My experience for you is to buy the NUBY cup. You can find it on line or sometimes at the local drug store. This cup was a life saver for me because it has a soft nipple just like a bottle, but looks like a cup. My other advice is to start using the cup during the day, then move to nighttime. When it's the middle of the night you are so tired that you will cave in. Thirdly, if all else fails, call Supernanny. The producers will eat it up because you are in the public eye. Final words, Let me know if I can help with potty training.

Hi Leah, I'm a mom of three (18-yo boy, 15-yo girl & 2-yo boy). Never had the bottle problem w/my two older ones but when our little surprise came along, boy I was just like you & Angelo -- everything went out the door. Funny thing is I went thru the same thing as you. Baby drank about 6 milk bottles every night, woke up about every 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours each night & like you, I had to change him every time he woke up. Besides not getting any sleep, the cost of milk & pampers were just ridiculous. I was really at my wits end. My son only liked this one nipple & one day I noticed a tear in it so I had to throw it away. We had other nipples in the house & I tried giving him those but he wouldn't have it. He threw down every bottle & no matter how much he wanted it, b/c it didn't have his favorite nipple, he refused it. I begged my husband to find the exact nipple, which he did, but when we tried to give it to baby, he refused it b/c it wasn't soft & used like his other one. So what happened was he just totally gave up the bottle on his own. I know that's totally a story book ending that you couldn't never even write for yourself but I wanted to let you know that I know what you're going through. If it wasn't for my son taking himself off the bottle, I'd still be buying 10-gallons of milk/wk & going through a case of pampers like nobody's business. Thank you for sharing your story. When I was going thru it, I thought of calling the Supernanny; maybe you could do that. You & your family are in my prayers. And don't put yourself down; you're a wonderful mom! We have the hardest job in the world & not everyone can do it so chin up! ALOHA!

Leah, you mentioned that you nor your husband get any rest. Well, the sooner you break the "through the night bottle" situation the sooner you and your husband will get some rest and maybe a little something extra! Also, think about what you will be doing to your daughter when its time for her to go to school. If she is still taking a bottle at 3.5 whats to say she wount still want one when she is 5. You have to start to teach children at a young age because they are very smart. Freud stated that a childs mind is like a blank slate waiting to be written on. Now its time for you to write about limitations in regards to what will be acceptable or not acceptable by her parents. You are also teaching her that if she throws a tantrum she will be able to get what she wants and it will be a rude awakening when she goes somewhere where others will not give her her way or not want to deal with her at all, or how will you feel when she comes home from school (no matter the age or grade) and is very sad because the other kids don't want to be her friend because she wants what she wants when she wants it and throws her tantrum to get it. Start to set boundaries and limitations, you and your husband are the parents not your daughter. Also, your daughter is beautiful!!!!!
Lady C

HI LEAH, I AM A 30 YEAR OLD MOM OF FOUR. MY CHILDREN ARE ALL 1 YEAR APART AND I'VE BEEN THREW EVERYTHING YOU COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE,AS FAR AS THE "BOTTLE" ISSUE IS CONCERNED. I HAD THREE ON THE BOTTLE AT THE SAME TIME,IT WAS SO DIFFICULT TO TAKE ONE OFF WHEN THE OTHER TWO WE'RE STILL ON. WELL EVENTUALLY I FOUND A WAY TO DO IT,LET ME RE-PHRASE THAT. MY HUSBAND AND I FIGURED OUT A WAY TO HANDLE IT.WHAT WE DID WAS, WE WOULD GET THE FORMULA FROM THE NEWBORN BABY AND PUT IT INTO THE OTHER BOTTLES,I KNOW HOW CRUEL.AT THIS TIME THEY WERE DRINKING REGULAR MILK,THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE TASTE,SOO AT THAT TIME WE WOULD GIVE THEM A SIPPY CUP AND TELL THEM THE CUP WAS FOR BIG KIDS.EVENTUALLY THAT WORKED AND AT THE SAME TIME THEY GRADUALLY LET GO OF THE SIPPY CUP ALSO.ON THE OTHER HAND IT WAS SOO HARD TOO TAKE THE BA-BA AWAY FROM MY LAST BABY,BECAUSE SHE WAS MY LAST BABY AND I TRIED TO KEEP HER A BABY AS LONG AS I COULD.FINALLY WHEN SHE WAS ALMOST TWO I DECIDED TO DO THE WHOLE SIPPY CUP PROCEDURE AND IT WORKED WITH FLYING COLORS. MY ADVICE TO YOU IS DON'T GIVE UP.OUR BABYS ARE OUR BABYS AND WHEN IT COMES TO MAKEING THEM HAPPY WE WILL GO OUT ON A LIMB FOR THEM,BUT SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO REALIZE THINGS FOR THEIR HEALTH AND THEIR WELL BEING.REMEMBER SHE IS ALREADY A TODDLER,SOON SHE WILL BE A PRE-SCHOOLER. GOOD LUCK........

I agree with "Who's the parent here?". Follow through and consistency are the only way to solve this problem. By giving in to Sofia, in the long run, you are only hurting her, not helping her. How will this child live in the "real world"? How will she ever attend school, never hearing the word "No" and always getting her way? What child wants to be friends with a person like that?
When children are young, you are setting the foundation which you will build upon later. No matter how pretty, or smart, or even rich a person is . . . if you have a unstable foundation or one made out of unrealistic values, you have nothing.
I hope Leah and Angelo realize, and realize quickly, that they are hurting the one person they claim to love the most.

Girl I agree with the Nuby cup because they do wonders and I found that two years ago when I was trying to ween my 3 year old off the bottle. I went through the same thing with my 10year old She didn't get off the bottle until she was five which was hard to just to see her cry over it. And I gave in over and over until I had to throw all the bottles away. It was hard because I had another baby and she would sneek the bottle I think when she went to school and seen the other kids with out their bottle she gave it up. Girl it is hard with just one try seven and only being 30 this sunday. With the pamper bit just send her to a school that accepts kids with pampers and they will train her more better then you because from experance I have a five year old with problems and she wasn't train till she was four years old

WOW! I had 2 boys in 11 months and this will give anyone the desire to get rid of bottles and diapers asap! Having said that,I would be very concerned about not only tooth decay but mouth deformity from sucking on a bottle so much.I hate to see a child with a pacifier for the same reason and never used them. It is a tough thing to take the bottle away from your child but is something you are doing for the childs health just like you would give meds or vaccinations.I would not want my child to be the only one in pre-school with a bottle or at this rate in kindergarten! It's tough love and believe me,you will be called upon to administer much tough love to your daughter than this one as she gets older. My "boys" are 42 and 43 right now and in a few days both will be 43. We have a beautiful relationship and I do not believe that weaning them from a bottle at 18 months hurt a thing!They are both pilots,owning their own jet charter company and have been extremely successful in life.And finally,one last concern I didn't hear the Dr mention--isn't there such a thing as too much water? Do it Leah,you can do it!

Hi Leah! I have seen 2 or 3 responses to your problem about the Nuby sippy cup - this cup is amazing! You can get them at Walmart, they are only a couple dollars, and they are wonderful! The holes in the "nipple" are similar to that of a regular sippy cup, but the top feels and looks like a bottle nipple. When I was ready to take my now 3 1/2 year old boy off his bottle I put something in the Nuby cup that he'd never had before - like milk -when I offered it to him he was very excited about trying something new to drink in a new "big boy cup". Since Sofia drinks both water and milk in the bottle, try giving her something special like all fruit, no sugar juice or chocolate milk as a treat. If she wants it she can only have it out of this new "big girl cup". The most important thing I've learned about being a parent is, if you treat them like a baby then they will act like a baby. Now my son, he started his nuby cup at 11 months, drinks out of a regular cup with no lid. So take our advice - the NUBY Cup at Walmart is the best transition for your daughter! Good Luck!

Ok Leah, here's what I found! Go to www.babybungalow.com and enter keyword - Nuby. They have a tone of transition stuff and I am positive one of those will work great for Sofia! Try it, I know it will work. Good Luck!

There is a training cup out there by Dr. Brown. It transitions from a bottle to a sippy cup! It helps make things a little easier and less scary. Perhaps it will help her feel more confident in a sippy cup and one day just a cup!

Dear Leah,

My name is Raquel, I just finished Med School. I was watching the show yesterday and I think it is not normal for a kid to have so many bottles of milk and water a day. Also, it isn't normal for her to wake up at night so many times to have water. A kid her age should be sleeping 11 to 12 hours straight. She might have a sleeping disorder that, at her age, it may become chronic. I was thinking maybe this isn't a parenting issue. I would recommend you to have your daughter examined just to rule out a medical condition, maybe consider blood and urine tests. I think it is better to be safe than sorry.

HI, my name is Brittany, I have a 13 month old son who was off the bottle by 9 months. He was excellent with the change, but i know some parents who have a really hard time. My advice is to take your daughter and allow her to pick out a sippie cup that she likes (nuby cups are great because of the silicone nipple) and then let her decorate with stickers or whatever she may like. This way she will know that its her "Big Girl Cup" and she created it by herself. Hope this works for you. Good Luck and you have to hang in there, this won't be the worst thing you ever go through...lol.

Sincerely....Brittany Burch

Hello, this broke my little girl who was 12 months in ONE WEEK!!

I purchased a sippy cup that was very similar to a bottle (at walmart), and it even had the longer silicon spout. I replaced some bottles with this for a few days. Not a night though.

Then I purchased a sippy cup with the soft rubber spout, and I began replacing the bottle at night with the sippy similar to a bottle.

Eventually by using these two cups, it replaced the bottle. She was broke from the bottle in about a week, however we had to use the sippy similar to a bottle for about a month.

THE BEST PART OF ALL IS THAT IT WAS A NO FUSS DEAL! IF YOU TRY THIS, I HOPE IT WORKS FOR YOU TOO. GOOD LUCK

Hi Leah and Angelo, I feel for you as my son Anthony was 3 1/2 and drinking 6-8 bottles of milk a night and in bed with us. Back then pampers didnt have elastic waists and leg bands so trust me I changed alot of diapers, pajamas and sheets. I was pregnant with my 2nd and dying for a good nights sleep before the second got here so one day I pretended to be on the phone while he listened and had a one way conversation with the "garbage man". I said sure Anthony's a big boy and yes I'll have his bottles ready when you come. I put all his bottles in a clear plastic bag and didn't make a big deal about it I just mentioned that since he was so big they were coming to pick them up and left it at that. When I heard the noise from the garbage trucks I got really excited and grabbed his hand and the bag of bottles and said "wow Ant they're here lets go!" He must have been dazed and confused because he didn't fuss and when I saw the garbage man I called him over. Winking at him I said, "You're here to pick up Anthony's bottles because he's a big boy now?" The guy played along and made a fuss over Anthony being so big and took the bottles. I took him back inside really quick and I swear he never asked for another bottle again. He's 27 now and a father and would probably kill me for telling this story but I really related to your situation and wanted to let you know that you're not alone. Not saying this would work with Sofia and I'm sure you're getting so much advice and stories that you'll be reading it til Sofias in college. P.S. My second and third were nursed!

I definitley agree that Leah needs Jo Frost " The Nanny " to come in and help her... Leah shouldn't feel that she is a bad mother, but just needs Help... She is a great actress and
she is funny and has so much going for her, but being a mother doesn't come with a handbook and as naturally to everyone. Don't get me wrong, I think Leah loves and adores her daughter, but if she doesn't get help ASAP Sophia is going to be like those spoiled girls on the show
" Sweet Sixteen " that get everything handed to her and she will not be appreciative. She will
turn out to be an obnoxious girl and we all know that Leah does not want that.... I sure hope that she will take our advice and accept the Help that is being offered to her...

LauraH

I have a suggestion for Leah, #1 the "baby" needs to be in her own bed even if its a bed in a corner of her parents room to start, but to get rid of the bottle she should have a big girl party, you celebrate becomming a big girl with a party and cake. The ceremony is the CHILD throwing away their bottle themselves, then you celebrate with cake for becomming a big girl. Make sure you buy some special cups for the child to graduate to. And good luck. Renee , Mena AR

I took my son shopping for a "BIB BOY CUP"The almighty sippy cup. It still somewhat resembled a bottle but in a more mature form. There's alot of characters to choose from and he got to decide which ones he wanted. The Best if Luck to you and your Hubby.

I think the bigger problem is not the bottle but having a 3 year old dictate what is going on in the house and parents who are unable to say no. What happens when there are bigger issues than bottles. I think they are doing their child a grave disservice.

Hello Leah!!! I am a proud mother of two. My son is 6yrs old and the queen bee of the house is 4. Have you tried sippy cups? I know you mentioned she loves Elmo that can catch her eye. She will probably right on the money give you that look! Like yeah right ma!! But what I did is hide all the bottles so she can see that you do not have them any more!!! Because if she sees it she knows she can cry her way to one. I know that's what mine did. In place of the bottles place the sippy cups. So she thinks you really did replace them. To be honest she will probably still cry but you have to point and let her know that is all you have. She will see that there are no more bottles and give up. (After you notice she has some awesome lung capacity) At first she might just cry herself to sleep. A phrase I hated but learned it is true (ella no llora sangre). My mother told me that because she said that I let my princess do whatever she wanted. I remind myself of an older puertorican lady!!!! Anyways you also have to think of the future if it is the bottle now what will be next. I have a hint for you the toilet well you have my info. so if you need anything or even to vent I'm a stay at home mom. So feel free to do so. Be blessed and all that really matters is that she is happy. The best thing about a child is that they forgive you two seconds after they are mad at you. We are the ones that feel bad for longer.

Hello Leah, I know the chances of you actually taking my advice or even giving it any thought is slim but I want to try because I know it will make such a big difference. I am so happy to hear that you finally got Sophia off the bottle. You made a comment on your update that you noticed a difference in Sophia just by getting her off the bottle. Now imagine the difference in not only your baby but also in you and Angelo by getting amazing sleep and yes, having sex in your own bed!
When my daughter was born my husband was in Tech School for the Air Force and I was living with my dad. So I let my baby sleep with me every night because there wasn't any problems with it I thought. When we were finally able to be the family we were at moved to our first duty station in Utah, my husband hated that Hope (my baby girl) was sleeping with us, so I moved her out of our bed and into a bed in our room. But he didn't like that either. I was baffled on what to do, so I called one of my very wise aunt's and got the best advice ever. I know it will help you! Here's a teaser...IT ONLY TAKES 3 DAYS!!!
Put Sophia in her room when bed time comes. Sometimes they need tools to help them go to sleep, like a security blanket, soft music, favorite doll, etc. Everytime she gets out of her bed, do not saying anything, just get up and put her back. Trust me the whole first night will be nothing but that! Each night gets better. You must let her cry. I know that sounds so hard especially since you said you can't stand her crying so hard it seems that she can't breathe but knowing it only takes a few days is something to look forward too. And since it is only a night time thing and not a 24/7 thing like the bottle. When letting her cry after 30 minutes have passed go in there and comfort her by rocking her, talking her down, reading her a story, whatever works, except bringing into bed with you. Even try talking about what you are going to do tomorrow. That always works with my daughter who is now 2 and wants to sleep with us but never does. I promise you will love this when it's over and the sex in a bed is amazing!!!! You'll love how much more rejeventated all 3 of you will feel! Please try it, what do you possibly have to lose. Plus by the way it sounds this really won't make you lose any more sleep than you already do. So do it do it do it! Being a pushover effects you way more than it will affect her. She'll be happy either way, you won't be. Email back or call if you want me to elebrate or give you more confidence so this can be possible

To Leah & Angelo - From: A mom who has a daughter who is almost 4 years old, and still drinks from a bottle too!

Welcome to parenthood!!! Loved the Rachel Ray show done on your family, my husband and I were able to relate to so much of what you are both dealing with.
We are parents of a 3 year and 11 month old daughter, Angelica who is the Princess of our home as well, and she still drinks "BaBa Milks." She needs a few bottles every night before going to bed. She enjoys it, and finds it to be very comforting, as I'm sure as with your daughter.
We waited a long time for our daughter, as I know you both did as well, because my husband and I often watch your "reality show" with you and Angelo, and trying to have a baby, as we were to at that time in our lives. So when Sophia and Angelica arrived they became "our life"!!!
I am very relaxed and catering Mother. I did not force "toilet training" and by 3 years old she was trained over night! As for the bottles, there has never been a bride with a bottle, that too she will grow out of.
You and your husband seem to be very loving parents who adore your daughter, Sophia and seem to be doing a wonderful job as parents.
Very often in life, children that train at a young age, and give up a bottle at a young age, end up having other issues.
My daughter Angelica has been riding a horse since 2 years old, and began competing in horse shows at 2 1/2 years old. She has already Acquired 11 ribbons and was featured on the front page of the Dec. 9th Daily Record Newspaper, following a 2 page colored article on her accomplishments. In the summer of 2009 she will compete in the Hampton Classics Horse Show. She has been modeling since 11 months old, and has been in school since 1 1/2 years old and it has been said, that she is very bright. So, a bottle has never gotten in her way of success, and in time she will part with it, as so will your daughter, Sophia.
Enjoy you beautiful, full of life daughter, Sophia! She will be fine, and this phase will pass too.
Anytime you need me to go "toe to toe" with these "know it all" parents I'll be happy to sit beside you on the show! We will take them on!!! Don't sweat the little stuff!!!
Lisa-Morris County

Leah
I am a mother of 4 and a grandmother of 6 so I understand some of what you are going through. I am a firm believer of the "old methods of doing things". I took all my children off the bottle and one off of the pacificer and a few of my grandchildren by the signs of the moon. My grandmother and mother used this method and I am assuming that their parent before them.....IT WORKS....Proven by me and my daughter....If you would like the info on this, please let me know....and I will keep you and your family in my thoughts....
NanaEC

Hi my name is Janis. I am 26yrs old and I have a 3 almost 4yr old boy named Michael. I have had to come up with several ideas to get rid of alot baby things that Michael did. With the help of my most excellent Mom, we decide to create several "Fairies" to get Michael to move on from Diapers, Soothers and yes the EVIL BOTTLE. On Mikey's 3rd birthday the Soother Fairy came and left him a twoonie each for both his soothers. We did this with the diapers and the bottle as well. We have used this crazy idea and it seemed to have worked. He asked for his soother and bottle once or twice after but we reminded him about the fairy and he was fine. We did have to work up to the big day on each occasion but with all of our family and friends talking about it, it worked. So maybe stealing some tooth fairy thunder might work for you.
Hoping this Canadian ConstructionMama helps.
Good Luck Leah and Angelo,
Thank you Janis