When do you stop giving bottles? 16month old on 3 a day

[sunshine17]

My DD has 3 bottles of full fat cows milk a day - she normal takes all 9oz (sometimes less at lunchtime).

I give them when she wakes up before breakfast, after her lunch (and just before her afternoon nap) and at bedtime.

The ones before the bedtimes seem to settle her down and to be honest I think I'd struggle getting her down without them.

When do you stop giveing them a bottle?? Should I start to think about stopping the morning one? and just give her breakfast - she get's well over a pint a day what with cereal, yoghurt, cheese etc.

I would start giving her drinks from a cup and reduce the amount - there is no need to give bottles at this age. Does she take anything from a cup?

My dd is nearly 2 and she sometimes has 3 bottles a day. I tend to give her breakfast when we get up but if she gets up at silly o'clock then it is too early for breakfast so she will have a bottle of milk. That is the easiest one to drop.

She is a milk monster and I personally don't think there is anything wrong with having that much, although some may disagree. She also likes her milk before sleep and it helps wind her down I think.

However, I really, really wish I'd binned the bottles ages ago as she goes hysterical if I try to give her milk in a cup and I haven't got the energy to fight her at the moment. I am worried she will be going to school with one at this rate .

I stopped bottles before this but carried on with a nightly one until about 15 months

then moved to a anyway up cup thing

none of them seemed to care as long as they were getting milk

if i were you I would stop morning and lunch and jsut give her a small beaker of milk as a drink

carry on night time for a week or so then change to a sippy cup with no ceremony

does she use sippycups for water during the day?

there might not be a need, but for a lot of DCs, mine included , having a bottle is either the only way to get milk into them or they like the comfort aspect. breastfeeding is encouraged as a comfort and a way of giving milk, until the child is ready to wean or the mother wants to wean, i don;t see the difference with bottles, as long as good dental hygiene is adhered to and the child does not walk around all day sippping from the bottle, IMO

ok i'd dispute that they actually NEED that much milk at this age

they should be eating a varied diet and mine simply wouldnt have been hungry if they had had 3 x 9oz bottles a day

i guess it depends on teh child really, my DD would go for days without a decent meal, with or without a decent amount of milk, if she has milk, she has had something

if you cut down the milk she might eat more?

Mmmm, seems likes in theory I need to reduce bottles it's just a case of how to do it with as little stress as possible to her.

I'm also due in 3 months and if this next one takes as long to bf as she does then I won't have the luxury of feeding her so much.

Quick point - when we talk about 'cups' what do we mean? I always get confused, she has two one that she has to suck the spout quite hard to get water out and doesn't leak (too much if you turn upside down) and another one with those little flip up/down hard spouts that leak when you turn upside down.

we use both

my fave for weaning from a bottle was a little Heinz one - very small, very simple, no valve, easy peasy for them to manage

dd3 used a normal plastic mug from quite a young age tbh

Will try dropping the am one and see how we go. Thanks.

hello, I don't think I need to add much here - I'm just letting you know what we're doing as a comparison

My 13mo DS is still having 3 milks a day, and he only has his morning milk in a bottle still (because its easier frankly - he screams with hunger when he wakes and I need to get it to him fast (I still use formula for morning feed), so he can glug it then drop off again if he wants to (please, please go back to sleep - mummy needs more!))

I started him on the tommee tippee cups (flip up/down hard spouts) with water when he was about 8 months, and gradually replaced his afternoon and evening bottle with this cup. He has cows milk for these feeds and I've also gradually reduced the amount. Probably has about 150ml at the moment for these feeds but sometimes he'll 'ask' for more. I do have to watch him as when he's done he likes to tip any surplus on the floor

I'm going to drop the afternoon milk I think because he doesnt seem that bothered about getting it any more. They give him it at nursery but only if he doesnt want a snack. Then bedtime milk will go. Morning milk will be a necessity for some time methinks...

lol at screaming with hunger

dd3 (now nearly 2) wakes up, looks groggy and then says 'porridge. quickly.'

I don't think the receptacle matters - but it seems like an awful lot of milk to get through. dd3 - 19 months, has 3 bottles a day, but only about 3/4 ounces - at about 5am, before nap and at bedtime. have tried cups etc etc but it gets me nowhere and anything for an easy life. she uses cups through the day and at mealtimes.