when to stop giving milk in bottles?

[RachelG]

I'm interested in other people's experience.

My DS is 2 next month. Although he drinks water from a cup well (he only spills some of it, and that's often deliberate!), he still has his bedtime and naptime milk from a bottle.

I'm quite happy to continue doing this, as he's quite drowsy then, the milk makes him more drowsy, and I know if I put it in a cup he'd spill it everywhere (he refuses those special no-spill cups). I remember having milk in a bottle myself till I was about 5, so I really don't have a problem with it, I know it won't last forever.

BUT.....my DS goes to nursery one day a week, and I'm wondering if they're going to start thinking he's strange still having milk in a bottle at naptime.

So I just wondered what other people did and when.

Thanks

[SlightlyMadSpider]

Mlk in a bottle especially after brushing teeth for bed is not good.

We are about to try and wean DD3 off bottle at 15m...

[mankyscotslass]

My eldest had a bottle of milk at night up til he was nearly 3, when the "bottle fairy" came to get it, and left a present for him. He only had that one bottle as I had cut out all the rest by the age of 2. DD had also cut it down to one bottle at night by age of 2, and just after she decided she wanted a big girls cup at night, because she saw her brother sit and have that before bed. Youngest manky is still breastfed and is 21 mths. He only has one feed at night now, and I will stop that soon. I am sure that he will want to have a cup of milk like the others in his own time. He drinks his water fine from a lidded cup. But from 18 mths I always brushed their teeth after their last bottle, and they went down in their cots awake..before that teeth being brushed was as and when they would sit still long enough in the day! TBH I think if he is still have milk in the day in a bottle then maybe work on that first? I think by 2 the recommended amount is a pint of milk, but that also includes other dairy produce, so maybe he is having a lot? I think you should do what you feel is right and you are comfortable with....like you say he wont have a bottle all his life!!

[totaleclipse]

my dts (3.7) still drink milk from a bottle, wrong or not, its a comfort to them, I will wean them off when they are 4 if they dont do it themselves before.

[harleyd]

i stopped all bottles at 8months with the first 3 babies, they drank from non-spill cups. my youngest is now 10months and i have just managed to get him drinking from a cup. i just find it easier that way. each to their own.

[francagoestohollywood]

Rachel, I'd say that nursery staff should be used to deal with the comforting "techniques" of the little ones they are looking after.
My dd is three and drinks milk from her bottle when she wakes up. I don't really think she wants to be weaned off just yet, it's her time for regressing for 5 minutes, as she's otherwise quite precoscious and independent.

[MonkeyandBabyBoo]

I stopped bottles at 12 months with ds and will do the same next month with DD (when she turns one).

With regards to the nursery, they will do whatever a child needs for comfort etc. Each child is different, has different routines and different methods of comfort - the nursery should be used to this.

[Lolly68]

My DD is 18months and still has her morning and bedtime milk from a bottle and she likes me giving it to her!! Everything else she does food and drink wise she is very independent.

[Diplidophus]

DS1 finally gave up the bottle when he was two and a bit. I had tried many times and failed. We went cold turkey when on holiday and didn't take a bottle with us. It didn't seem to bother him when in a differenet environmnet. However I have just found out thta he was taking milk from a beaker in nursery for many months prior to that - just not at home!

The downside is that he drinks far less milk now.

[suezee]

my ds is 2 in october and he still has his milk in a bottle at night, there is nowt wrong with his teeth and hes a happier baby from having his nite bottle.

[KITTENSOCKS]

I stopped the bedtime bottle when my DS was 21 mths on holiday (forgot to pack one) but the upside was he learned to drink through a straw from a juice carton. He thought this was the best thing ever, so I used to help him hold a beaker with a straw for him to suck up his milk. When we got home we bought some beakers which you can lift a flap and put a straw in the hole to minimise spills. The bottles went to a pregnant friend and were never missed! Bedtime drinks were always given before getting into bed.
My health visitor said it's a good idea to try this sort of thing on holiday as everything is new and different.
Incidentally, he gave up his dummy voluntarily at 16 mths.

[fridayschild]

We have just stopped DS1 from having his morning and bedtime milk in a bottle. He is 4 . DS2 better be paying attention, we have decided to buy no more teats so he is next, aged 2.8. You lot are all doing great!

[lizandlulu]

i am in the same situation. my dd is 2 in october and iam trying to get her off bottles and formula milk. she will drink out of a lidded beaker in the daytime but the nighttime drink always goes down better in a bottle. i have tried various cups and beakers for her milk, but she always ends up faffing about with the spout or lid and not drinking as much, then waking up hungry. at the moment im not too worried about it but just using trial and error with her. someone told me when she was born that everything is a phase and they will grow out of it. my MIL also said 'how many 18year olds do you see drinking out of bottles?' she has a point.

[ClaireBlair]

Well, except that every bottled water and sports water etc comes in a bottle these days so that teenagers are still drinking out of bottles .

My DS is 20 months and still has about 150mls in a bottle at mid morning and before bed. Like others have said, he just won't take nearly as much in a sipper cup or even through a straw. I still give him formula cos he doesn't eat a lot of meat, so feel it is nutritional insurance. I am not concerned about the bottle, he is not lying in bed with it and needing it to go to sleep, he has it out in the lounge before he goes to bed and has stories etc.