[Daffodil]

From formula to milk and from bottles to sippy. Now she WILL drink a few sips of whole milk from a sippy....but I've decided (since she's not inhaling whole milk yet) to just continue with her bottles of formula until she runs out, which seems like it'll be a couple of weeks since we have another entire huge costco thing of formula.

I was going to pretty much go cold turkey, when she finishes her last bottle of formula, then that's it, that's her last bottle of anything. She's not a "bottle baby" in that she feeds herself from her bottle (I still hold the bottle for her), she doesn't whine for one or anything. So I'm hoping this works out. I know it does for some kids.

But what I'm nervous about is she just won't eat/drink enough during the day when I make the switch, and then be up all night hungry. Does this sound like a terrible idea? She's just not the type of baby to just leap into something new, its not like she ever rejected bottles or anything and always wants to be 2 steps ahead, you know? She's slow and cautious about things, but at the same time, sometimes I think I don't give her the benefit of the doubt and really push her either.

Of course, the timing of this also isn't good because we would have just moved into a new house...I don't know if that''ll be even worse or if it'll be ok and I'm worrying over nothing.

Good luck. I got lucky.. last week when MIL and DH were in charge they just gave Caleb milk instead of formula by accident...they did it for me. LOL. Caleb won't drink formula now.

It is a stressful process though.

[sweetliberty]

I'm afraid of Aaron going hungry as well; right now when I try and replace a sippy of formula with one of rice milk and some food he'll drink it and be hungry a very short time later. I think he'll probably be taking a bottle or so of formula pass 12 months for a little while.

We just moved June 1st and he had a pretty rough time with the move (and still is somewhat) so don't be surprised if she regresses or is just particularly fussy for a short time after. Aaron just started sleeping through the night again last night after doing so for 2 months before we moved and naps are still a gigantic mess.

[Daffodil]

Hmm...maybe I'll try getting her off of formula/bottles at 13 months instead? I mean, she doesn't know she is turning 1 I guess I was just looking forward to not cleaning bottles anymore or having to mix formula. I know the move will throw her off for sure, and I do want to get her into her own room at some point. All these changes at once!

Heather, is Caleb drinking milk from a sippy or a bottle?

[Vincent'sMommy]

I'm worried about it too, Seema. In fact, I haven't even given it a whole lot of thought just yet and I guess I'll figure it out next month. His 1 year appointment is on the 13th and his WIC appointment is on the 17th and I will see what they say about it. I'm worried he won't eat enough since he still doesn't eat much and I'm worried about transitioning to a sippy cup. He's only used straw sippy cups so far and has only had water and he spits/dribbles that out a lot still when he drinks, so I don't know if it would be better to stick with the straw sippy or try a different kind of cup or what. I'm just going to play it by ear and see what happens I guess.

[sfarrow3]

I think alot of people have different ways of doing it. This is what I did. I didn't go cold turkey, I just did half formula and half whole milk in a bottle for a couple of weeks and then the next couple weeks did 1/4 formula and whole milk. She is now completely off of formula and she didn't even notice. When I stopped using formula I stopped the bottle. She now is on whole milk in a sippy. If you know she is a cautious baby just follow her lead and do it gradually. If you are offering her 3 meals a day with snacks plus the recomended 16 oz of whole milk/day she will be fine. Just follow her lead. I think some people stress too much and think they have to rush by a certain date. If its 12 months or 14 months, that's ok. That's just my opinion.

Seema, Caleb is on sippy cups only now. He likes the Nuby cups with the handles. I found them at Wal Mart for $3.

Nuby 2-Pack 8 oz No Spill Cup with Super Spout:Amazon:Baby

[starrsgirl]

Also, how well is she eating these days? I might just try to stuff a little bit more food in her on those days.

Another thought, can you cut out daytime bottles now? As in, she will still be getting formula but IN a sippy during the day? That's what Emmett is doing now. We are down to only 1 bottle at night and sippys during the day. So then when he starts milk at a year, we will only be taking out one bottle too (as opposed to more.)

[Daffodil]

Liz, she has been eating decently, some days more, some days less... I think a lot of times though when I'm on the go, I'll tend to give her a bottle because its quicker and easier...so totally my fault, and I know I can't do that forever.

The good thing is, she JUST (like in the past 2 days) started feeding herself things other than just cheerios and mum-mums. Like last night she fed herself bits of steamed broccoli and these little cheese balls that I made (lol just american cheese rolled into small balls so its easy for her to grasp...I know, I'm such a gourmet!)

To be perfectly honest though, I have recently been increasing her formula, because she has been sleeping much better through the night and I don't want to go back to multiple night wakings. Selfish, I know! I haven't tried giving her formula in a sippy...because I know when I feed her with a bottle, she downs the whole thing. I am afraid if I give it to her in a sippy, she'll just have a bit and move on and then wake up at night because she is hungry/thirsty.

I guess I keep waiting for her to jump ahead and reject a bottle or reject formula and eat a ton of food... but she's never been like this. She's not a "jump-ahead" baby.

Finally, her sippy...she'll only drink well out of the rubbermaid juice boxes. Its great, except they aren't exactly leak proof. We have a pretty expensive rug (I know, not practical with a baby) and a tight living situation so I'm extra cautious with the sippys and even feeding times. When we have a house, I'm going to give her a lot of meals outside so she can go crazy.