2 bottle problems- help!

erindawn

OK- so my 15 month old is addicted to bottles.  That is problem #1.  However, he is allergic to milk products so he doesn't get cheese, yogurt, etc. and his fortified coconut milk is pretty much his only source of calcium and vitamin D.  I've tried every sippy and straw cup on the market and he'll use it for juice or water but not milk.  Any ideas here on how to transition him?

 

Meanwhile, I can't just do dropping bottles cold turkey because my 4 year old is autistic and cannot cope with the constant crying that comes with something like that.  It sets him off and it's just super bad juju.

 

Help?!  I feel pretty stuck.

GreenMonkey1

My son is younger than yours, but I have the same problem with weaning to milk in a sippy. DS will drink milk at DC out of a sippy, but not at home. The advice I have gotten so far is to keep weaning off the bottle and eventually he will drink the milk for us out of a sippy out of necessity. In the meantime, we were recommended to add a vitamin D supplement back to his diet and to feed DS other dairy products. I would talk to your pedi and see if this is an option, minus feeding your LO other dairy products. This does not totally solve the problem, but can you try to eliminate one bottle at a time and try to redirect your LO when he wants a bottle? Maybe someone could help by taking your older son out of the house during those times for a day or two as your LO weans? That may be totally unfeasible, I understand. Does your pedi or early intervention specialist have any suggestions to help your older son?

citymama2012

My son was similar--would take water from sippy but not milk and loved his bottle.  My pedi told me to only put milk in sippy and only offer sippy with milk at meals, when he is thirsty etc. Eventually they get thirsty and if milk in sippy is the only option, they will take it. I was skeptical but it totally worked!  Within a day, he no longer asked for baba.  Just drank all liquids out of the sippy.  

Also, I put all the bottles away--totally out of sight.  We didn't even say the word "baba" until we were sure he was over it. Good luck!

erindawn

I think we will have to just offer the sippy with milk, no other liquids.  There's just no way around it.  Ugh.

 

My older son knows to cover his ears for loud sounds but it's harder when the sound is ongoing all day long, which is what makes the constant whining/crying of this (and teething, etc.) al little extra challenging.  It's been good for Ben in a way because he's forced to work on his self-regulating skills but by the end of the day it ain't pretty. 

chicsahm

It takes time to adjust, period. It took about a month for DS to finally drink enough milk (we use almond milk due to constipation) I tried every flavor even chocolate because I was so worried that he wasn't getting enough calcium. I could barely get 6 oz down him throughout the day of ALWAYS offering to him. Finally one day I stuck him in his highchair in front of his fav TV show (which we don't watch often, so it was special) and he sucked down the while thing (org vanilla almond milk) Now he drinks great (and I am mixing the unsweetened with a little original vanilla). Give it time and try different things, and don't stress... calcium comes in diff forms, try making a fruit/green smoothie along with the milk in the mean time and don't stress about the ounces, it will be fine.

amarie923

I'm sort of in the same boat. She's 17 months almost.  Was never hooked on bottles bc I nursing but she would get a bottle if I pumped.  She does fine with a straw cup to drink anything - milk, juice, water, but that's just it -she'll take drinks out of it as she is thirsty, never really finishes the cup, so it could take a whole day just to use up one cup.  I give her one or two bottles of whole milk a day just so I know she's getting a good amount of milk.  She'll drink a 5-8 oz bottle down no problem in one sitting. Our pedi was fine with that - I don't give her bottles at night to take to bed, or bring any when we are out.