It really only took a few days. Just put the milk in a sippy cup, offer it to her and don't offer it to her any other way. Maybe still give her a bottle at night or in the morning. Good Luck!

L. - mother of a 2 1/2 year old and 8 month old.

Hi M.!
My lactation consultant told me something a couple of years ago that I have applied to many situations since: "Whichever one of you is more stubborn, wins!" The bottle is a habit for your child. When you decide to transition her, it will probably only take a couple of days - not long enough for her to become majorly deficient in calcium. It's just like making the transition from two naps to one, breast to bottle, or weaning from pacifier. One other thing you might try is a sippy cup with a straw in it. They're a pain to clean, but after she forgets about the bottle, you can move to a regular cup. Also, flavoring the milk can be fun, but you may be creating another habit that you will have to break later (I learned that one the hard way!). Good luck!!
C.

M., Ihad the same problem with my middle daughter. Afriend told me to flavor it with a tiny bit of Stawberry syrup. This worked great, but now my daughter does not like regular milk. Will your sitter let her use a straw? That helps me to get my daughter to drink regular - non flavored milk. I like the food coloring idea - maybe I'll try that with my youngest when it comes time. Best of luck to you.
C.

I don't have an answer to all your questions, but I would not flavor the milk. Maybe start with a small amount of milk in the cup and tell her if she drinks that she can have the rest in the bottle; gradually adding more mild to the cup.

Warm up the milk. My son will not drink cold milk from a cup but will drink warm milk. If they are use to drinking warm milk then they won't drink it cold until you wing them from it.

the nuby sippys are great! if she is still weaning off formula try a little formula in the sippy. if not then you can put a few drops of food coloring in the milk. something about pink milk or green milk makes a kid wanna drink it! i did that with my oldest when she weaned off the bottle, and food coloring won't hurt her. plus when she looks throught he clear top of the nuby sippy she'll see the pretty colored milk. GOOD LUCK!

Like the other moms, I too went through the same thing with my daughter who is now 22 months. I simply put all the bottles away in storage. After 3 days she was drinking from the sippy cup. We started with the nuby brand with the soft nipples but she started chewing through them since she was teething. I think I bought every cup on the market and she eventually likes the cheapest ones that come in a 4 pack. Every child likes a different cup so just buy a variety and see what works. Every day she might want a different style cup for a month or two until she fully transitions.

Don't be worried about nutrition as much as dehydration. She can get her nutrition from her food. I would not flavor the milk and I would switch her off of the bottle as soon as possible. However, if at the end of the day she has not drank anything then you are obligated as a parent to get liquids in her anyway you can including the bottle. Create a new habit for her to get use to. Perhaps you only offer the bottle at night and the sippy cup during the day. You might want to try giving her a different type of sippy cup then the one she is getting her water out of. I have a parent who provides a sippy cup for their child because it is the only one he will drink out of. Whatever habit you decide to use stick with it and she'll get use to it. Sometimes it just takes a child time to adjust. My son is 4 and will drink any liquid from any glass except milk. His milk must be in a sippy cup. This was caused from having many food allergies his first two years. He would have horrible gas pains that only rice milk in a sippy cup would calm him. It's his security blanket. I know he will eventually grow out of it.

Might sound funny, but your daughter was probably interested in the cup because she saw you drinking from it. It might work to show her that you like the sippy cup by drinking from it yourself. Kind of weird, but it worked with my son (now 14 months), and he hasn't gone back to the bottle.

Hi M.,
I went through the exact same problem with my now 2 1/2 yr old daughter. I suggest taking it slowly and not pushing her, she will transition to a cup eventually, even if it takes awhile, so try not to worry too much. What worked for me was trying a bunch of different sippy cups, until I found one she liked. I finally figured out that the kind with soft (nipple-like) tops worked best for her.(She refused to drink milk out of sippy cups with the hard plastic spouts). Her favorite is a brand called Nubby (or Nuby - can't remember how it's spelled). You can find them at most any store (Walmart, Walgreens, Target, etc) and they're very inexpensive - typically about $1 each. They are the most "bottle like" sippy cup I could find and she transitioned to them with no issues at all. Personally, I do not recommed putting any kind of flavor in the milk (at least not at this early stage) because once she's had it, she may never drink plain milk again. I've seen this happen with a lot of people I know. Plus she's so young, she really doesn't need all that extra sugar. Just my opinion. Good Luck!
PS I was just reading through the rest of the responses you received and I was reminded of something else I did that helped. If your daughter is used to her bottles being warm, definetely try warming up the milk a little bit before giving it to her in a sippy cup. I did it just enough to take the chill off and then slowly did it less and less until she'd drink cold milk out of her cup. It helped a lot.

Just give her the sippy cup. It really isn't that hard of a transition. My daughter was breastfed until she was 13 months and I just started giving her milk a little at a time a couple times a day. Giving the sippy cup isn't that hard. Especially if she is interested in it. I had no problem. I stopped the bottle and gave the sippy cup and that was it.

Hi M.,

Dont force your child to give up her milk from a bottle, just because some regulations or the day care center says she needs to be off the bottle by a certain date. Some kids will wean themselves from the bottle, my kids had there bottles until around the age of 2-3. I just slowly started taking away a bottle at various times. It was a slow process. The last bottle was the bedtime bottle. Please dont rush your kids to grow up, trust me they grow up fast enough. Flavorings also usually have a large amount of sugar in them and ones with sugar subsitutes are not good for growing children. Some children also have a very strong oral need and the bottle fulfills this need. Hope this is helpful. My kids are 14 and 18. Good luck!!
J.

Maybe it's the sippy cup she doesn't like. Try the Gerber Transition cup. It worked great for us. Also, you can flavor her milk. Kids love pink milk. Only let her have the pink milk from a sippy & not from the bottle. Make the bottle only for plain milk... good luck!

One thing that worked for us: Put WARMED milk in a sippy cup and give it to her at bed time when you would normally cradle her in your arms and give her a bedtime bottle. Sometimes they're so tired they don't care. Over a few weeks, offer it at other times too. One other thing that may help is to experiment with different sippy cup spouts - some are soft so those may be more to her liking. Good luck!

If you're ready to get rid of the bottle, go for it! If not, I would just let her go during the day at daycare without drinking-she'll be fine as long as she drinks a lot at home. FYI-I worked in day care for 4 years during college and there are no state mandated rules (at least in Missouri) for using sippy cups. The center should follow a parents wishes for their child. We had children at 18 months still using a bottle before a nap. If you're ready to get rid of the bottle, it might be 3 days of her not drinking much, but she'll come around and start with the sippy. Good luck!