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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

honestly, when did you child give up the bedtime bottle?

50 replies

pleasethanks · 27/09/2011 19:25

My DD is 1 and she takes a bottle before naps and before bed time at night. She doesn't fall asleep on the bottle, but it certainly relaxes her. I have tried giving her milk from a cup, but she is having none of it and spits it out. Yet happily takes water from a cup. Part of me thinks just go along with the bottle and she will give it up when she is ready, but then the other part of me thinks maybe I should bite the bullet now and get rid.

When did your child give up the bedtime bottle and was it hard?

OP posts:

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Sassles · 27/09/2011 19:31

16 months and still has bottle in morn or night or breastfeed depending on days I work. Not sure either. He tanks 9 ounces!

SharkSkinThing · 27/09/2011 19:35

DS is 14 months, was BF til 10 months, has milk/water in cups all day, but his last milk at night is in a bottle. Also necks about 8 ounces!

I wouldn't worry - my HV said to get rid of the bottle AND the milk but it's a nice bedtime routine for him, and he'll eventually drop the bottle in time. My priority is a smooth path to snooze ville! DS is not a great sleeper, so am giving him what he needs. He hasn't fed at night since 9 months.

In the great scheme of things, I reckon there are bigger things to worry about!!

Tillyscoutsmum · 27/09/2011 19:39

I think DD was probably approaching 3. She was exactly the same - would drink water from a cup but never milk. DS is 21 months and still has his bedtime bottle.

HuwEdwards · 27/09/2011 19:39

Don't know why I clicked on this thread, I can't remember.

Excuse me while I leave

sunnyday123 · 27/09/2011 19:51

18 months when i put her on a cup at bedtime - she just wouldnt drink from a cup but i preferred her to not have it than carry on with bottle - she got loads of dairy through the day anyway.

OnEdge · 27/09/2011 19:52

3rd birthday

Allboxedin · 27/09/2011 19:55

We use beakers now but dd is 23 months and I still give her a beaker before bedtime, However she doesnt eat much either so I like to make sure she is full before bedtime. I don't see what the problem is with it anyway. I still like a cup of hot milk before bed!

Allboxedin · 27/09/2011 19:56

btw - I bought these beaker type bottles from poundland ages ago and they are still going strong. Maybe try something inbetween a bottle and a cup first?

BeeBopBunny · 27/09/2011 20:01

1 year. She was only having a couple of ounces anyway and giving it up was easy. She hardly seemed to notice. I think it would be so much harder now (she's 20mo) as they get so much more aware of everything after 1.

Bouviergirl · 27/09/2011 20:43

Around 3rd birthday. DS loved his bottle and was a real milk-drinker. We tried to stop it before bedtime when he was about 2.5 yo but wasn't having any of it. Around 3yo we just said one day that we couldn't find the bottles, so couldn't have a pre-bed bottle. Didn't really kick up a fuss. Job done! I did worry about his teeth but his first check-up about 2.8 yo didn't show up anything untoward. Yes, ideally we would have weaned him off the bottle much much earlier, but it worked for us and you just go with what gets you through the day and night, and hopefully we have got away with it teeth-wise. Plus, it means DS spent first 3 years of life consuming gallons and gallons of calcium-rich milk! For a long time though, I thought we must be the only people who gave our DC a bottle of milk before bedtime, was sort of my guilty little secret. Should have come out ages ago!

Flisspaps · 27/09/2011 20:50

17mo - same way as sunnyday123 describes. Offered a bottle one night, a cup the next and she wasn't interested. No problem.

sparkleshine · 27/09/2011 20:52

DS gave up his bottles 1 by 1 on his own by 13 months. I think it wasn't long after he turned 1, the daily amount was decreasing, eventually down to 2oz at bedtime so I gave up bothering.
But he took to a beaker really well from around 11 months. He's always been so independant and stubborn that I've had no choice, he's never been a lover of milk anyway.

Gigondas · 27/09/2011 20:53

Dd just done if and is 3 - previous attempts like bouvier didn't work. But bottle fairy came and gave her a present and she has gone to cup with a straw

GwendolineMaryLacey · 27/09/2011 20:53

DD was about 3.4, had a very long affair with the bottle then gave them up of her own free will overnight. No drama, no stress. I'm really glad we let it ride and she gave it up when she was ready. Now she's a thumb sucker but that's another story... :)

Tee2072 · 27/09/2011 20:53

My son is 2.4 and has milk in a bottle 2 - 3 times a day, except when he's at nursery. They manage to give him milk in a beaker.

At home he won't drink it if it's not in a bottle and he has exactly 3 comfort objects; his dummy, his hair and his bottle. I won't take one away.

ClaimedByMe · 27/09/2011 20:54

Between 11 and 12 months for both my dc when the tin of formula run out close to their 1st birthday, i just gave them a cup with cows milk, neither were bothered and drank the milk, ds is 6 now and drinks milk by the pint!

DilysPrice · 27/09/2011 21:01

About a year for both, I switched to Tommee Tippee sippy cups - paranoid about tooth decay.

alana39 · 27/09/2011 21:05

My first 2 were still having 1 bottle at bedtime at 2yo and would drink water from a cup but not milk. I am generally a bit slack on stuff like this so didn't push it but by 2.3 they were both off milk through choice. By the time they started asking for it again they were 2.6ish and bottles had disappeared.

DS3 is nearly 2 and still downs 7oz in one from a bottle so will do the same with him. Completely agree that smooth sleeping is a higher priority.

Tigresswoods · 27/09/2011 22:13

17 months. I know it's a cliche it it just seemed the right time. He was only having the evening one by this time. I gave him a little china cup with warm milk & I think the novelty was enough to make him drink some. This has slowly over 2 months morphed into a beaker of old milk straight from the fridge but available to him 30 mins before bath.

Obviously he doesn't drink as much milk as before but he doesn't wake hungry either. Success as far as I'm concerned.

RedHotPokers · 27/09/2011 22:17

Dd only ever used a bottle once in a blue moon. Bf to 11m and then straight onto cup/beaker for morning/eve milk.

Ds started using a beaker from 12m.

SurprisEs · 27/09/2011 22:18

DD is 2.2 yrs and still has a bottle of milk to
sleep. Doesn't bother me anymore but it did a few weeks ago, the I realised she moved on from other stuff when she was ready so I'd take the same relaxed approach with this.
Today was the first time ever she had milk from a cup (afternoon snack) an it was really good to see se was soo pleased and kept saying "dicious mummy, dicious" meaning delicious. So I think she'll let go of it soon.

Rubyabcd · 28/09/2011 12:25

My 15m dd still has bedtime bottle and takes full 11oz.

kenobi · 28/09/2011 12:31

I have been meaning to ask this for ages as, like Surprises it was bothering me. DD is 21 months and loves her bedtime bottle, seemed mean to deprive her when she gets so much relaxation from it but I know you're 'supposed' to drop it by 1 year. She doesn't wake at night looking for it. Might just gently keep going...

4madboys · 28/09/2011 12:38

first three were bfed and gave up between 18mths and almost 4yrs!

ds4 was bottlefed and he just stopped his bedtime bottle this summer, he was 3 in a march, so was 3 and a half ish when he stopped, we went away on holiday and were late getting there and he went to bed without having his milk, that week he didnt ask for his milk so we didnt give it. when we got back home he did ask, we said he could have some milk in his buzz lightyear mg, but he refused. he asks occasionally (mainly because he sees dd, 9mths having her milk in a bottle) we always just offer him some in a mug and he always says no and then goes to bed fine, he still sucks his thumb and has his blankets for comfort :)

Dirtydishesmakemesad · 28/09/2011 15:23

I stopped breastfeeding at aroudn a year but my dd still has a beaker of milk (she wouldnt take a bottle otherwise it would have been a bottle i think). she is 14 months now I think its a nice way to end the evening.

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