When do you stop bottles?

[MrsHelenBee]

For health reasons, I wasn't able to breast feed my DS beyond the first few weeks, and I was relieved that he not only took well to formula but also seemed to cope with bottles very quickly, and avoid any real wind issues or colic.
He made the move to cow's milk seamlessly at 12 months and has continued to love his bottle, which he now asks for first thing in the morning and last thing at night. He feeds himself and is beautifully behaved on it.
BUT he's 16 months old - is it horrendous that he still has some milk in a bottle 2x day?
He's always been good at drinking water throughout from a sippy cup, and now an ordinary plastic cup, but was very upset when I tried milk from a cup, especially at bed time. Should I be persisting so he drops the bottles? I hate to think I'm encouraging bad habits or holding him back.
Any advice please????

Well, ideally the bottle should also be dropped around the 12 month mark but, if it's a comforter for him and as long as he's not going to sleep with the bottle in his mouth, then maybe leave it a while longer before you wrest it from him?

Personally, I don't think you're encouraging bad habits - he's just using this in the way other children use soothers or BF at particular points.

Two bottles a day is fine, just clean.his teeth.

Two of mine breast fed till three and a half yrs.

Ds4 had a bedtime bottle till.he was three yrs 4mths.

Dd is 23mths and has a bottle morning snd evening, she will grow out of it like her brothers did.

They should have 12oz of milk/dairy products a day. So long as he eats well, is happy and you.clean his teeth i would leave it be, he will grow out of it :)

So long as the bottle is drunk in one go (not walking around with it over an extended period) and you clean teeth after the bottle, I don't think it matters too much.

Thanks MoonlightandRoses, I feel a bit better about it now. In the morning, he cuddles up to me and has his milk, and he does the same with his daddy in the evening. He's always awake when he gets to the end, and has a story and/or cuddles for a while before going to bed.
He's always been so good about going to bed, and he only used a dummy at bed time until around 9 months, then just wasn't bothered about using one any more.
He's very placid and even when he's woken at night, he's not cried since he went through the night without bottles. He just chatters to a teddy and gets himself back to sleep on his own.
I guess his independence and the fact we've never had to intervene meant I assumed he'd just drop it in time too. Although, maybe not in such a long time as this :-/
Think I may have to start being mean-mummy for the first time!

He grew out of other things without any encouragement from us, so I guess I'm a bit surprised he's not dropped his bottle yet.
He's had a toothbrush since he first cut teeth, and we brush his teeth 2x day with him. Having said that, his molars cutting means there are some evnings when his mouth is too sore and he gets incredibly upset just at the sight of it. This is in the minority of evenings though.
He sits with his bottle, always has done (sadly, he doesn't crawl yet and certainly doesn't walk so there's no risk of him walking round with it, which I wouldn't be happy about at all).
Thanks for the feedback peeps!

No, don't think you have to worry about 'mean-mummying' him yet.

Small child here is over 24 months and still won't go to sleep without 'sooooothair'. However, it's only for sleep and I am definitely not planning on getting into any arguments on that one!