When to Stop Giving Bottles and Pacifier

My daughter never had a bottle at all. I breastfed and she used a cup when she was old enough to hold one. She started using a pacifier when she saw another toddler with one at about 18 months of age. I took it away from her when she was about 30 months. We went camping and I just left it at home so it was pretty easy since she understood it wasn't there and no matter how much she cried she wouldn't be able to get it so it was pretty much a non-issue.

Cow's milk is very high in protein and that's a lot of protein for a young child. It's acidic and will leach minerals from her bones.

pacifier.. get rid of as quick as you can. they really ruin a child's teeth - . the bottle go slowly... take it away during the day... then see how it goes.. then leave for bedtime only... then slowly cut down on that too. they should be off the bottle by or before 2! good luck.

Hey E., I would just give her the sippy cup instead of the bottle first thing in the morning and through out the day. put the milk in the sippy cup and let her take a sip so she knows its milk she will drink it. as for the pacifier keep taking it away during the day and maybe try just giving to her at nap time until she falls asleep then take it away. or see if she can fall asleep with out it. good luck

E.,
Don't stop both at the same time, that would be a huge mistake, to much for her to handle emotionally. If I were you I would start by not giving her a morning bottle, just give her the sippy cup and tell her she is just like her big brother and sister, and Mommy and Daddy. Once she is okay with that you can stop the afternoon bottle and then the night one. With my son we told him the bottles were all gone one one morning and stopped them cold turkey, but he had his "Banana's In Pajamas, B1" stuffed animal which he would snuggle with for naps and at bedtime and he did not have a pacifier so it was easier for me to take the bottles away. He did go to the doctors office and told everyone that a mean robber came and stole all of his "bots." LOL The tough one came when the baby was born, he was 16 months old and wanted my to be just like his baby brother. We ended up telling him he was "the big brother helper" and that only babies need bottles because they don't have teeth like him, this worked, I don't know how but it did.
Hugs,
T.

Hi there. My 14 month old is slowly being weaned off the bottle. When we transitioned her to milk at 12 months, she'd only drink it from the bottle. If we gave her a sippy cup, she wouldn't touch it unless it was filled with water. Who knows with this kid. Anyway, the doctor told us 16 oz of milk was fine a day since she had yogurt and cheese daily. So that made it easy to drop her morning bottle (she had three 8 oz bottles of milk each day, like yours.) We then sent one 8 oz bottle to daycare, which she has before her nap and we give her the other one before bed. We then started giving her milk with her sippy cup in the morning with breakfast. Initially, she wouldn't drink milk out of it, only water, but little by little she was drinking more and more milk from the sippy cup. She was thirsty after breakfast and that's what was available. Now we just give her the sippy cup filled with milk and she finishes about half at breakfast and the rest throughout the morning. If she doesn't eat any yogurt or cheese we give her more milk in the sippy cup in the afternoon. She's still attached to the bedtime bottle, it helps her settle down. Our doctor said that can be the last to go. We're letting her go at her own pace and not forcing anything.

Hi E.,
I would wean from the bottles and pacifier gradually. I'd start by getting rid of the wakeup bottle, not needed. At wakeup time, I'd serve breakfast with milk in a cup. The after nap bottle could then be replaced with milk in a cup and a snack. At 15 months, I see nothing wrong with the before bed bottle, as long as you clean her teeth after. I know there are some schools of thought about stopping bottles at a year, but I'm with those medical professionals who still think it's fine til age 2. Good luck!

Morning E.,
I was told by my doctor that the pacifier is a good way to prevent SIDS until my son was 2 years old. We are working on reducing the amount of time he has it (only giving it to him at nap and bedtime). Although he has managed to "hide" a few and we end up seeing him walk around with one in his mouth. Not a big deal b/c he will give it to us. (btw my son is 16 months). Also, we plan on switching the bottle with sippy cups. My son gets a bottle at nap time and bedtime and sometimes if he is really needs something to drink in the middle of the night. We're planning to start the switch in about a week. I wouldn't "rush" getting him off both. Start with one and once you have that down, you can work on the other. I hope this helps and good luck.

My daughter started at her daycare/preschool at 15 months. Their policy was no bottles and no sippy cups! A friend of mine had watched her until that time, but she got 2 foster kids in an emergency placement and had to stop watching my daughter. I was so stressed out when I learned about the no bottle policy, I thought she would NEVER nap! It turned out she had no problem with it. I think we probably still gave her a bottle at night for bed, but I don't remember. Also, she stopped using a pacifier on her own after she outgrew the one from the hospital - so that was never an issue.

Everyone will have a different opinion on when is the right time and how to do it. Getting kids to sleep is always one of the most stressful things for parents, also it's nice for children to be able to comfort themselves when they're tired/cranky. If you take the pacifier and/or bottle away and your child just seems miserable, who does that benefit? Like my mom always says - they won't be taking it to college with them! Do what feels right for you.

Wow!! you really have your hands full. My kids are older now 24 & 19 so back then doctors had us take the bottles away at one. Its hard for me to answer that one because both of mine were off the bottle by then. As far as the pacifier my son never liked it but my daughter loved it. She was so cute at bedtime she would get her binky, blanket, put her music on and fall fast asleep. I didn't take it away until she was over two and she gave it to the trash collectors. It really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I think I was more nervous about it then she was at giving it up. I did however make her leave it in her bed and only use it for naps and bedtime so she wasn't walking around with it in her mouth all day. One thing I do know for a fact is that when they walk around with it all of the time it will effect their teeth. I also have a little girl at my preschool who has a major speech problem from learning to speak with the pacifier in her mouth. She is not placing her tongue properly from trying to hold the pacifier in her mouth and talk at the same time. So I guess it is up to you I didn't have a problem with my daughter keeping it because she loved it so much. However, if you wanted to just get rid of both at the same time that is really personal choice and depending on how much she really loves it. Sorry if I wasn't much help!! I guess there really are no rules just what is right for you and your family!! Good luck!!

My kids both gave up the bottle around 7 months old, I was shocked at how easy it was b/c my pediatrician told me to introduce the sippy cup around 6 months old so I did and they both took to it. My daughter never had a binky but boy did my little man. His binky was his favorite thing, if he cried my hubby would give him his binky I think my hubby was more attached to it then he was. Anyways I got sick of losing them so we started to wean him off them by only giving them to him at nap time and bed time. Then when he was about 18 months old we took him and my daughter to the dentist and they told me that I wanted to get it him off it b/c it was starting to affect his teeth so that afternoon was the start of no binkys at all. I got him to throw them all away and told him he was a big boy. He cried for about 10 minutes each time you would try to put him to sleep but after a week he was fine. I found it easy to just take him off them rather than wean him off them. Good luck

I would just switch to sippy cups and get rid of the bottles at this stage. I think the amount of milk is probably fine. She needs the calcium, but if you are also giving her yogurt and cheese , then I would cut back to about 16 oz. In fact, too much calcium can interfere with iron absorption, so you definitely want to make sure she is not getting too much. Another thing I would worry about is making sure that you brush her teeth after she drinks the milk before bed. This can cause tooth decay otherwise. As for the pacifier, just slowly wean her off it. Definitely don't let her have it during the day. Let her pick out a special stuffed animal or a little blanket to bring to bed with her (either one she already has or bring her to the store to pick out a new one). Explain to her that she can sleep with her new item and then gradually take away the pacifier, starting with nap time and have a goal date to take them away completely. Tell your daughter too so she knows the time is coming up, whether that is at 18 months or a holiday or some other event that she can look forward to. Then on that day, you can say it's time to say bye bye to the pacifiers and get rid of them. This way she knows it's coming and it should be less traumatic.

well, i'd pretty much stop giving her that much milk now, she needs more solids and a bit of water throughout the day. with regards to the pacifier, my kids were thumb suckers...never cared for the pacifier... i'd stop that as well...but probably not both the decrease in milk (use a sippy cup instead of a bottle) and then the pacifier.
good luck.

When she is ready she will give it up. My son was about 18 months when he gave up the bottle. He still has the binky only at night and he's 2 now. Like you I've had differing opinions, but I let him have it and he only needs it to go to sleep. It's part of the "lovey" factor, like a blanket or stuffed toy they may need for security while sleeping and will eventually out grow it. He's not even using it though out the whole night now, so we are shooting for loosing the binky by age 3.
Good Luck and enjoy every moment.