When is it time to take the bottle away?
In August, Penelope had her 18 month check up. Among autism screenings and a lengthy dialogue regarding Penelope's vocabulary {we really need to build that up by her 24 month appointment!}, I slipped in the question about bottles and pacifiers. I have a strong willed daughter who is adamant about both, something that doesn't concern me, I was just curious to get her stance.
The doctor told me to 'just take them away, cold turkey'. It will just get harder as she's older. Kids need to move on to the next stage. She is getting big for a bottle.
Is that true? At 18 months, and now as we approach the 20 month mark in a couple of days, Penelope is somewhere between a baby and a big girl. She wants to run with the big kids down the hall at school. She wants to climb things and discover things on her own without our lead or our help.
But, she is still a baby. She over exerts herself and gets tired quickly, which spirals into crying fits and tantrums. She still finds comfort in our evening snuggles on the couch, with a bottle in her mouth and a pacifier in her hand. When she is worked up and running around like a maniac, there is nothing sweeter than her finding calm and solace in a bottle. Her face lights up when the microwave dings signaling it's ready. She rests on the couch and guzzles it down so excitedly while we watch yet another episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Maybe I'm crazy but I'm not ready to give these things up. Maybe that makes me a bad mom? One who is stuck on her baby staying a baby? Or maybe we are trying to make our babies grow up too fast, a product of our generation and the movement toward getting to the next thing or stage quickly and efficiently.
But maybe...Maybe babies should be babies while they can be.
Look I'm not trying to be the mom whose child is still in diapers and taking a pacifier at 5 years old. But at the same time, what's the rush? It's not like she isn't developing. She's a happy, very smart little girl {perhaps a little too smart for my liking} who listens, cooperates and is interested in anything and everything she sees. So is a bottle at bedtime or a pacifier at naptime the worst thing?
I hope not.
I held onto my pacifier until I was 3 and had to be bribed with a swing set to get rid of it. I turned out ok. And I have perfectly straight teeth to show for it.
I plan to start weaning her off of these things after her second birthday...but we will see how that goes! I might be back here in four months saying that I need another four...
So what do you think? When did you or when do you plan to wean your bean off the bottle and/or pacifier?
Please note: all opinions are welcome but this is a judgement free zone! Please be respectful to all commenters!
5 Comments | September 30, 2014 | Share Article | Email Article | in Baby Talk Tuesday Print Article | Permalink 
Reader Comments (5)
She is so cute! Our doctor was very strict about the binky and bottle. At 9 months, I only let him have the binky at bedtime (except when he was sick). At 13 months, we decided it was the right time to take it away. He moved to a new classroom at school and I just didnt give them one and they said he never asked for it. It took about a week at bedtime to put him down without it but then he went down no problem and still does. The bottle, I did it slowly. At 12 months, I gave him 2 bottles and the rest sippy cups. Then at 13 months, I cut the morning bottle and 14 months I cut the nighttime bottle. He still calls his cup a bottle but seems happy as long as there is milk in it. I think every child is different and you have to do what is right for you and Sweet P:)
That's the thing, every baby IS different and are unique and have their own schedule. With Claire, I've been debating on whether or not to give a run down of her issues on my blog with gaining the "right amount of weight", because it's a small concern that is a little more personal for my hubs and I and just with lots of doctor visits, blood work and different tests at least every other month so far. Claire will be 7 months old on Friday and is currently ( it's been almost a month since she's been weighed) 11 pounds. She's eating though and so since she has a unique/specific issue with gaining weight, she has to still be on a different formula we have been on for 3 months now, mixed with rice cereal, in an 8 oz. bottle.
We have been introducing the spoon gradually within the last month to her and she's so far tried some applesauce and pureed banana. But it's hard to tell when the bottle will eventually end ( hopefully sooner than later) because of the weigh issue. She eats though. A LOT. and certain tests she's had thus far all came back normal. So it's just something we are all trying to get to the bottom of. It's of course frustrating, but I'm really not concerned at all. I think she'll just be on the petite side maybe. The rest of her measurements are perfect, her motor skills are great, her head / neck strength is awesome, she's starting to sit up on her own, and she loves to talk and laugh. Her alertness is eerily perfect as well. She doesn't miss a trick.
As for the pacifier, I am thankful that Claire never really took to it. We honestly only really used it when she was a newborn and maybe up to a month old. She never seem phased by it after that. Good luck and I say do what you are comfortable with for now! I feel with certain things, you can't 'rush' them with babies. The cold-turkey method always seems easier said than done. Do what you feel is right for you and your family right now. Sometimes you just have to do what ya gotta do to survive!
I took the bottle and the boob away at 12 months with both my boys. Not necessarily cold turkey, but pretty quickly like dropped a feeding every 2-3 days until they were only taking a sippy cup. Pretty much when they were ready for whole milk I just put it in a sippy cup. I never used a bottle for regular milk so I think that's what made it easy. They didn't know any different. Both of them never took a pacifier so I lucked out with that. We still do plenty of snuggles on the couch at night while he drinks his sippy cup ;-)
First of all, I'm really enjoying the parenting posts, keep them coming!
Second, I'm firmly of the belief that unless it negatively impacts your child's health or long-term development, your gut as a parent is all that matters. Do what feels right for you because ultimately that will make you and your family the happiest. At least I hope so;-)
By the way, I don't know how old I was, but my mom says one day I woke up and asked for my bottle. She told me the trashman took all the bottles away and that was that. LOL so I guess cold turkey worked there!
I took my little guy's bottle away at 12 months, but he kept his pacifier 'til he turned 3! Every child/family is different and you have to do what feels right for you and your sweet girl.