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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Bottle at bedtime

17 replies

Dash · 26/06/2003 21:21

My Ds is 31 mths, He still has bottle to go to bed with, never had dummy etc to use as a comforter. DD had dummy till 3 yrs old but never a bottle.Don't no wheather to wean him off or wait until he's ready himself. Anybody have any good ideas how to wean him off without him having screaming abdabs?

OP posts:
Cll · 26/06/2003 21:46

Oh please I need this advice too. My dd never took a bottle my ds seems obsessed with his. He used to be fine going down with one and sleeping through, but it's been months now since he's done that. Now he has a bottle after bath and another to go to bed with (that's 16oz) Quite often he'll then scream for more and occasionally when I can't stand any more I'll give in and give him 2oz and that usually shuts him up. Then I've been leaving a bottle in his bed as I can't face the middle of the night sessions, when again he used to scream for more. Last night I left water, and it seemed to work but by 6.40 (the middle of the night to me) he was demanding to get up and have his bottle. Everyone seems to say they should be off bottles by now. But is it such an awful thing? My dh won't do controlled crying and says it's milk and it's good for him, but I worry for his teeth and that he's not learning good sleep habits. But how much does that really matter as long as we get some sleep!!! He's 20 months. All advice welcome

Mog · 26/06/2003 22:07

I've just recently weaned dd who is 24 months off her bedtime bottle, mainly because I was worried about her teeth. What worked for her was changing the bedtime ritual so that we go upstairs now to brush our teeth before bed and that has become her marker instead of the night time feed. It took a couple of nights of her asking but seemed to be relatively painless.

princesspeahead · 26/06/2003 22:18

or you could do it if you are going on holiday - tell them that you have forgotten the bottles at home. they are quite practical little things and will probably accept the change more easily on holiday than they will at home

mmm · 27/06/2003 08:02

As I've written here before, it's a cultural thing. In France people give their children bottles if they want them until they're 5 and that's not hard and fast . I think people in Britain are pretty uptight about seeing children with a bottle hangin g out! It's a personal thing and if it's too much to stop, don't .They all stop eventually.

Lornatoo · 27/06/2003 14:43

I agree with MMM. My son, nearly 3, still takes a bottle going to bed and usually shouts for one in the morning too. I have spent long enough beating myself up about this. But since having my second son I feel differently about everything and more relaxed and I can see that these things dont last forever. He will one day stop, taking his bottle and cuddling his blanket etc. There is no great hurry, he will grow up quick enough with out needing me to push along the proccess. So Stop beating yourself up, give them a break (as well as yourself!)and enjoy the time they are small, soon you will have forgotten all about it. Take care

M2T · 27/06/2003 15:34

THANK GOODNESS!! My ds is 2 today and he still has a bottle for his afternoon nap and bedtime.

miriamw · 27/06/2003 16:12

I have to admit that I'm not even trying to take ds1's bottle from him yet (at 27 months) - it makes our life far easier, I know that he is getting enough milk, and to have a quiet 15-20 minutes first thing in the morning and last thing at night is bliss in my opinion.

I did deliberately wean him off his dummy (fairly painlessly) at around 6 months though. Not sure why I see them differently - I guess the fact that he is getting nutrition is a positive and it does mean that the bottles are limited to just 2x per day (whereas dummy might have been demanded more).

Some of my friends have kept up with their bottle until the age of 4, and dropped it then without too many problems - child is older and can be reasoned with. I'd have to bribe mine which might be even worse for his teeth (and lets face it they are going to lose this set anyway )

Sorry no practical advice other than only do it if you are happy that it is worth it overall - don't feel that some artificial deadline has to be met.

Lornatoo · 27/06/2003 16:13

There you go. It works for him and it works for you. Why beat yourself up trying to change it? But then thats just me. We are all different. I was told, my ds was one, that if he continued to have a bottle he would have a speech impediment. And that from another Mum and Friend! Do what you think best and are happy with and your child will be great! xx

Tinker · 27/06/2003 19:28

Totally agree with being relaxed about this. My daughter didn't have a dummy but had a bottle in the evening well after her 3rd birthday. No speech impediment, never had any dental problems (yet). If it really bothers you, could you set some kind of date ie After your 3rd birthday we'll switch to a cup emphasising the 'big boy' thing? Maybe? But really, if it's good enough for the French to be so laissez-faire that would be good enough for me.

judetheobscure · 27/06/2003 20:56

I was told not to give any drink except water after you have brushed their teeth at night, from the age of about 12 months. If you are worried, why not ask a dentist, or give jasper a shout - she's a mumsnetting dentist I believe.

fio2 · 30/06/2003 11:53

my eldest still has a bottle before bed and she is (dare I say it) 3 and a half.

SamboM · 30/06/2003 12:08

Do you all mean bottles when you say bottles? Stupid sounding question i know, but do you mean just giving milk? My HV told me to wean dd off bottles by 12 months and that she should be drinking everything from a cup by then.

I thought that sounded a bit silly, thought most kids had bottles way beyond a year.

nobby · 30/06/2003 13:08

I've said this before elsewhere - but I caved into pressure and stopped giving my ds a bottle at bedtime at two and a half which he didn't like. Now he refuses all milk from a cup (and a bottle - we eventually tried to backtrack) and only gets some on his cereal. I wish we'd just left him ashe enjoyed his bottle - and just cleaned his teeth afterwards.

Just do it if they like it!

iota · 30/06/2003 13:41

I still give ds2 (22 mth) his bed-time milk in a bottle. If I use a beaker or cup he only drinks an ounce or 2.

Britabroad · 30/06/2003 13:46

My dd had a bottle at bedtime until 4 and ds still has one now at 2 1/2.
Doen't seemed to have done dd any harm she decided with little persuasion to stop it. Her teeth are perfect too.

Tinker · 30/06/2003 18:55

SamboM - I mean a bottle bottle. It was really just a form of comforting whilst she got tired but she wouldn't have drunk as much milk if given in any other container

SamboM · 30/06/2003 19:35

Good, cos I love giving her her bedtime bottle. Will continue and ignore HV who is a cretin anyway!

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