Can anyone tell me what 14 month old should be drinking out of?! Been told I’m crazy

[hhhhp]

she has a little beaker for water but still has milk from a Mam bottle? Someone said the other day that this was ‘crazy.’ Is it?! What should I be using?

Whatever they like!

None of mine liked bottles so went from breast to a sippy cup, but plenty of kids use a bottle at that age and whatever makes them happy is the right thing surely.

Absolutely nothing crazy about it and whoever said that needs to butt out.

Mine used the non spill munchkin cups. Agree with pp that it's not a ridiculous age to still have a bottle though.

We stopped using a bottle at around 16 months. Before that we’d introduced the Munchkin no spill cups so now she uses those exclusively. No idea why they’ve called you crazy for doing something perfectly usual!

A free flowing cup, any make or brand. I think it’s better for teeth, a bottle is awful for teeth.

It's only crazy because it means washing a bottle instead of a cup. Your friend possibly uses the word "crazy" with very little provocation. I wouldn't give it any headspace.

Thank you!

@Favouritefruits why is it awful for teeth? Thanks

Mine are now teens so recommendations might have changed, but I though bottles were not advised after 12 months because it can affect teeth.

”Crazy” seems a bit strong, though!

I'm a bit of a believer in letting babies be babies. Around 18 months to two you can try to switch, but a lot will still want to 'nurse'. I think that tooth decay is from what they are given in a bottle and no brushing, rather than there being issues with milk from a bottle. The parents of children's teeth that have rotted/need removing, lie, so research isn't reliable.

Babies are more likely to get cavities in their front teeth if they use a bottle (as it inhibits saliva washing sugars away).

We are using the Munchkin non-spill sippy cups which are pretty near identical to bottles (like most sippy cups) but people call them cups instead of bottles and that makes them feel good about themselves.

Your child is still a tot- they’ll still be seeking comfort from the bottle, as well as hydration. Absolutely no need to remove that comfort now. Nobody would be suggesting stopping breastfeeding at this age, even if it were just for comfort.

I am using sippy cups for milk and non-spill bottles for water.

Literally the same as you, Mam bottle for milk and cup for water.

We’ve just swapped to cows milk but the baby won’t entertain it out of a cup so we’ve stuck to a bottle for now and we’ll gradually start putting the daytime milk in a cup (don’t ask me when 😂). God knows how we’ll get the nighttime bottle off him because it’s part of his little bedtime routine.

But he’ll take his water from a 360 cup no problem.

I remember getting really stressed about this at the time. My 2nd DS hung into his bottle at bedtime until he was 3 my DD who is older wasn't much younger before I could get her to give it up.

To put your mind at ease. Both of them have brilliant straight white teeth and neither of them have had a filling. It may just be good fortune but I wouldn't get too bogged down in the worry (as there are so many concerns and worries when they are young anyway as we know) If they are reluctant to give the bottle up.

They won't be drinking from a bottle as an adult and will make the switch sometime in the next 18 months with a bit of gentle encouragement.

At that age, mine used a bit of everything.

Bedtime/nighttime milk (stopped at 15m) was a bottle, out and about was a sippy cup, or sometimes just a regular sports top type bottle. If at a cafe or at home, sometimes a regular glass. I've even got a picture of my eldest at that age drinking (water obviously) from a champagne glass as it was the closest thing to hand 😂. Often home glassware was the ikea small glasses that are very thick.

She breaks glassware far more now at 6 than 1.

Sorry I meant to add - mine are 14 and 16 now!

We used a bottle until around 16 months, I knew we needed to switch to a cup from around 12 months but it's not like there's a hard and fast cut-off. He was still using the bottle for comfort and to make him sleepy at 14 months. Just do it when you think they're ready, but ideally before they become a bit more aware of what's going on around 18 months.

We had a few of the Tommee Tippee no-spill cups and one Munchkin one which he didn't really 'get' until he was a bit older (and then never favoured). As he got older I just took the lid off the Tomee Tippee ones when we were home, but used them with the lid on for going out as they're convenient. Probably not 100% perfect parenting, but he's now 5, his teeth are fine and he uses normal cups and mugs with ease.

My DS1 would only drink milk from the bottle until he was about 18 months. Sippy cup or open cup for water. Then we had DS2 and he wouldn’t touch a bottle as they were
for babies. Wouldn’t touch milk either after that! Lucky he loves cheese, butter and yoghurt to get his calcium!

Don’t worry, he’ll grow out of it. No rush although it is better for their teeth growth to wean them off bottles after 12 months.

Well depends on what she is drinking!

champagne from champagne saucers or flutes.

shots from shot glasses

whiskey from crystal tumblers etc

gotta teach them early

@hhhhp I’m not sure why it’s so bad, I just remember getting really told off by the health visitor with my first child 😬

We never used bottles but they are bad for teeth long term, as well as hard to stop for some kids- stopping bottles early (as with dummies) is easier before they really know what’s happening.

At 14 months, we used a beaker for water or open top cup (depending on how closely supervised) and then for milk were slowly switching over to a cup. We used a straw cup (moma cup - see if you can find these still, they were amazing). We started with daytime feeds in the straw cup and kept to the bottle for bedtime for a few more months. This was with my bottle fed one. My breastfed one started straight with the beaker/straw cup for milk as wouldn't take a bottle anyway. It's perfectly fine to use a bottle for milk still at 14 months, but do start looking to switch over in the coming months.

Could never get to the bottom of the advice that bottles are bad for teeth. Mine loved their bottles and refused to drink out of cups, so in order to get liquid into them we kept up with bottles for much longer than you OP. I used to hear the teeth advice a lot and beat myself up about it but I figured it was more important that they drink! As long as you clean their teeth at night and don’t give them a bottle after that (unless it’s filled with water) their teeth will be fine. Mine have good healthy teeth despite being reluctant to give up their bottles!

I found the munchkin 360 cup great for teach DS to drink from a cup. Although when weaning onto food I just used a small plastic cup with no lid and he could drink easily from that too, but can't be trusted alone!!

He wasn't overly attached to bottles as he only tended to have 1 max a day at nursery and bf when with me. So I just switched to regular milk in a cup when he was 1, breastfed for another month then stopped that too.

You're not crazy and she def isn't very old for one, but I'd try introducing other cups.

Are you still giving formula, I'd try to move away from that too. It'll make your life easier!

At 18 months I now give him a munchkin straw cup for his milk

Beaker or cup. Never used a bottle of any kind with one child and the other after turning one year. In fact he probably stopped well before then. Not sure I'd label using a bottle a 14 months 'crazy' though.