[joanr]

My son came home Feb 29th. He used the Born free bottles and transitioned to their sippy nipples. I used those for about 1 month and then he transitioned right to playtex sippy cups. I have not used a bottle with him since April 1st. Now he came home already eating many solids ( not baby food) at age 11 months. At 16 months he eats more solids then his milk.

HE transitioned extremely easily compared to my biological son 8 years ago. He was on a bottles for almost 2 years (he does have sensory issues due to Asbergers Syndrome) and did not touch baby food until he was over one year.

Go by your gut instinct. Try the sippy if he is not ready then wait until he is. The Born Free worked well for my kiddo. I have 6 laying around that were only used 1 month. UGH! If I only knew how fast he would have transitioned I would not have bought so many.

Best wished,
Joan

[RGirl]

I think it really depends on your child. If you have a child who clearly needs the bottle for comfort, you need to take more time.

My daughter came home at 6.5 months old. I introduced a straw sippy right around her first birthday. She loved it. I thought we would keep the bedtime bottle for a long time beyond that, but I soon realized that I was keeping it for me, not her. She was quite happy to switch to a sippy before bed. She was never a child who was soothed by a bottle though, so if that is not your situation, you will probably have a different experience.

I will note that we did not let the demise of the bottle change our bedtime routine. We still cuddle together on my bed and read books while she has her sippy of milk before teeth-brushing and bed. I love that time of the day!

[adopt2guat_jp]

We brought out son and daughter home @ 9 months. They were not eating any solids. At our 12 month Dr Appt, our Pediatrician said that because they are are at the low US size (10%) and also because they weren't really even eating solids comparable to a 9 month old, that they should stay on formula. At this appt, I asked him about the sippy and he said that he likes to see them off the bottle around 15 months, but as long as they aren't sucking on the bottle an unusually long time or falling asleep with it, it really doesn't matter.

They are both now almost 15 months and drinking only from sippy. We would have left them on the bottle for longer, but in our case, it was confusing for them to drink from both. They're also drinking Whole Milk as of a week ago. They were both losing interest in their formula. They are also eating alot of table food. I don't know where it all goes

I would agree that there is no need to push getting rid of the bottle.

[carolynpep73]

My DD gave up the bottle about about 14 months; she came home at 10. She never asked for it again. Sippy cups on the other hand...she loves those!

My friend's Godmother adopted 2 children from Russia. They were toddlers at the time (I believe 2 and 4ish). The older child had serious attachment issues. The attachment therapist recommended bottle feeding him and rocking him just as you would a baby...even at the age of four. His parents said it made all the difference in the world.

Go with your gut.

[JanetRenda]

DS came home at 15 months old drinking 8 bottles a day. We introduced a sippy cup for juice and milk and kept the bottles that were "important to him" (nap time and bedtime). When I talked to the pediatrician at 18 months, she said as long as he could drink from a cup, the comfort bottles were OK. We also had the added obstacle of a new baby with a bottle. DD came home at almost 20 months, and we allowed her to have the comfort bottles too. Both the big kids were off bottles before February, 2008. Interestingly, the baby seems to want to give her bottle up now at 11 months and I'm the one who wants the comfort of her bottle. You know what's right for your baby and your family. Trust yourself.

Janet

[ksep]

Our daughter came home at 13 months and she is now 18 months and we still have her on two bottles a day with formula. She takes one in the morning and one at night and then uses a sippy cup during the day because she just started daycare and they won't let her age group have bottles. Our pediatrician also said she didn't need to be on the bottle any more and kindly said okay to during the day but she would still get one in the morning and night. I think you do what is best for your child. I feel my daughter will let me know when she is ready to give up the last two bottles and until then I love every minute of her bottle time, cuddling with her.
Kim
Babysites.com | The Sepulvado Family

[nannyisme2004]

Both my kids came home at 11 months. DD stayed on bottle until almost 2 yrs old. DS has been home 10 months and has three bottles a day and the rest of the time he uses a sippy cup or drinks from a stray. He has a bottle when he wakes up, at nap time and before bed. He loves his bottle. Still very comforting to him.

[cjrogers]

DS is still on the bottle at 14 months and at our pace, he will probably be on it until he's at least 24-30 months - which is absolutely fine with me. Our OT has told us that the bottle and the straw cup are much better for speech development and sippy cups can impede speech development.

The only problem I have is that our daycare is pushing the sippy cup at him (well he pushes the sippy cup right back at them!!)

I see no problem with the bottle. Our son has soy and next step formula mix in his right now and loves it!

[jackie26]

GREETINGS FROM IRELAND
I think we are the worst my DS came home from Guatemala at 5months old and he`s now 3 and still on the bottle and it doesnt look like he`s giving it up any time soon

[Clare'sMom]

One of my daughters came home at 16mo. with a bottle every 3 hours and very little "Table" food. As we switched to more solids her milk intake lessened and we became very aware that the bottle for her was her comfort. When ever she got upset or scared she wanted her pacha. She had given drinking from the bottle up at about age two but after her sister became ill she reverted to only drinking from the bottle again, this lasted almost a year. She still has a bottle in her night stand and when she is upset she holds it.....

I realize that there are much "better ways to bond than through food and oral satisfactions, ie bottles. Current theory is its the first step to possible eating disorders and/or obesity later on". But when this is my childs link to security she can hold that silly old pink pacha till she's 20.....

Only you know your child, there is no magic age or rule. Do what you feel is right for your child.

Ann
__________________

[kimbo1]

Originally Posted by dac_cincy

keep him on the bottle as long as he wants it. this is for bonding, you ped should know that. I would push back and allow your child to have their bottle as long as they want it.


My ped is a aprent of shild who was adopted internationally, and she never said a word to me about Bug going off the bottle. Bug was 21.5 months when he came home, still on 6-8 bottles a day. i had him down to 2 within a few weeks, and he just recently gave those both up- a year after he came home.

I so agree! Our two year old didn't give up the bottle until she turned 2. & then, she did it pretty much herself. She still has a water sippy cup in her bed-at all times!

ETA: I know people who breastfed until their babies were 3, or older, & I figure, if my babies want to bottle feed past a year, what's the difference, especially when they NEED to bond to us!

[Dmitry'smom]

My daughter will be 2 next month and will have been home 6 months next month also. We still do the bottle at bed and nap and are slowly working away from it.

[SKL]

I wanted to add that while my girls have been off the bottle for about 8 months now, I keep their old bottles in a cupboard that they play in, and they still like to mouth them sometimes. Also, in the mornings, my older daughter will sometimes bring me her milk sippy and ask me to hold her and feed her like a baby. (This started recently.) I find I can use a sippy just like a bottle for moments like that. In our case, it's the cuddling that counts, not the nipple.