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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

how can i get dd off her bottles? Advice needed.

30 replies

dontbitemytoes · 10/11/2008 19:05

hello, dd is 14 months old and LOVES her bottles. she is down to 2x9oz bottles a day, one in morning, one in evening. Until recently she had a dairy intolerance which she has now grown out of, and this week has started taking straight cows milk in her bottles.

I had tried giving her a cup of milk before now, but assumed that she rejected it because it made her formula taste stronger, and it really was a disgusting taste .

for the past couple of days i have tried to get her to drink her milk from a cup, but whenever i give it to her, she takes a swig then signs for bottle and says "bobble". She will literally sob for her milk and I have no idea how to get her to change.

The morning feed takes place at 5am (she is hungry then) so i give her the bottle and she goes back to sleep for an hour or so (as do i) then she'll get up and have a proper breakfast. she is eating fairly well, but really really loves her bottles

What can i do?! Any hints/tips/tried and tested methods appreciated

many thanks.

OP posts:

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Dottoressa · 10/11/2008 19:11

No first-hand help here (I simply ditched the bottles before the DCs could get attached to them!! [meanie emoticon])

However, I have heard it said that a change of scenery can do the trick (take her, e.g. to your mum's for the night, "forget" the bottles, and replace them with a shiny new "magic milk cup"...)

ohdearwhatamess · 10/11/2008 19:12

I would (and did) just go cold turkey with ds1, but then I have a heart of stone . He was offered milk in cups at 12 months old, and nothing else. He didn't drink much for the first couple of days (but wasn't dehydrated). On day 3 he twigged that it was cups or nothing, and started drinking decent amounts from the cups.

seeker · 10/11/2008 19:15

Why do you want to? If she's only having 2 a day I can't see any reason to stop her having them.

Cathpot · 10/11/2008 19:21

I had same problem with DD1 and in fact she didnt actually like milk, she liked bottles, so in the interests of getting milk into her she had a night time bottle of milk until she was well over two. I checked with the dentist and he said he would rather she had the milk than not, and wasnt worried about it. We stopped it when I thought she might be ready to be dry at night and that was the last milk she drank!

DD2 is still on bottles at 20 months largely through laziness as I am picking my battles and she loves the comfort of bottles , the whole being cuddled up (she was bf until 12 months and is still boob obsessed so bottles next best thing) routine of it. Are you doing it because of teeth worries? Does it matter so much at this point? She would probably be more receptive to new cups etc a bit older. I am sure the cold turkey thing would work if she really likes her milk. Sorry, not much practical help but willing to provide the dont beat yourself up viewpoint.....

juuule · 10/11/2008 19:28

Same as seeker. Why do you want to?

Horton · 10/11/2008 19:29

I don't really see why you'd want to, either. Milk is good for her!

Original poster

dontbitemytoes · 10/11/2008 19:31

oh, i thought there were "rules" saying babies shouldn't have bottles after 12 months?! i can't remember why, perhaps it was teeth? really don't worry about it? Excellent. will relax

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 10/11/2008 19:34

have replied on your other thread already re bottles and breastfeeding.

will say it again though, I don't personally think there is any problem with a 14m old having 2 bottles a day.

Original poster

dontbitemytoes · 10/11/2008 19:37

thanks thisisyesterday, i am going to stop worrying

OP posts:

SpacePuppy · 10/11/2008 19:41

My ds will be 3 in two weeks and still has two bottles a day. we decided to buy him a "big boy" bottle/cup type thing for his birthday and see if he will let go of them.

ang22 · 10/11/2008 19:42

my daughter is two and loves her bottles at night time. I am not going to change that till i need her dry at night so i really would not worry at all. plus if she is drinking the milk then surely thats great for her its not like she is drinking fruit juice which is why i think they tell you to stop attwelve months as its bad for teeth.

meandmyjoe · 10/11/2008 20:18

My 15 month old still has 2x 8oz bottles a day, I don't mind but have recently thought about swapping the morning one for a cup. I have no real intention of giving up the bedtime one as it relaxes him and he (and me!) love the cuddles and the quiet time it gives us together. He has his teeth brushed afterwards and always sleeps through so i don't see the problem really. My friend's 3 year old still has a bottle at bedtime and it helps him settle to sleep, if they still eat and sleep well then where's the harm? I think it's entirely up to you but I'd leave it til she's ready. Keep trying with the cup in the mornings so if she rejects it it won't completely cock up bedtime and distress her.

nct73 · 10/11/2008 21:03

DD nearly 2 still has bottle of milk in morning (6oz) and at night (9oz). She has the ones with the free flow teat which is like a big rubber spout. Have tried cup but wails for bottle. I enjoy the morning & evening cuddles with bottle on the sofa so havent been strict to push the issue. She drinks water out of a spouty cup on the go & from an open tumbler at meal times and smoothies through a straw so not worried about development. relax and ignore the tutters who say no bottles after 12 months tho must admit to a silent tut when I see 3/4 year olds drinking juice from baby bottle when out and about.

Dottoressa · 10/11/2008 21:33

It's interesting that some posters question the need to get rid of bottles at this stage. My own feeling was that 12 months was the cut-off point because if we went much beyond that, we might be storing up bottle-addiction problems for the future, and that we might struggle to get rid of them when the DCs were older. I didn't want the DCs to end up being four and still having bottles, but I suppose that's just personal preference. I also dislike cups with lids/spouts and so on (and still dislike seeing older children with those ridiculous baby bottle type things that footballers use), so never bothered with them either. I used to use the lids of the bottles as first cups! But each to their own...

DesperateHousewifeToo · 10/11/2008 21:55

The reason for recommending that babies over the age of 12months do not use bottles any more is that they encourage an immature drinking pattern.

Babies use a forwards and backwards tongue movement to drink from a bottle with a teat.

Drinking from a cup requires children to use a different, mature tongue movement.

That is why us adults have great difficulty drinking anything from a baby's bottle. We have lost that tongue movement pattern.

Perpetuating the immature (forwards and backwards) pattern, through prolonged bottle drinking, is thought to exacerbate dental/speech problems.

I'm not saying anyone is doing anything wrong (before you all flame me, lol) just explaining why the recommendation is 12months.

DesperateHousewifeToo · 10/11/2008 21:58

ps. I eventually went 'cold turkey' with mine. I stopped daytime bottles just after 12months but took a few months longer to build up the courage to do the same at night.

It turned out to be less of a problem than I anticipated, thank goodness

fledtoscotland · 11/11/2008 11:15

totally agree with desperatehousewifetoo but if she's managing a cup during the day, why change it. She's still a baby really

DS1 loves his doidy cup for juice/water but wants a bottle for bedtime (comfort i think). he's 14months as well

LuLuBai · 11/11/2008 12:23

DD is 19 months and has 2 bottles a day. I know we are 'supposed' to ditch the bottles by 12 months but in practice most kids I know of DDs age are still having 3 bottles a day, so I pat myself on the back that we are down to 2!

Cathpot · 11/11/2008 16:58

I think you have to look at your own child, if they are managing fine with a cup and chatting away then dont worry. As for older kids with baby bottle type things - if you mean the cylindrical ones with a pop up lid or spout then why is that bad? They do a practical job ie let you transport drinks without spilling. My nearly four year old is perfectly capable of drinking from whatever I give her but i dont worry about giving her one of her sister's tippy cups if we are out and about as thats often what I have in my bag. I think we make our own lives more difficult by putting pressure on ourselves about what we 'should' be doing, I know I have been very guilty of it with DD1, and its why DD2 is a much calmer experience.

bubblagirl · 11/11/2008 17:15

my son was about 2 before he would eccept a cup with milk in if she enjoys her bottles then dont worry i know children older who still enjoy bottles

my ds is 3.6 and loves his non spill hologram cups bless him im leaving him with them he will drink out of other cups but he loves these

my ds always has to have milk at bedtime and would drink with a cup in the morning but at night he loved his bottle only got these cups as he was old enough to choose some to replace the bottle and as they were new it became a novelty to have these new cups at bedtime and then became the norm

Original poster

dontbitemytoes · 11/11/2008 19:24

thanks all, i will relax about it now, dd can drink from a spouty cup, and a normal cup and chats away fine, so i don't think its hindering her development yet. she can also drink fine from a straw. I will keep an eye on it though and put it on the "to do later" list of things to sort out!

OP posts:

Horton · 11/11/2008 21:42

Wow, if she can drink from a normal cup, that's fantastic. Well, I don't know what's normal but my two year old is only just getting to grips with a normal cup (with loads of spillage).

And my two much younger siblings both had bottles until well over two. No problems with speech or anything of that kind in either case.

FuriousGeorge · 11/11/2008 23:30

It was spring when we were trying to get dd2 off her bottles,so we told her that grandad needed them to feed the lambs with.It was true,as he always has all the old bottles for this purpose.DD2 was thrilled and every time we feed the lambs,she proudly points out her old bottle says that she doesn't need it as she's a big girl,but that the lambs do,becasuse they're babies.

Original poster

dontbitemytoes · 12/11/2008 20:46

Horton, i say can drink from a cup in the loosest sense!! she can pick up a glass and sometimes drinks, sometimes drowns herself before putting the glass down - she is not able to hold a handle and drink from a mug if thats what you thought? (not from a cup without a lid anyway). i have no idea about development and abilities, which is why i'm on mn!! xx

furios george, i wish we had lambs to be able to use that excuse!! it sounds fantastic and idyllic!!

OP posts:

Horton · 12/11/2008 21:33

Oh, phew! Thought you had a genius there for a minute. However, I think my two year old is at the same stage so yours is still doing really well (unless mine is a dunce)!

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