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Original poster

night-time bottle for an almost three year old.

33 replies

lucyellensmum · 11/07/2008 09:28

My DD still has a bottle before she goes off to sleep of a night. She has about 8oz of formula. I have never stopped, i dont know why. She has a healthy diet i think, with plenty of variety. She does not however drink much milk during the day. She likes it but will only drink a bit. Cows milk, i mean. So of a night she has SMA and i am happy about that because she gets all the vitamins from it. But its expensive and probably unnecessary. Last night we gave her cows milk in a bottle and she only took half.

Is that because she didn't like the milk, or is it because it is more fatty so filled her up more?? I think i would struggle to get her to have a pint a day if we didnt do the bottle of a night. I also might struggle to get her to sleep

Any thoughts (apart from the obvious "don't be so PFB )?

OP posts:
fryalot · 11/07/2008 09:29

give her a bottle of three quarters cows milk and a quarter water - see if she prefers that?

Original poster
lucyellensmum · 11/07/2008 09:33

Good idea squonk! also, she doesnt like it cold so i like to warm it up, can i just warm it on the hob or should i boil it and let it cool?

OP posts:
gingerninja · 11/07/2008 09:36

When we moved DD to regular cows we mixed it one ounce cows to seven formula and then gradually altered the ratio until it was all cows milk. It did take a few weeks but it might be easier than a sudden jump to cows milk which isn't as sweet

bubblagirl · 11/07/2008 09:36

i usually put my ds milk in microwave for 45 seconds shake for ages in case any hotspots not normally though at that time just warms it nicely

fryalot · 11/07/2008 09:38

when I've heated cows milk for mine, I've just done it like you would a baby bottle, in a jug.

But if you're watering it down, you could add hot water from the kettle, which may bring it to the right temperature straight away?

desperatehousewifetoo · 11/07/2008 11:58

Is she still having it in a baby bottle?

Dropdeadfred · 11/07/2008 12:01

My dd3 (aged 3) still has warmed milk first thing in the morning and last ting at nioght. She too eats well and is healthy...I don't feel the rush to take away this last vestige of abyhood from her..she loves it and it calms and comforts her...

Seona1973 · 11/07/2008 12:32

they dont need much milk after 1 year - 350mls (approx 12oz) is the minimum required and that includes milk in cereal, in foods, dairy products, etc so they dont need to much (if any) as a drink. My ds (1 1/2) still has milk occasionally before bed but he has it straight from the fridge and drinks it from a lidded beaker before he goes upstairs. I personally didnt want my lo's having bottles much past a year old so any milk they got was drunk from a cup. Full fat cows milk is only about 4% fat so I doubt it is any more fatty or filling than formula. I'd just keep offering the milk and if she wants it she will take it - if she takes less than she takes of the formula then make up the difference through her food.

themildmanneredjanitor · 11/07/2008 12:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

youngbutnotdumb · 11/07/2008 12:39

My DS 2YO uses one of the Avent cups with the valve removed for his bedtime drink. He has had this since around 11 months as I didnt want him drinking from a bottle after a year because of teeth. Am currently trying to get him to use a proper cup for juice instead of the TT flip top straw cup thingy but having no luck!! ARGH. LOL.

Dropdeadfred · 11/07/2008 12:55

my dd3 only drink water in an ordinary 'grown-up' cup during the day...but while she wants her 'bedtime milky' she can have it...i don't care about her age

gingerninja · 11/07/2008 14:39

I agree DDF, I don't think it's a big deal to still have a bedtime bottle at that age. Frankly any age, we've all got quirks

MrsBoo · 11/07/2008 14:45

My DD, still drinks from a bottle if she wants - like when really upset, or very tired.
Frankly I dont mind, if it is comfort for her. She is nearly 5!

ConnorTraceptive · 11/07/2008 14:51

I don't think it matters too much, I expect there are plenty of extended b-feeders who still offer a bedtime feed so no real difference i suppose.

fryalot · 11/07/2008 14:55

I was a bit that my two littlies (just 4 and nearly 3) still drink their night-time milk out of a bottle.

Till I discovered that my friend's boys do too, and they are 6 and nearly 8.

So I'm not at ALL bothered any more

desperatehousewifetoo · 11/07/2008 15:36

Out of interest (genuinely) do any of the children who still use a bottle have speech sound or dental problems?

fryalot · 11/07/2008 15:55

not mine.

If anything, they are advanced in their speech and it is tres understandable.

One of my friend's boys has a bit of a speech impediment, but the speech therapist thinks this is because of his CP so as far as we can tell, he's not affected by a bottle either.

All teeth fine and perfectly formed and lovely.

StealthPolarBear · 11/07/2008 16:06

i was talking to a friend about this today
don't see the problem unless they can only drink out of a bottle (i.e. don't use a cup during the day)
otherwise surely it's personal choice - isn't it?

gingerninja · 11/07/2008 16:21

No she doesn't have any speach problems. Is quite good actually but she's not walking around with it in her mouth all day she uses it to drink her milk and that's it.

The teeth speach thing is if they're using it all the time isn't it, like a dummy?

gingerninja · 11/07/2008 16:22

I spelt speech incorrectly twice there. Sorry, in a rush!

Tommy · 11/07/2008 16:23

DA1 is 6 and still will only have warm milk

We did manage to get him off the Avent beaker though (about 6 months ago )

desperatehousewifetoo · 11/07/2008 16:26

I agree that if the child is only drinking from a bottle it is much more likely to have an adverse affect.

I'm surprised that the much older kids are able to get anything out when drinking from a bottle. Have you ever tried sucking a drink from one? Adults can't do it because we have developed a more mature sucking pattern from that which babies use when sucking from a bottle. Which is why they are not recommended after 1 year.

I'm not judging, I'm sure there are loads of things I do as a mother which would horrify you all!

lizandlulu · 11/07/2008 16:28

i have done the exact same this week, (switching dd, 2.9 to cows milk in the evening) she has always differed in what she drinkd, but didnt seem to notice a difference.
she does have it in a bottle, i am not bothered, i have more important things to worry about than getting her off it just yet.

Original poster
lucyellensmum · 11/07/2008 18:34

I'm certainly not going to lose any sleep about DD having her milk from a bottle at bedtime - she has it cuddled up with DP or myself and it forms part of her bedtime routine. She has drunk from a proper cup during the day for so long as i can remember.

about bottles and speech delay??? That must be why DD has speech delay then because she has been having one bottle a day, at bedtime - d'oh. I always thought it was my bad parenting that caused it! She has never had a dummy though (she didnt want one) but is a thumb sucker when tired.......oh yes, its all coming out now .

I actually don't care if she has a bottle until she is 21 tbh.

OP posts:
lizandlulu · 11/07/2008 18:38

my dd has never had a dummy or any kind of comforter, but she got a dolly a few weeks ago with a dummy in the accesories and has been sucking on that! also is partial to a wine bottle stopper
i cant believe she is nearly 3 and only now wanting a dummy.