When did you stop the bottles? And how much milk for a 15month old?

[happygilmore]

I know you're mean to drop the bottles at 12 months, but we haven't. Tried a cup a couple of times which she has fine for water but not milk, I probably should be more persistent I suppose, but in all honesty couldn't get that worked up about it. I do wonder if it is time to make more of an effort now though.

DD is 15months and eats loads (but will refuse things, inc milk if she's not hungry) and has, roughly, two bottles a day - one before her lunch time nap and one at bedtime. The amount at lunch varies a lot, I would say from about half a bottle to three quarters (not sure how much that is without double checking the bottle). Is that too much? It sounds quite a lot, but I know she has always dropped her milk intake/upped her food herself and I do prefer to follow her lead.

If it's relevant, she has semi-skimmed in cooking because she drinks a fair bit of whole.

[happygilmore]

Gosh, first sentence should be "meant" not mean!!

[Pang]

Happygil - More info please. What do you mean she can use cup for water but not for milk? I'm confused. Are you using a cup with a spout?

[babytum1]

My 16 month DS still has a bottle of milk before bedtime and naptime. We tried giving him this bed/nap time milk in a beaker but he didnt like it, (i think it comes out too fast from a beaker).
I think he likes the whole routine of cuddle with a bottle of milk before he goes to sleep and to be honest, I really enjoy the cuddle time too. He doesnt have a bottle at mealtimes or when we are out so I am not too worried. He wont want a bottle for ever.
Dont see a problem with carrying on with a bottle after 12 months if the child still wants it - there's no rule about stopping breastfeeding at 12 months so why should the bottle be any different.
In response to your question about your DC having too much milk, I wouldn't worry, sounds like she is having a normal amount to me. She's getting plenty of calcium which is good.

[An0therName]

My DS had a bed time bottle until he was 2 - then we went on to a cup - he always drank less from a cup - he had a full bottle then - he stopped having bottles in the day quite early though
There are some concerns about teeth and bottles but I think they are over played myself - and more to do with bottles in the night
I think its a comfort thing and a routine and I personally was reluctant to drop it
if she is eating and sleeping ok I wouldn't worry to much
You could try making the bottle at naptime smaller and smaller maybe

[TheSugarPlumFairy]

We stopped giving DD milk in a bottle at about 13 months. We were going away on holiday and i didn't want to face the faff of trying to clean them and the teats in the hotel room. She now (at 17 months) has a beaker of milk in the morning before breakfast (she usually has breakfast at nursery so the milk holds her over until we get there) which she drinks about half off and a beaker of milk at bedtime which she usually polishes off. All up i think she is probably getting about 400ml (approx 13 oz) a day.

When she was having bottles we also would have a lovely cuddle and i did miss it at first but now she slurps her milk from the beaker while we read a bed time story which is quite nice also. Was just a matter of altering the routine and sticking with it. We use the tommee tippee free flow cup for the milk. We have tried others and they worked to greater and lesser extents but i got sick of faffing with valves etc. The TT cups you just snap the lid on and your done.

SHe is a very good eater, has 4 meals a day usually so is getting loads of nutrition from other sources as well as the milk.

[PottyRefusnik]

DD1 stopped using bottles at about 14 months and though she would happily drink water from a sippy cup it took me ages to find a beaker she would accept milk from. In the end we have ended up with a sippy cup that is only for milk and at 2.6 she still has milk in those at breakfast and bedtime.

DD2 was easier and we got rid of the bottles at 11 months, I think it was easier because she could see DD1 having her milk in a beaker, so now they just have the same.

They both (2.6 yrs and 14 mo) have approx 3oz in the morning and 6oz at bedtime. DD1 now has semi skimmed and DD2 still has full fat.

DD2 did have more at breakfast but then she stopped eating her breakfast, cereal with milk, so we cut back on the milk and now she eats breakfast again.
I don't know if 9oz a day is enough, but then they often have cheese and yoghurts too so they are getting more dairy than just the milk.

[happygilmore]

Sorry I meant, she refuses to drink milk from a cup - just a normal free flow tommee tippee one. Drinks water from it fine. Like some of you have said, it's just her routine - get into her bag for a nap, have a big cuddle and some milk (she's only just started holding her bottle herself, that is bad on my behalf I know). She generally refuses milk in the morning too, I think she only wants it before sleep time, although she quite often has very little at lunchtime. Other times, she will cry like mad if she doesn't have a whole bottle..

I think I'm less concerned about the amount she is drinking, as she eats plenty so I think she must need it. I probably should make more of an effort with the cups though.

[cottonreels]

Stopped bottles at 13 months. 3 days of refusing all milk in her sippy cup, after that she happily took it and never looked back.

[happygilmore]

Is a sippy cup better than bottles? Is it not a similar affect on teeth? Sorry I have no clue!

[ExpensivePants]

DD gave up her bottles at well past 3. Would drink anything but milk out of other cups/glasses etc. I couldnt get worked up about it either. She dropped them when she was ready. Dentist says her teeth are perfect.

[WowOoo]

My 2 yr old still has milk from a bottle at bedtime. Refuses a cup.

It doesn't bother me as my other son dropped his bottle at around 2.5 and I'm hoping he'll do the same soon.

[happygilmore]

Glad I'm not the only one :)

Does anyone know what the big problem is with bottles, why is it meant to be bad for teeth? I know that they're recommended to stop at 12 months, but I really don't know what the reason for it is - other than it's meant to be bad for teeth (but in what way?)

[PottyRefusnik]

I think the problem is that the sucking action causes the milk to pool around the teeth (or so I've heard) and a regular drinking action ie. straight from a cup, is better.

My dentist assured me that as long as they have their teeth brushed before bed, and only have water from then on, it makes little to no difference between teat bottles, a sippy cup or an open cup.

He said one reason for the recommendation was to stop parents putting older babies and toddlers to bed with a bottle of milk in the cot with then or within reach. Then the baby will drink on and off through the night and that is very bad for their teeth. Because of leak issues parents are much less likely to do that with a cup. I have no idea if he made that up or not though.

His recommendation was to brush teeth morning and night, and after lunch if you are at home. I try to do that but don't always manage the lunch time brush.

[happygilmore]

Thanks Potty. She has her teeth brushed before milk so not doing so well there! I suppose we could try brushing her teeth after her bottle - she won't like it initially I know, but it might be a better alternative.

She's definitely not in bed with a bottle though, so that is good I suppose.

[RitaMorgan]

They are supposed to have 350ml/12oz of whole milk a day between 12-24 months.

Hard spouted or open cups are best for teeth, then soft spouted, bottles are worst - but as has been mentioned the important thing is brushing teeth after milk/before bed. We started using the soft spouted tommee tippee ones (first sips is the name I think) from 10 months, as they don't spill and I couldn't stand the mess! DS has plain free flow/hard spouted sippy cups for water though.

We brush teeth after his bedtime milk, and after milk in the morning too.

[Pfriend]

Happyg I could have written your post exactly! My DS drinks water from a free flow tommee tippee no problem but dissolves into hysterical tears if offered milk in anything other than a bottle! He is 12 1/2 months. We gave in and let him have his bottle but are thinking of trying again in a couple of weeks.

[PottyRefusnik]

Happy No, neither of ours liked having their teeth brushed between milk and bed, it meant they couldn't go to bed all drowsy from the milk and a cuddle. That being said, we took a zero tolerance approach and both of them soon got the message and we have no problems now with it.

My 2.6 year old still will not drink milk from a regular Tommee Tippee free flow beaker, its been an on going battle. She will drink water from anything, but not milk. Its very annoying!

[happygilmore]

Thanks everyone. It sounds like she's having just about the right amount of milk then, maybe a little more on some days but I'm not going to worry too much about that. I've always thought she regulates her own appetite well and don't want to dictate too much what she has, seems to have worked up until now.

Tooth brushing used to be a huge traumatic event in this household, but after perservering (and getting good advice on here) it's a lot better. She still cries a bit most times, hence why we've been reluctant to do it after milk (particularly as she now goes to sleep on her own and sleeps through - thank god/touch wood etc etc) but now might be the time to start again.

Need to buy another cup to try I think too.

[Morph2]

My DS is nearly 16months and exactly the same. Will drink water or juice from a cup but not milk, will only drink milk from a bottle. He has two bottles a day, one mid morning and one at night.

I would rather he drink milk from a bottle than not drink at all.

[pommedechocolat]

Dd is 17 months. At 15 months switched am milk to beaker thinking id then do evening bottle. She moved from having 4-5 oz am and 8oz or so pm to basically nothing bar a few slurps am and as much as I'll give her in the pm (in bottle).

So still doing bedtime bottle! I hold it for her too! She's so independent on everything else and hated a bottle until 11 months or so leaving me loathe to ditch it!