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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To give 18 mo DD bottles of milk?

13 replies

SteviebunsBottrittrundle · 08/07/2016 16:07

I'm hoping someone can advise on this, though I didn't think it was a big deal, I'm a bit worried after some raised eyebrows at nursery.

My 18mo DD still has 3 x bottles per day . One before breakfast, one before nap time and one before bed. I know the guidelines say children should be using a cup from age 1 and I realise this is to do with their teeth. We do brush her teeth in the morning and after her bottle at night which I hope helps a bit.

I could quite easily get rid of the morning bottle (I think) or switch to a cup, so I am planning to do this from tomorrow, but I still find the best way to get her to nap / to bed at night is by giving her a bottle. Is it U to keep doing this and just assume she'll give it up when she's ready, or should I be trying harder to actively wean her off?

When offered a cup at nap time or bed time, she doesn't drink the milk and doesn't seem to relax enough to settle in bed which leads to a stressful bedtime for us both. I just don't know which is the lesser of two evils iyswim - keep the bottle or disrupt her bed time.

Any wise words? TIA

OP posts:

Dizzydodo · 08/07/2016 16:09

My nearly 18 month dd has a bottle at bed time, she was have one in the day about a month ago but I decided to switch to a cup and she responded by not drinking milk in the day anymore! Given her refusal to drink milk from a cup (although I do still offer it most days on the off chance!) I've decided to keep the bedtime bottle for now and she brushes her teeth straight after.

idontlikealdi · 08/07/2016 16:11

We kept the bedtime one until about 20 months but changed the routine so brushed teeth after the bottle. Dentist was happy with that.

Magstermay · 08/07/2016 16:12

My DS had a cup for daytime milk from age 1, but only gave up a bedtime bottle at 2.3 - I tried at 2 but he wasn't having it, at Christmas we left it out for Santa and he wasn't phased at all.
I would try to reduce the bottles if poss during the day, I think the teeth thing is more of a problem if it's a 'prolonged' feed and esp if you don't brush teeth after as they fall asleep. The training cups they have to suck on seem to be just as much of a problem though.

sepa · 08/07/2016 16:14

I'm not at that stage with DD yet but I would think that your DC will give them up when they are ready. A lot of people try to hurry up the growing up process instead of letting them do it at their own speed. DC won't be 25 drinking out of a milk bottle beer bottle maybe so I would say don't worry.

I know 2 people who had dummies till they were 8. Both in their 30s now and don't suck dummies

Original poster

SteviebunsBottrittrundle · 08/07/2016 16:14

Thanks all.

I was sort of wondering that too magster. Some of the cups I have seem just as bad, especially the ones with the straws. Is an open topped cup the only thing which doesn't damage teeth I wonder?

OP posts:

snorepatrol · 08/07/2016 16:15

I did the same with my dd and she dropped bottle feeding herself about 20 months old.
My dd struggled so much with swapping to a cup / beaker and hated them so I'd rather she drank with a bottle than got thirsty using a beaker. Her wees dropped off when I tried using a cup at first.

I tried every beaker going and then tried a straw one day she loved it and never looked back. (It was one of those curly ones and she loved watching the milk come up through the straw) so that may be worth a try too

CitizenErased4 · 08/07/2016 16:19

Nope, not unreasonable in my opinion! My eldest is almost 2 and still has a bottle first thing of a morning and another before bed (we brush teeth afterwards). She loves it, we love the few minutes of cuddles and quiet time and I'm sure she'll stop wanting it at some stage.

I think as long as teeth are being brushed it's not an issue

toffeeboffin · 08/07/2016 16:19

Hmm, DS is 2 and a half and still has a bottle of milk in the morning and at night.

He sleeps through. The bottle chills him out.

What more can I say? Rest of the time he has water from a cup, and obviously no bottles at nursery.

Sassypants82 · 08/07/2016 16:24

My DS 2yrs 2mnts still has two, one at bedtime & one first thing. Teeth are brushed before bedtime bottle.. Also no immediate plans to stop the bottles.

ClopySow · 08/07/2016 16:24

My eldest still had a bed time bottle at 4.

LaurieMarlow · 08/07/2016 16:24

DS just turned two. Still has bottles morning and evening. I dread to think how he'd react if I took it away from him.

We brush teeth afterwards. I must admit I'm not pushing to change it until he's ready.

LBOCS2 · 08/07/2016 16:25

My 3.7yo still has a bottle before bed. It helps her sleep and frankly I'm not messing with anything to do with getting her to sleep.

The majority of my friends who have DC a similar age also give a bottle of milk, unless their DC are dry at night in which case they've (recently) cut them out (DD is dry even with the bottle).

FWIW, I spoke to a SLT about the guidance to cut bottles. She said the majority of the thinking behind it is for those children who are given bottles of juice/milk/water etc all day and spend their time with that in their mouths instead of developing speech skills.

Vanillaradio · 08/07/2016 17:19

I wouldn't worry about it. We tried to switch ds to cup at 1 as guidelines, he screamed his head off although he would have water in a cup . He had two bottles a day first thing and last thing up till just past 2, tried again and he took straight to cup. They do it when they're ready, if you are cleaning teeth it won't hurt at all!

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