Hi Hetal!!

Have been waiting for yur reply to my q's dated 19/08 regarding bottle weaning.... It would be a gr8 help if yu can suggest something.

Thanks..... Hetal replied. hi urvashi, sry about late reply. these days, i am not feeling well so cant reach up to answer everyone at once.

neways,,now about your prob...
Children normally show less interest in breast and bottle feedings between 6 and 12 months of age if they are also taking cup and spoon feedings. which you have missed..thats y dr recommmend that the right age to wean is 1 year..
After the age of 12 to 18 months, the parent often has to start the weaning, but the child will be receptive. After 18 months of age, the child usually resists weaning because she has become overly attached to the breast or bottle. just like in your case, as you described..
it doesnt matter whether or not the child was bf or bottle feed since birth ornot..what matters down the line, was he weaned by the end of 1 year or not ! if not, parents have to give a hard try to push child to forget about it.
Remember that weaning is usually a long, gradual process and when it comes to babies above 1 year, it might demand alot of patience from you.
kids at 18months understand what you speak, here are some trusted ways that moms of toddlers above 15years tried on their kids..

1.stop all together. Your daughter may cry for a few days, but in time she'll get used to not having a bottle. And even if she resists drinking from a cup at first, eventually she'll do it when she gets thirsty enough. when hunger or thirst strikes, you think they will wait more for you for bottle.Just make sure to leave a cup of milk filled before him..

2.try nuby soft spout sippy cup. these are very comfortable and feels just like nipple.its made to transition from bottle to cup.

3.Offer only water in the bottle, and milk or formula in a sippy cup. it will work like magic!
if your baby wants the milk more than she wanted the bottle ! well it dpends on how desperate he is to drink milk than chose a bottle full of water !

4.now some ways to play with your child mind by talking to him. prepare him for the big day,lets say sunday. that sunday is a day when he is goin to be big boy..from a week prior, keep talking to him that do you know big boys dont drink from bottle. and they use sippy cup (use nuby),,and then keep doing that,,tellhim to practise with sippy cup if he wants to become a big boy ! well,surprisingly with a little hype that he is going to grow and a some real push from both parents, have made kids understand that he has to prepare himself to be grownup,,some 30% of kids were weaned without ne problem at 18-20months,,as kids of this age, wants to grow and become a big boy like his father or mother..and then tell him that on sunday, when he is going to be big boy,a bottle man or a bottle fairy is going to come and take away all the bottles..reduce the number of bottles in use and let them vanish per day, show him every morning the cabinet or place where you keep your bottles and count them before him..let him understand that he is really growing big.by the time its saturday, you will be putting off all your bottles out of sight of him.replace that cabinet with colourful sippy cups :) let one of them be filled with milk..and in the morning when he asks for bottle,hold him, and take him there and speak out, lets c what has bottleman done today,and offer him sippy cup ,,let him be really hungry to drink milk before you do this,,the key is to make him accept it because he is hungry, to make your life easy.
on the sunday, offer him sippy cup, and when he resist, or cries or gets wild, tell him bottles are gone with bottleman,,keep saying that.until he looses all his hopes..this thing has worked for many parents easily than any otherr style of weaning at 18months and over...kids understand many thinggs by that time and they are easier to deal with by language then force !
other things about weaning from bottle is giving an empty bottle and a milk filled transition sippy cup at every feed, diverting his mind from bottle and trying to offer sippy cup all the time,,and also,at 18months your toddler main diet is solids,finger foods and not milk, so dont worry if he drink a couple ounces less during weaning..just make sure that he drinks atleast 1-2feeds a day..also,some tips include replacing bottle with sippy cup feed by feed..if your baby is taking 3times milk, replace one by sippy cup and stick to it,,and slowly the other,,this way,your baby will be smoothly transitioned and you will not have to worry about his milk intake !
remember, after all efforsts, wat matters down the line is how strick you are with your toddler for his good !
you dont want him to see with bottle or see yourself washing bottle until he is 3 years,,do you ????

YOU are the parent and therefore YOU are the only expert on your child. Go with your gut feeling,and further continue with him on weaning.make sure whatever you follow this time,YOUR MIND IS AT WORK INSTEAD OF MOTHERS' HEART. NOW ITS HIGH TIME FOR YOUR TODDLER TO LEARN THINGS BEFORE IT PROOVES BAD FOR HIS HEALTH (TOOTH DECAY,EXCESS DRINKING OF MILK AND ABOVE ALL NOT A GOOD HABIT TO CONTINUE BOTTLE above 15months ),,,SO THIS TIME, you have to be bold enough about your decision..

remember you are the mother and child looks upon you for his everything may be its good or bad for him,,,then its upto you to decide, how to teach him.

good luck in weaning and have a wonderful time with your toddler !
Hetal