My pediatrician wants most of my baby's nutrition from solids, but he still needs a bottle to sleep. How do I wean off the bottle, and what can I offer besides milk?

Moms suggest weaning the bottle gradually rather than all at once - keep the feeds that matter most (usually bedtime and early morning) and slowly reduce or dilute the others. A common trick is to gradually dilute the daytime milk so the baby loses interest, while offering nutrition through solids and drinks like soup during the day. If a small bedtime feed soothes the baby to sleep, it's okay to keep it while you cut back elsewhere.

Community Answers from Moms(3)

Here's what moms in our community shared based on their own experience.

1. 1

   For daytime weaning, some moms slowly dilute the milk so the baby gradually lets go of the bottle. If it's only a small feed, you can reduce it bit by bit.

2. 2

   Keep the feeds the baby really needs - like before bed and early morning - and drop the others first. My baby needed milk before bed and on waking, so I kept those and cut the rest.

3. 3

   During the day you can offer soup or other nutritious drinks instead of a milk bottle, and build up solids so the bottle isn't the main source of nutrition.