To still be giving 21 month old DD a bedtime bottle?

[BearsInMotion]

DD has always loved her milk, but I only realised recently that NHS guidelines are to stop bottles at 12 months . It's part of her bedtime routine and there would be major tantrums if she stopped. Problem is although she happily has water or juice from a sippy cup she refuses milk from one (and refuses cows milk outright). We do clean her teeth after her bottle, but how bad is it?!

[lifehasafunnywayofhelpinguout]

It's all very well professionals giving well meaning and yes well educated advice but they are not there at your D.D's bed time are they and if having a bottle comforts your D.D and prevents tantrums.Then, human nature what are you going to to do give give her a bottle. My D.D still had her bed time bottle until she was nearly 8, so what it worked for me and D.D. She wears a brace now but that's nothing to to do with tooth decay. xx

[ohshitimlate]

DD1 I made her drop the bottle just before 2 because of guidelines. She refused milk ever since and no nighttime cuddles :( Hindsight I wish I'd kept the bottles so she got the calcium etc and I got cuddles

DD2 is 16 months I've switched her to cows milk rather than formula to hopefully get get used to the taste but I'll let her keep the bottle as long as she wants at night. With her I regret stopping bf at 13 months instead!

Maybe if we have DC3 I might get it right

[Donkeyok]

My ds had a night bottle at 4 as long as you sort out teeth, coz of the sugar.

He is 8 now and practically lives on the white stuff

[NeverKnowinglyUnderstood]

bedtime milk has never stopped here, the only thing that has changed is the gradula shift to cups rather than bottles. We made the main shift when they were about 2

[giraffesCantGoGuising]

I see no prob in having it at bedtime with milk.

I know a child who had a bottle at bed time with irnbru in it. Honestly. She had it in her bed at night with her. She brushed her teeth before getting it! She had most of her baby teeth removed under anesthetic as they turned black...apparently this was due to an enamel issue nothing to do with the bottles at all.

[Junebugjr]

Dd1 had a bottle before bed until she was 5, I know, I know. I would only brush her teeth after it though, and she didnt have it during the night. Dd2 was BF so not bothered about bottles, she's 2 an had a cup of warm milk before bed, and has been having that for at least 6 months.

[Raddy]

Mine had them until at least 2.5 and brushed their teeth before.

Both have gleaming white gnashers and not one filling between them (eldest is 15).

[SteamWisher]

Dd is 23 months - she has a BF plus a beaker of milk at bedtime. Ds who's 4 also has a beaker (with a straw) but would be happy with a cup. Really I don't think it matters.

[Thesimplethings]

Plus Ds uses open beakers for all the rest of his drinks.... No sippy cups/ straws.

[Thesimplethings]

Ds 25 months still has his bedtime bottle. He drinks it within ten minutes and then has his teeth brushed, straight up to bed. I can't see the harm in that tbh. It's not as if he had it in bed with him or wakes up through night for more.

[Minnieisthedevilmouse]

Mine is nearly 3. She still has milk and if she wants in a bottle. Couldn't give a flying monkeys about regs on that.

[BoFo]

DS had a bottle till he was 2.4yrs. I was concerned at the time but now, in the scheme of things it really wasn't an issue. I only pressed to give up because I thought the time was right.

The way we gave up the bottles was to pack them all up and take them to the local farm telling him the lambs needed new bottles and he wasn't a baby anymore etc etc.

When DS asked for milk that night I reminded him about the lambs then after a few nights he stopped and was happy with a cup. (I then binned the bag of manky old bottles and rejoiced that I'd never have to wash another one again!

[ElfontheShelfIsWATCHINGYOUTOO]

My DD is 6 and has a night time bottle horror

She has no teeth issues or any other issues and is just fine.

She can drink from a cup normally too, but likes a bottle ( not teat).

[elfycat]

DD1 is 4.7 and still had a bottle at bedtime, as does DD2 (3 next week). Their teeth are fine (shape and condition).

They get comfort from it, especially when ill or tired. I can use it to my advantage to calm down a tantrum or after an upset.

They will drink everything out of open top cups or sports bottles including milk. I'm a bit lazy flexible with everything except safety.

[CuriosityCola]

My little one has just stopped having his night time bottle at 2.5. The teat split. I showed him it was broken and couldn't be fixed. He kissed it goodbye (on my prompting) and then he put it in the bin. He wasn't bothered as there was a logical reason he couldn't have it.

Agree with other posters that it doesn't do any harm. He would down a bottle in seconds. Never be allowed to sleep with it or run around with it in his mouth.

[BlingBang]

I was still doing a pre bedtime BF at just over 2yrs, mostly for comfort. Don't see what this is any different really though at some point you will want to make a move to a cup of milk I suppose.

[HolidayArmadillo]

I bought a new bottle today for DS who is 4 in March. Meh, helps settle him down and signals 'bedtime', he'll stop when he is ready, just like his sister did.

[LimitedEditionLady]

Thing?THINK.

[LimitedEditionLady]

Sometimes you got to just thing really???
Takes him minutes to drink his bottle of essential calcium fuelled moo juice so i doubt hes going to be walking around poking people in the face with horizontal teeth when hes older.

[BearsInMotion]

DD does mess around with it for a while but never sleeps with it and her teeth are always cleaned. Looks like the anecdotal evidence is on our side

[LimitedEditionLady]

My ds is two and a half and still has one for bedtime,he gives it back straight after finishing it and doesnt sleep with it in his mouth so to me how can that damage him?he doesnt have a dummy,i think id worry about that but not a bottle

[ChazDingle]

Ds was still having a bottle at 2 and a half. Only reason we stopped was becuase the teat split and i didn't want to shell out for another but he wasn't actually that bothered (i thought he'd kick up a fuss).

If that hadn't happened i would probably have carried on. Why make life more difficult for yourself than it needs to be.

I remember my little cousins having bottles till at least 4 or 5 at night. They are now at university studying to be doctors and vets, are beautiful girls with lovely teeth so it obviously didn't do them any harm

[5madthings]

rosduk and if a toddler only drank from.a bottle and spent the day carrying a bottle round/sucking from it all day then yes it would be a problem.

but a toddler having a bottle at bedtime and then having teeth cleaned is fine.


its a huge comfort to them and this rush to get them off bottles/dummies etc is a peculiarly british thing as well.