Warning: array_push() [function.array-push]: First argument should be an array in /home/makin36/public_html/toddlercraft/wp-content/plugins/blenza.php on line 173

Warning: array_shift() [function.array-shift]: The argument should be an array in /home/makin36/public_html/toddlercraft/wp-content/plugins/blenza.php on line 183

How I got my daughter to stop drinking her bottle!

My daughter has been strong willed from the moment she was born!  A completely different personality then my easy going boy!  Spunky and always full of life, but willfull!

As a little baby she  absolutely refused the bottle.  She only wanted to nurse.  Not that I didn’t want to nurse her, that was my intention, but I also liked the idea of being able to pump a bottle so I could leave the house for a bit!  But my daughter had other ideas and wanted me nearby all the time!!  I loved that special time with her.   Right after she turned a year we had a big family wedding to go to-which meant I was going for our first overnight away from her.  At this point she only nursed at night.  But, I needed to get her to be ok while I was gone for a night.  So I tried a bottle one more time (by now I had tried every kind they made!!) and would you believe it she took it!!  I was so relieved! That is how she finally weaned.

And how she loved the bottle!!  She wanted the bottle so much and she was NOT a happy camper when she didn’t get it!! I couldn’t believe after all that time wishing she would take a bottle now she wouldn’t let it go!!  So ironic!!  As I said she is strong willed and would make quite a fuss when she wanted it and I told her it wasn’t time yet.  I planned my outings around the times I knew she would be wanting it- because being in public with my beautiful child was NOT fun when she was having bottle withdrawal.

I finally developed a plan to wean her from the bottle.  I knew it was time she had turned 2 and I decided it was time.  I slowly started to add water to the milk.  First I added just an eighth to the bottle, then after a week, a quarter of the bottle was water and 3/4 milk, after a few weeks it was all water.  I told her if she wanted milk she had to have it in a cup, she could only have water in the bottle.  Part of the reason I did this was I felt she wasn’t eating enough, because she had to much milk, and I thought it would encourage her to want the cup more.  Which it did.  I then let her have water in the bottle a few times of day for a while and then at nap and bedtime.  Eventually after about a month I said she was big enough and could only have the bottle at nap and bed time.  All of that went pretty smoothly.  She still would get cranky when she really wanted her bottle but I would offer her a cup and it seemed to work.

The next step was to give it up all together and I was nervous that this was going to be a disaster as she REALLY liked it at night!!  I pictured being up for nights on end!!  I racked my brain and finally came up with a  plan of action.  I told her that she was a big girl and that it was time to send her bottles to baby sarah (our friends new baby) and that when she did that the bottle fairy would come visit her.  We made a big deal about packing up the bottles and addressing it to the baby and putting it in the mail.  I had gotten some “big” girl things she wanted and when she wasn’t there “delivered” them for the bottle fairy.  She was so excited about the bottle fairy coming.  That night when it was bed time and she was a little whiny about the bottle (by the way I got rid of EVERY bottle in the house so I would not give in!!) I said “remember the bottle fairy came because your a big girl and don’t need a bottle anymore” and would it worked!!  She needed a few reminders about the bottle fairy, but it really went smoothly!!  I think because we did it slowly she was ready when the time came!!

By the way the bottle fairy also delivered a special big brother package to my son for helping his little sister!!  Didn’t want him to feel left out!!

So now tell us your story or tip!! What is it?  Write a post in your blog and comment below and put the post link in mr. Linky below!  For Details on Click and Comment Monday – Tell your story and how it works, click here.

This site is using Mister Linky's Magical Widgets.
If you are participating in <, enter your name and URL in the form below and press Enter.
<
Your name: 
 
Your URL: 
 
Please leave a comment after linking... Thank you!
And have you read about Mister Linky's new features?
Don't forget to leave a comment... Thank you!
And be sure to check out Mister Linky's blog!
<
Shared Meme - Click to Subscribe