Cold Turkey

My eyes are wide open
Cant get to sleep
One thing Im sure of
Im in at the deep freeze
Cold turkey has got me on the run
---John Lennon

I'm Momzilla.

I cut my child off the bottle cold turkey. I thought a lot about this, and with IMMENSE anxiety and guilt, I decided this is the best way. Pull the band-aid off in one yank instead of slowly pulling and dragging out the pain.

My decision was made after I sent a sippy cup with her milk in it to daycare yesterday. She was not interested and took the bottle. If I keep giving her the bottle option, of course she's going to take it. And my core belief is in consistency, whether it be for bedtime or anything else. And keep in mind, this "sippy cup" is the closest thing to a bottle I've ever seen.



This did NOT make this decision any easier. Last evening we did her dinner and bath, and then I knew the time was coming. I took her into her room and shut the light off. Normally that means she's going to sit in the glide rocker with Mommy and have her bah-bah. This time I sat on the floor and held the sippy cup up for her. She started taking swigs, then she took off for the bedroom door, hoping to get some more fun in before she had to lay down for the night. I caught her and took her over to the glide rocker. She got in position for her bottle and I still handed her the sippy cup. That is when she realized this was taking the place of her bedtime bottle. She did not cry. She simply shoved it away over and over. Finally I lifted her up and placed her in her crib and gave her Mr. Binky.

The outcome? My daughter slept all night, as she always does, and I tossed and turned and had nightmares that Child Protective Services was coming after me for being so cruel and that my child's bones turned to mush because she never would take a sippy cup and get milk again. But I knew there was no going back.

Fast forward to this morning. I got her up at 7:45 a.m. I calmly took her over to the glide rocker and handed her the sippy cup again. She looked at it, looked at me, then grabbed it and drank 6 ounces without blinking an eye.

I think my child is really the most amazing person ever. She doesn't realize that Mommy looks at her with such awe and pride.

The sippy cup went to daycare with her today for her midday milk. I did not send a bottle. I said she drinks this or she doesn't have milk. I'm praying she accepts it and this transition continues to progress.

Claire gets a big high-five today!