If your toddler still takes a bottle you are definitely not alone!

I sometimes see two and even three-year-olds still taking a bottle. Usually these bottles are happening before naps, at bedtime and sometimes even at night. Moving from a bottle to a cup is just one of the many milestones your child will go through during the first year or two. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents wean their toddler off the bottle completely by 18 months. I suggest weaning it completely by 15 months. Toddlers between 15-18 months are likely to become even more attached to things.

A toddler needs about 2 cups of dairy per day. That would be about 16 oz of milk total. You can also include other dairy options such as yogurt and cheese. It is generally recommended to offer the milk with meals only.

Steps for weaning the bottle:

1. I suggest dropping the overnight bottle(s) first. Toddlers over 12 months most definitely do not need to be fed overnight from a hunger perspective. If the overnight bottles have been used to get your child to sleep – your child won’t like it when you make this change. There will be some protest. This is only short term!
2. Once the overnight bottles are finished, gradually fade out the daytime bottles by slowly reducing the number of times your toddler is getting their bottle during the day. I like to start with the bottle in the middle of the day, because that is often the one your child will miss the least. Replace that bottle with milk in a cup at lunch.
3. The next bottle I would transition is the one around dinner time.
4. Then I would drop the one in the morning. You can move through these however fast you are ready for but ideally you wouldn’t wait more than a week in between dropping the next bottle, so that the whole process of weaning the daytime bottles doesn’t take more than about a month.
5. The last bottle to go will usually be the one at bedtime. You can gradually reduce the ounces in this bottle if your toddler is drinking quite a bit of milk.

(By the way, it’s common to go in this order when you are weaning from breastfeeding as well.)

It’s important to mention here that when you are addressing sleep issues, dropping the bottle becomes just ONE part of the process.

If you are struggling with it all please know that I can help with a specific plan. Simply dropping bottles is not going to address an overall sleep issue with your toddler – and it is so important you have the right strategies and guidance in resolving the sleep situation. If you would like to learn more about how I can help you, schedule a free call HERE.