Transitioning from Bottle Times

I did the switch from bottle to cup with both of my kids cold turkey. I think that is best. When they both started drinking whole milk I threw away all of their bottles. That way they had no choice but to drink from the sippy cups because I didnt have any bottles to give them. And I couldnt give in and give them a bottle because I had threw them all away. With my daughter, it took her about 3 days to fully catch on. I tihnk it was the type of sippy cup maybe. But my son had no problems. His sippy cup was made like a bottle and he just picked it up and drank. If they are thirsty, they will drink.

Put his bottles out, where he is, on a table.
Via getting use to seeing it out and about, he may learn... to just grab it himself and self-drink.

When my kids were babies, I did not only offer them water/milk only when "I" held it.
I kept their sippy cup out on the coffee table, around them. That way, they got used too seeing it, knowing it is theirs and that you drink from it/grab it/put it to their mouth, themselves.
And whenever thirsty, "they" could grab their bottle or sippy, themselves.
Thereby promoting self-direction.

I let my kids drink water whenever.
I left their sippy of water near them anytime all the time, on any low table where they were. I would say "here is your water/milk..." and then told them they can drink when they need to.
This teaches them, self-reliance as well.
And knowing how to do it.

I did NOT, when this age or 1 years old or after, hold them or it, for them.
They easily just grabbed their bottle or sippy cup, themselves.
NO problem.
I did NOT only give them liquids, at meal times.
It was, all the time.

Kids need to learn how to self-regulate too, their thirst. AND to know, their body's 'cues' for being thirsty and then, drinking, from their cup or bottle or whatever.

Kids... need to drink, on-demand. Meaning, if they are thirsty and need water, they can do so and drink.
Not ONLY at meal times.
I myself for example, do not drink water or liquids ONLY at meal times. I drink, all day.
Kids need to, too.

Don't only limit his liquid intake or drinking, to meal times.
A kid, as they get older and active, need to drink, when they need to or are thirsty.

We did away with bottles completely when our son turned 10 months. Gave him a soft tip sippy cup (made by Nuby) with formula in it and he didn't flinch. Just hand it to your son. He might play with it, ignore it or throw a fit, but keep your ground and he will take a hint that if he wants it he has to feed it to himself. Even if it is just a couple sips at a time, have it available to him whenever he wants to take a few more sips. Trust me, when he's hungry he'll come looking for it. Good Luck Mama!

I use playtex sippy cups with my kids. Just start giving him a sippy cup w/ milk or water in it and he'll gradually get used to it. Let him carry it around with him, leave it out on the table so it's available. It's a little more work to get the liquid out of a sippy cup than it is a bottle, but in time he'll get used to it. My first son made the transition easily and by 12 months was done with bottles. My second son still had an evening bottle that he fed to himself through the 17th month if it makes you feel any better.

I would recommend holding him at the set times with the sippy cup to start the transition. Or put him in his high chair with the sippy of milk at the set times if you don't want to hold him. Eventually he will reach a point where he wants more independence and will want to do it on his own. Once you are sure he is drinking well out of the sippy or straw cups while holding him you can try just handing it to him at the set time. Give him 15-20 minutes and if he sets it down to go do something else pick it up and put it in the fridge. Don't offer it again until the next designated time. He will figure it out!

I think you should transition a couple of bottles at a time. Maybe keep morning and nighttime bottle but use sippy cups the rest of the day. However, at this point your son should want to hold his bottle. And it helps with his motor skills to do these things on his own. He's making you hold it because you always have. And I'm sure he likes having Mommy hold him. But you have to make him do it himself. If he misses a bottle because he won't pick it up, he'll be fine. The next time he wants milk, he'll pick it up. Check with your pediatrician but at this point he shouldn't be getting so many bottles per day or getting up in the middle of the night for a bottle. Give him a bigger bottle before bedtime so he sleeps through the night. The rest of the day just use sippy cups. Give him milk in a sippy cup with his 3 meals a day and let him drink water with a snack at other times. He can snack on fruit or cheerios or cheese... he should be eating more regular meals and not using milk as a meal. Good luck. Hope this helps.