Bed time bottle part of sleep routine

[SecrectFarleysNibbler]

11mth dd has her bottle of milk as a part of her going to,sleep routine. I realise that while this had worked in past months it shouldn't really continue once her teeth arrive as we will need to brush them before bed. At the moment I play her mobile as she drinks her bottle, as soon as she finishes she rolls over to settle to sleep. I immediately leave and do not go back in. Some nights she cries a bit before self settling. Do you think I should just go cold turkey, give her milk a bit earlier in the eve and then just take her up to bed OR start to reduce the amount until she has none?

[Kiwiinkits]

the milk is probably useful nutritionally for another year or so, so I would continue with the bottle but restrict the amount to 120 - 150mls.
perhaps begin to give her the bottle on the couch with you while you read a book and have a cuddle before bed. She can hold the bottle herself. My DD is just 2 and since she was about your dd's age our routine has been bath, pjs, bottle and story, "T&T" (teeth and toilet/potty), then bed.

Hope that helps?

[ceeveebee]

My DTs are 10 months old and starting getting teeth at 5 months so our routine has been bath, bottle, teeth, story and bed for a while. When I put them in their cots I play lullabies and put mobile on. They settle most nights - maybe 1-2 nights a week one of them might grizzle for 15 mins before dropping off.

[tootiredtothinkofanickname]

I would still give her the milk, as a previous poster said it's good nutritionally, but I would brush her teeth afterwards and then put her to bed. At this age, they can't spit anyway so you can brush her teeth in the bedroom, then "rinse" as much as you can with a wet muslin or flannel. I wouldn't leave her to cry, especially if you make this change in her routine and she doesn't settle with the bottle, but she should get used to it in a week or so. Also, I personally wouldn't cut down on the amount of milk (unless maybe she doesn't eat solids very well), it's a good source of diary and also a comforting habit (I know adults who have a glass of warm milk before bed).

[FeralGirlCambs]

Relatedly, is it ok or ruinous in every way to continue giving milk from a bottle? My DD has all other drinks and breakfast-time milk from beaker but I'm sure the bottle as well as the milk is part of the comfort routine. I guess the question isn't really 'is it evil' (I am pretty sure it's fine) but more 'surely I'm not alone even though official advice is cut all bottles before age 1 or your child will never learn to speak'... She's 15 months. I have a vague idea we'll drop it before age 2. Dropping all other bottles, taking up meals and snacks and other transitions in routine seem to have happened pretty naturally.

[ceeveebee]

Watching this space - I hope it's ok to continue with a bottle for a few more months - my DTs love their bottles and hold them themselves so would make bedtime very tricky if I gave to start getting them to drink from a cup!

[5madthings]

i would continue with the bottle but clean teeth afterwards and i think a bottle of milk before bed (or breastfeed) is fine for ages!

ds2 and ds3 both bfed till almost 4yrs old and ds4 had a bottle of milk before bed until he was 3yrs 5mths, i gradually cut it down from 9oz! to 5oz and then we wnet away on holiday and 'forgot' his bottle, i bought him a special buzz lightyear mug so he could have milk in that but he didnt want to, he does use it to drink water. he was fine giving the bottle up then as he was ready.

dd is 21mths and hasa bottle of 5oz in the morning and then again 5oz before bed, its nice to have a snuggly cuddle as she has her milk and i will continue with it until she is ready to give it up, imo its no different from a bfeed and as two of mine bfed till much older i see that bedtime bottle of milk as the same comfort :)

they all drank water from a cup from 6mths etc and had water during the day but continued to have milk either breast or bottle until much older, as feral said they gradually drop the milk of their own accord.

[tootiredtothinkofanickname]

As it has already been said, drinking from the bottle at bedtime is fine as long as they have their teeth brushed afterwards. I think the advice to drop bottles completely before 1 is to avoid LOs using bottles all day long, as this is really bad for their teeth. However, DS is 19 months and is happy to drink from a beaker at bedtime - we had no drama, I bought him a colourful beaker with drawings of animals on it and he was very happy. This was about 3 months ago, but I had tried once at 13 months and he refused to have any milk, so if he hadn't accepted the beaker I would have continued with the bottle.