It never ceases to amaze me- that speed with which babies become toddlers and then the rate that those toddlers continue to grow. Just yesterday (it seems), we were taking Bobby and Maya home from the hospital. And now, they both take their naps & bedtimes after being briefly snuggled and then put to bed awake, and Maya didnt take a bottle before bed last night (we are attempting Bobby tonight).
The bottle weaning has been completely a baby led experience. When it seemed they liked their cups, we took away all their daily bottles... No issues, no fight from them. When it seemed that, if they woke in the middle of the night, they were briefly thirsty for a glass of water and not a bottle, we took away the middle of the night feeding... No issues, no fight, and thankfully, full nights of sleeping for all four of us! When, last week, Maya began taking a drink or two of her "snuggle bottle" (which was only 4 ounces at this point, weaned down from 9), we realized she was telling us she was done with bottles for good. To make sure, we finished out the week and, last night, I made Bobby his new amount of 3 ounces, and Maya had no bottle. After her bath, I snuggled her like normal, and then placed her in her bed. She took her "sleep entourage" of her lovey, sleep sheep, and Baby Stella doll, all covered by her favorite baby blanket and then her comforter, and went to sleep. Bobby took his bottle, although Peter said you could tell he did it because it was there, and then Peter snuggled him and put him to bed. Sometimes he'll sit up quietly for 15-30 minutes before crawling into bed and going to sleep. It's interesting to sneak a peak at him.
So, tonight, it looks as if we may try Bobby without his bottle. He seems to be giving us signals, albeit differently from Maya. I think it will be strange to look in the cabinet and no longer see Born Free bottles... to no longer have them on the drying rack... to no longer wash level 3 nipples and apparatus pieces... to no longer have babies drinking bottles. It's a good change, of course. But it does tug my heart as well. As it is, there are only 6 bottles left in the house (down from, at one time, 30 bottles!) But I think packing those up and giving them away will truly feel like the end of an era.
3 comments:
Do you have any tips on how to make them like a cup/sippy cup. My one year old wont take either, and I am starting to get worried.
That's what we're working on right now, too!
But you're way ahead of us on the going to sleep awake and without a fuss. Way, way ahead!
With ours, we gave them straw cups. They never cared for sippy cups, but they loved our Camelback Bite Valve bottles. My BFF gave them their own as gifts and we would give them their juice or water in that (while still giving them bottles for milk). As they got older, we started making meal times cup times and not giving them bottles for their drinks. That weaned us down to a nightly bottle and a middle of the night bottle. Then the middle of the night bottle got cut and, if they woke up thirsty, they were given their cup with water. And now, tonight, the first no bottle night in a year and a half!!!
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