Do you really need 2+ formula?

[chickling]

Nearly 2 yr old still has a 7oz bottle (I know it's terrible but he won't drink it from a cup). I want to wean him off it entirely but feel sort of guilted in by the ads. Does it provide vitamins etc? He only drinks water during the day from a cup. Not fussed on cow's milk or juice. Likes smoothies in a carton and loves yoghurt and cheese. I want to ditch the bottle so should I just slowly cut down the amount or keep trying with the cup? Two Qs really- how to ditch bottle and is 2+ formula any use?

To be honest 2+ formula is not necessary. Full fat cows milk will do just fine and he will get all the vitamins he needs from his diet.

Toddler formula has been invented so that formula milk manufactures can advertise their brand.

If he drinks water from a cup I would just ditch the bottle and give him a drink of cows milk before bed from a cup xx

No need whatsoever for 2 plus powdered milk, what a con. Normal milk is fine, semi ok after 2 yrs as long as they are growing well.

I found a beaker with a straw worked better than a sippy cup, as they weren't used to milk that way - they were used to water in a sippy cup so it seemed weird to have milk in.

TBH, they don't need milk at all, they need drinks and they need a source of calcium, milk is a handy way to kill 2 birds with one stone but milk in itself is not obligatory. My DCs eat cheese and yogurts but don't have much milk as a drink, just a good amount on cereal.

Hi chickling, is he eating proper food and a good variety of food? (He sounds like he eats lots of diary so I think you will be okay without the milk!) If he is, he won't need the formula. Also, don't stress about the bottle, my almost 4-year-old DS1 was drinking from a bottle till he was almost 3 and it was so easy for him to drop it I almost fell off my chair how easy it was. I basically said to him one day that bottles are for babies. He listened, nodded, ask for his milk in a cup as he's a big boy. He didn't drink much of it from a cup. The next day, I did his usual bottle, he drank it for 2 seconds, looked at me and said 'bottles are for babies', gave the bottle to it and that was it. He dropped the two bottles of milk just like that. Since then, he drinks the occasional cup of milk but not regularly but eats loads of yoghurts and cheeses, so not worried! Also, he had his teeth checked recently and they were perfect. :) My DS2 who is 2.3 still drinks from a bottle (one first thing in the morning and one last thing at night) and I'm not that bothered about getting him to stop till he is ready. Probably in a few months...

You don't need 2+ formula (I had no idea it existed tbh).

DD had bottles until she was nearly 2 - they were all bedtime or in the night and one day I decided that was enough. We went out and bought "big girl beakers" and she was fine. As a nice side effect her sleep improved a lot too :)

Thanks for advice. I thought it was a con as it wasn't around yrs ago. Will try warm cow's milk in straw beaker some evening. He doesn't take a bottle to bed and can sleep through without it. I'll not buy another tub after the current one.

my daughters family nurse told her to stop the bottles and formula,once he turned one as its rots the teeth,and to start on cow milk,the full fat kind.The dentist also told her the same thing,and not to use the older child tinned powered milk,as that is bad for the teeth aswell.

It's a con - all 'variations' in formula are a marketing con. It's all just powdered cow's milk.