WE went from bottle to sippy cups. We transitioned fairly quickly through the various types of sippy cups until we came to one that was most like a regular cup. He still wanted a bottle at night for comfort but we still tried to give him a sippy cup. The night time bottle was difficult/

That is a lot of milk. Wow. Does he eat enough food?

Try to avoid a bottle of milk at bedtime for your son's teeth. We struggled with that as well so I understand. At around a year and a half, we put water in his night time bottle (actually then switched to a sippy cup) instead of milk. Our son had the most difficult time for a while and we endured the tears...oh so many tears, because he wanted his milk. He got used to the water eventually. I just had to be strong. There were a few times I gave in because I just could deal with the tears. Our son is relentless. I regretted those few times as it made it more difficult. I am only human.

I really wonder if your child is getting enough calories if you have to give him the diluted stuff more frequently. I didn't have that problem with my son. That sounds difficult.

He eats alot of food all day long. The doctors say that he's very healthy when it comes to eating. The only thing is that he NEEDS the night time bottle.
I will try the sippy cup thing, that sounds like a good idea. Thank you.

He only cries because it's his comfort and he's used to it. Try putting something else in his crib like a blanket or his favorite animal. Work the new comforting thing that you choose into his routine during the day so that it can take part in his activities with you, like story time, snacks, and playtime....then he will want it at bedtime too.

If you don't want to take the bottle away right away, just put water in it. After a bit, maybe only give him maybe half a bottle with the water and a sippy cup. Then take the bottle away completely and only give him a sippy cup.

I only wondered about the calories because you said he drinks four bottles of milk per night and he drinks even more than that if you add water. I am sure he is healthy.

It probably is a comfort thing. Let us know how everything works out. Give us an update!!

I had this problem with my 18 month old daughter. We went to Wal-mart and they have these sippy cups that don't spill but they have nipple tops. They are shaped like a sippy cup lid, with the same silicone material the nipples are made from. I think they are made by Nuby.
We let Kyleigh pick out the ones she wanted and took all the bottles out of the house. Now there are no bottles to give in to "baba! baba!"
After giving her only the sippy cups with nipple material, we went and got her the plastic sippy cups, the playtex ones.
Worked for us. She hasn't had a bottle in months.

Thats funny because last week we bought those same sippy cups! My son loves them and he even helped me get rid of the bottles! I was shocked to see that he liked the cup more than his bottle! But as of today, there are no more bottles in the house and he's gone from 4 bottles a night to just 1 sippy cup of milk before bed, and a sippy cup of water during the night!
So thanks to everyone for all the good advice, it was greatly appreciated!

A toddler that age will not take more calories in a day then he needs (they just won't, they stop when they hit their limit), I'd make sure that he is definitely eating enough during the day and not trying to top off his daily caloric intake with bottles at night.

I'm not much of an easy transition type of mom. I give my daughter some notice, do a few things to help make the transition then I basically let her take it or leave it. With bottles I diluted for a while (though she was a bit older, maybe 20 months?) and gave her progrossively weak bottles for about 10 days until they were just water. When they were entirely water I'd give it to her before bed and just leave her with it. She fought me on it for another few nights but gave up pretty quick. That took care of the milk thing (I too was worried about teeth), but I let her keep her night time bottle for another few months. One day I took the bottles away, told her we had to send the bottles to other babies that needed them. She helped me "pack them up for the mail" and then I just got rid of em. She went looking for them for a few more days but I just kept reminding her they went to the "babies" and she could have a cup. There wasn't much struggle.

Good luck!

glad to see your spn made the transition so well, I have a question though, my son 22mths is still looking for a night time bottle, he has his sippy cups during the day and goes to bed each night at eight thirty with his teddy no bottle and he's fast asleep but he wakes at around 12-2 every night screamin for a bottle, I have tried giving him juice or water or a sippy cup but it gets thrown with everything and anything else in his cot out!!! he then throws a major tantrum, which he isnt pron too, wont listen to me trying to calm him down, will simply demand a bottle once I give it too him he is out cold till eight thirtyish in the morning, this is only a recent thing and only started when he was 16mths old?? very confused??

I did not know milk is bad for their teeth! My toddler is also 18 months and sometimes drinks up to 7 bottles a day! He is not overweight and also eat enough and healthy. I am more concerned about his kidneys working overtime, seriously,sometimes he drinks like 3 bottles after the other! It is not hunger, but also a soothing thing when he tries to go to sleep. Any help?

I never realized that people allowed their children to have bottles for so long anymore. Makes me feel bad for weaning my daughter off the bottle and onto a sippy cup at 9 months hahaha.

my daughter has been off her bottles since she got her first teeth in and she was like 7 months old. she is now 13 months old and is drinking out of the sippy cup things with a straw not a normal sippy cup. she get milk in the morning and half a cup cup of milk with dinner then when i am getting ready to lay her down i will give her a cup of water after i brush her teeth and she sleeps all night but shes been sleeping all night since she was 4 months old so i dunno she has always been ahead on everything.