nearly 2 - time to give up that bottle of milk?

[beangrower]

Hi there

I have a great routine for myself and my 23mo DS and he's a lovely happy little guy but I feel guilty that he has a bottle of milk to get off to sleep at naptime (12.30) and bedtime (7.30). I'm aware that this may damage his teeth so have just begun to say no to the bottle. We've tried water etc but he gets very distressed. He even wakes up in the morning asking for his bottle that he'd been denied the night before.

He has a healthy diet in all other respects and is usually v independent and confident but since I've tried to stop the milk he has not been himself and is clingier than usual.

Have I got to stick with it or can I delay until he moves out of his cot (roughly 2.5yo for us I think) and talk to him about being a big boy who has a cup of milk not a bottle?

Thanks for advice.

Hi. I don't think it's a good idea to link stopping the bottle with moving to a bed and personally I'd continue with trying to cut out the bottle (my DD was about 2 as well when she stopped). It's probably best to do in stages - so daytime one first. I'd seen advice about taking them to the shops to buy a new cup to make them excited about drinking from something different. It may take a while but you'll get there. Also FYI where as my DD had been a complete milk monster while she had the bottle she became pretty indifferent to milk once she no longer had the bottle. Given that your DS has a good diet don't worry if he doesn't drink so much milk.

Good luck.

My DD is 20 months and I am planning on stopping her bottles of milk (one first thing and one before bed) when I go on maternity leave end of March. To be honest I think she only likes her bottle as a comfort thing as she gets to sit on my lap and have a cuddle and when anyone else tries she isn't interested in her milk. Or when I have tried to put it in her sippy cup she is not interested. She drinks plenty of water throughout the day so don't think she will miss her milk that much. Also agree about getting a special cup for milk (rather than one used for water/juice etc) as lots of people have recommended that to me.

How a two bottles of milk a day going to damage his teeth?

DS never used his bottle to get to sleep, but did love lying on my lap for a bottle before bed.

He is 23 MO and we switched to a sippy cup at 21 months (the teat from his bottle split and I couldn't be bothered to but a new one! Mean Mummy!)

I found that changing his routine slightly really helped him make the transition. So instead of stories, bottle on my lap, teeth clean and bed we now do:

Bath
Milk in a cup, with stories at the same time (stories are a good distraction I find!)
Teeth
Bed.

Just a tiny change really, but it worked for us! He took a lot less milk at first so we gave him some banana too. He now guzzles a full beaker of milk and is still having the banana!

is there no way you can clean his teeth after the bottle? my elder 3 bfed for years ie till 3 and then ds4 went onto bottles and he had a bottle at bedtime till he was 3yrs 5mths, i gradually cut down the amount that he had but i always cleaned his teeth afterwards.

tbh i think there is nothing wrong with him having a bottle at that age, but i would want to clean his teeth afterwards or at least give him a drink of water afterwards to rinse his mouth a bit?

Why disrupt a happy routine? My DS has 4oz milk in a bottle before bed every night as part of his routine and he is 3yrs 1 month. Pyjamas, bottle, teeth clean, story in bed. I have talked to him about giving up the bottle but he is quite clear he doesn't want to and I see no reason to make him really until he decides to do it himself.

same here anchorwoman ds4 had 4oz at bedtime till 3yrs 5mths, we then went on holiday and 'forgot' his bottle and he never asked for it! when we got home he did (he obviously associated it with home) but i offered milk in his cup as he had had a week without it, he wouldnt have that but went to bed happily so i think he was ready to give it up then :)

So long as you clean his teeth after the bottle (and he's not taking the bottle to bed with him) then it won't be doing much/any tooth damage.

DS2 is 23 months too and nowhere near to wanting to drop his bottles. He has one in the morning and one (or two or three because he is greedy) before bed. I'm going to wait until he no longer wants them TBH, same as DS1. Oh and I have no idea when DS1 dropped his, suffice to say he doesn't still have them at 6

Yes 4madboys we dropped the morning one on camping holiday because we 'forgot' to give him it. The change of routine and being away from home in a totally different environment meant he didn't miss it and then didn't ask for it again. Bed time was a different matter altogether though as wherever we are he asks for it - likes the reassurance I think.

Thanks for advice - I think we just need to adjust and make sure teeth are brushed last thing before bed. Mind you, teeth brushing is currently far from an exact science and toothpaste appears to be more of a treat to eat than brush over teeth!