# Weaning baby off formula and feeding a 1yo



## yonit (Jun 14, 2006)

So you would think after 4 kids I would know this stuff by now. But this is my first baby that has gotten formula and my first baby to get a bottle. My other kids were all better eaters as well. So it gets complicated.

Right now - he is almost exclusively formula fed via bottle. He does get some solids. While he does eat a wide variety of foods, he eats very little of them. He is very active and very distractable and just doesn't want to take the time to eat. For example, this morning I gave him some melon for breakfast - he took 2 bites, played with it a little then refused to eat more. I gave him a bottle afterwards and he guzzled it right down and then went off to play.

As we move into his first birthday I want to obviously get him off the formula and onto milk, but I really don't want milk to be the mainstay of his diet. So I need to find a way to get him to eat more.

Secondly, I also want to start moving him off the bottle and into a cup. None of my kids ever had a bottle, and I hate seeing toddlers on a bottle - so it is getting to be time. I have given him a cup a few times but he has no interest in it.

Finally, right now he goes to sleep with a bottle more often than not. I know this is a bad habit, but I had always nursed my kids to sleep. I need to help break him of this habit as well, but he has never been a great sleeper (back to that "too busy" issue) so don't really know how to. I have tried giving him a bottle of water instead, but he just gets mad.

Obviously I know I can't do all these things at once, but I need to start thinking about how to do them.

Obviously my 4th baby was sent to teach me a lot..


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## babygrant (Mar 10, 2005)

Personally I wouldn't rush to wean him off the formula. Most people here would recommend breastfeeding till at least two because of the vital nutrients and fat, so why rush to discontinue formula? In terms of nutritional value, I would think that formula would be better than cows milk for a growing toddler.


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## onlyboys (Feb 12, 2004)

I also wouldn't rush to get him off the bottle. My kids definitely needed sucking at that point, and while it might irritate you that toddlers still take a bottle, perhaps you might revisit that now that you have a toddler who needs a bottle still. Also, I don't think anything magical happens at a year old--or two years old, even. Babies and young children have a sucking need that needs to be fulfilled. I feel the same way about nursing mamas (that their baby/toddler might need sucking longer than 1-2 years) as I do about bottle feeding mamas.


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## 425lisamarie (Mar 4, 2005)

Whoa my second took a bottle later on and she still has one several times a day/night at 20 months! I feel the same about nursing. When they are ready


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## Shenjall (Sep 14, 2002)

Another vote for keeping the formula/bottle.








My ds had his until he was about 4. We let him self wean off it. We switched from formula to cows milk around 18mths (which I regret, with what I know now, I think I wouldve kept him on until 2yrs, min)

As for nighttime, would he take water in a bottle? I admnit, my ds refused to drink water from a bottle, so I let him have the milk, and thankfully, he didnt get any cavities from it)

My bf dd didnt really eat much at 1 yr either, picked at this, picked at that. Some kids just arent that interested, I guess.

Cup....hmmm....would you be more comfortable if he had a "juice" box? Those rubbermaid ones with the straw in them? This way he's still "sucking" something, but may make you more comfortable out in public? Not that you have anything to worry about. I would fight anyone giving you grief for having a baby "too old" for a bottle, I just dont want to dismiss your feelings by saying "who cares? just do it!". Kwim?


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## *Aimee* (Jan 8, 2007)

My son is 19 months old and still on formula and takes a bottle for nap and a bottle for bed time. We bought him some siggs that he uses for water through out the day. He loves.

I had my son on cows milk when he turned 1 but he just doesnt eat well. I can't force him to eat the foods he needs to be healthy so I put him back on formula. I would have breastfed him till he was 2 so he'll get formula that long!


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