MIL thinks I should introduce bottle... at 18 months!

[aikigypsy]

My MIL weaned DH from breast to bottle when he was 18 months old and is after me to do the same with our DD (so she can go to sleep without me there to nurse her down, mostly, I think). I am in no way planning to do this. I'm planning to wean gradually over the course of the next 6 months as DD gets better about eating solid foods etc. I told my MIL that "they" don't recommend starting bottles after about age 6 months. However, when she asked me why I had no good answer.

Now, there are two reasons I can think of for not introducing the bottle at this stage -- bottle feeding to sleep is bad for the child's teeth, and it would be hard to get her to take it, besides which she's well able to drink from a cup, grown-up sippy bottle, etc. However, the argument that it would be difficult (and pointless) to get her to take a bottle isn't the kind of thing thing that would carry much weight with my MIL.

So, can any of you think of any other reasons not to introduce a bottle at this age? I'm just curious, because normally I can come up with lots of reasons for things like this, and this one has me stumped.

I think the reasons you have given already are good enough!

Your reasons are great. Stick with them!

I would either :-

: Just repeat a statement. DD is breastfed she does not need a bottle.

: Tell her even if DD took a bottle, she is still not staying over at your house (if she won't be) OR DD can stay over at your house with EBM in a cup, no need for a bottle (if she will be)

Reason 1: Your DD is YOUR baby. Your MIL has had her turn.

Why do you need to convince her? It's not up to her, so if something doesn't 'carry much weight' it doesn't really matter.

Also it's none of her business how your DD goes to sleep, my MIL - and my own mother too - have no idea what my DS's sleep routine is because it's just not something they need to know!

Thanks for the replies.

MIL really wants DD to stay over at her house, which I don't want to happen until she's quite a bit older. I think that's her main reason for wanting DD to take a bottle. I know I don't need to convince her of anything.

I do wonder, though, what the reasons are for not weaning from breast to bottle after 6 months or so. The only reason I can find on the internet is that most babies will resist taking a bottle at this age.

I never bothered with a bottle because there was just no need - by six months DS could manage a cup, so no horrid teats to try and clean, and thinking ahead it is one less thing to wean him off of later on - giving a bottle beyond six months seems counter-intuitive and hard work, as if there's not enough to do

No, we haven't bothered with bottles either. DD is bf and drinks her milk from a cup when I'm not there.

Why bother fighting to get her to take a bottle just to fight to get her off it later on?

Bottle manufacturers have done a very good job of making us all think that babies need bottles when actually, they don't!

I think the advice is to stop using bottles at a year. So why introduce one now?! They are bad for teeth.jaw development, pooling of fluid in mouth and tooth decay, risk of infection as fiddly to clean. But i think you have said all these already.

My mum has told me to do the same (ds also 18mo). the vast majority of the world manage fine without ever having bottles! i went back to work at 7 months for a bit and ds had a bit of milk in a cup.

I like the comment about mil having had her turn i shall think of this often when mum and mil repeat that bf at this age is ridiculous.

here

Defintiely don't introduce a bottle now!!!

Bottles are bad for teeth which is why they recommend to move onto a cup as soon as possible from a bottle.

Straw cups are good - easy for them to get the liquid out and better for teeth (dental advisor recommended them at my baby group). Some of the baby cups are near impossible to get the liquid out of because of the 'non-spill' valvues.

You can get the straw cups from supermarkets and they can go in the dishwasher.

Forgot to add - bypassed bottles too - went from BF to introducing straw cups at 10 mths. DD did fine and has lovely teeth!