Naptime Bottle

I can't get my 16 month old off the naptime bottle! I got into that baaaaaadd habit when he was about 10 months old, of giving him the bottle so that he would sleep. It has never been easy to get him to fall asleep during the day, but when he does he will sleep two hours, easily. He NEEDS that nap. I have tried giving him a cup, but he freaks out. If I let him CIO, I have had to let him cry for over an hour before he falls asleep. I am avoiding that at all costs! If I give him the bottle, he falls asleep in about five minutes, with no fuss. Other than that, he is off the bottle. Should I try to push him to give up the naptime bottle?

When I took Brandi for her 12 month appt. the Dr. said to get rid of the bottle. It took about 3 months till she finally was off the bottle. During the day I would give her a sippy cup & she only got a bottle at night before bedtime. Yes, there was some screaming but I was consistant with it & she finally caught on. By 15 months she was completely off the bottle. I told her we're throwing them away! We stood at the trash can as I put about acouple in there. (I secretly stashed the others in the pantry just incase I wanted to pass them down to someone else) You don't want to keep them on the bottle too long because it can damage their teeth just like a pacifier can.

I know how hard it is to break habits. With Kate she's addicted to her pacifier (ACK! - I hate those). I hide the pacifiers now during the day & she can only have one at night. But I'm slowly breaking the habit. If she shows no interest in wanting it at night then I hide it from her sight. So far she hasn't used it for two nights now.

I was always told the best way is to go cold turkey once they turn one with the cup (maybe try that next time). Alexis was easy, she started pushing the bottle away at about 11 months. She was more interested in playing. I never put her in her crib with a bottle because I did want to start the habbit of having to have a bottle to go to sleep. We were lucky also with the pacifier. She would push it out and suck her thumb. She only sucks it when she goes to sleep or has her blanket. So we are lucky that she doesn't walk around with her thumb in her mouth all the time. I just hope we are this lucky all the way around with baby number 2.

Brittany had no problems getting off the bottle either and I always gave her one before she went down. We started her on a sippy cup at 9 months so she loves those and it made her feel like a big girl. We give her milk in a sippy right before bed at night but not naptime. Her doctor told us 1 year as well but we are having a harder time with the pacifier too. We hide it during the day and only give it to her at night but man does she want that sucker at night...lol - we are trying to break that as well.

i agree, go cold turkey. he'll get sick of screaming sooner or later. you can tell him that he is too big to use a baby bottle and let him watch you put them in a trash bag. i'm about to do this with stella by just getting all of the bottles out of the house so i'm forced to teach her to use a cup.

or if the big deal is that he's having milk or formula while he naps, why not try putting water in it?

I did it!! I let him watch me throw them away today! (he did NOT like that!) I am not looking forward to naptime...I hate hearing him cry.