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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

We have to get rid of the bottles....

25 replies

BlueBumedFly · 06/04/2010 19:58

DD is almost 3 and is clinging to dear life to her night-time bottle. I know I know, bad relenting mother.

So, in a few weeks she is 3 and the bottle fairly is coming to take her bottles away to the babies.

What is the nicest spouted cup for the transition?

She had dreadful reflux until almost 2 and then weaned badly due to allergies. Milk was the one thing she loved, hence the dependence still.

She has never had a dummy and all other drinks are from normal cups. The night bottle is a complete comfort and her eyes almost roll back in her head when she starts.

Sooooo, help?

OP posts:

hudgebar · 06/04/2010 20:33

I just wonder why it matters if she still likes a bottle - if it's just milk, and just at night, where's the harm? And you are not 'bad' at all.

Original poster

BlueBumedFly · 06/04/2010 20:42

Hudgebar - thanks, you have a very good point.

I guess I think I 'should' as most of my friends toddlers have moved on ages ago and so many books tell you to. She just loves it so much I feel a meanie taking it away. It is just once a day at night and it is just milk.

OP posts:

scarlotti · 06/04/2010 21:09

If you want to wean her off the bottle then go ahead, if you don't then I don't see the rush tbh.
With DS1, we stopped his dummy when he was just over 3. Santa came and took it for the babies, but left a cuddly toy in their place so he still had something to comfort him in bed. I asked what type of toy he'd like, then had to source a cuddly giraffe!
It worked, as he was a big boy and so happy to move to a big boy toy and not use a baby dummy.
Maybe if you went down that route she could just use a cup to drink her milk, whilst cuddling new teddy and having a story?

hudgebar · 06/04/2010 21:10

Well my guilty secret, that I'm not guilty about is that my 7 year old sometimes still has a bottle as does my 4 year old who always does at night - that's why I asked. Does it harm them? Do I care what other kids do? Nope. Don't sweat the small stuff, as they say.

IMoveTheStars · 06/04/2010 21:13

We've just done it with DS this week, he's 2.5yo

Tried loads of cups with different spouts, got him to pick out a special one for milk, explained that we were giving his bottles to babies. Worked for the first night, but then he wanted his bottle back.

Discovered that the thing he likes best is an open cup with a straw in it. Bottles are in the bin, no going back

We did it on Saturday, he's now forgotten all about them. Next nightmare = dummy fairy.

Good luck

wheresmypaddle · 06/04/2010 21:14

My DS still has a bottle of milk morning and night. He loves it it and settles like a dream. He is 3 this month.

He loves his milk from a bottle and gets really upset if I give it in a cup.

I asked our HV about this- she said that the there are 3 main reasons why bottles are discouraged for older babies (never mind preschoolers ).

Its important that they learn to use a spouted and regular cup as this aids development of oral muscles needed for speech.

Drinking from a bottle for some reason is worse for tooth decay than a cup.

Constant use of a bottle can deform the palate- bringing it forward, she called this 'parrot mouth'. However, she said this is from constant use for long periods.

So, although she advised kicking the bottle habit, she also said that provided DS used a cup the rest of the time, cleaned his teeth after using the bottle and only used it for a drink morning and night it was not a problem.

So IMO its not going to do them any major harm and for us it puts him out like a light!!

Original poster

BlueBumedFly · 06/04/2010 21:27

Oh I feel so much better thank so much.

I will be gentle, try to encourage the change with a toy exchange and allow her to choose her new milk cup without traumatizing anyone.

Phew, thanks x

OP posts:

IMoveTheStars · 06/04/2010 22:55

www.mothercare.com/Tommee-Tippee-Natural-Touch-trainer/dp/B001PAD3FI?_encoding=UTF8&

DS liked this kind of cup for a while for milk, it's a silicone spout, so similar feed to a bottle, but has the shape of a cup. Not used this exact one, but might be worth a try?

Our local Tesco sell them, as well as Boots and Toys'r'us

Original poster

BlueBumedFly · 06/04/2010 23:04

Brilliant thank you, that looks good as she uses tommee tippee back to nature bottles - will go to boots tomorrow - many thanks

OP posts:

IMoveTheStars · 06/04/2010 23:06

you're welcome.

ReshapeWhileDamp · 07/04/2010 18:51

Hmm, I've been wondering about this too. DS is just 2 and since christmas, we've swapped the bedtime breastfeed for cow's milk in a normal Tommee Tippee bottle. Works just fine, but I did worry a bit that getting him onto bottles at this late stage was a bit retrograde.

Thanks for that link, Jareth - we might give that spouted cup a go soon.

As for getting rid of the dummies, and the Dummy Fairy, there's a very funny description of a 'bye-bye dummy' party for a three year old in Anne Tyler's Digging To America book!

girlsyearapart · 07/04/2010 19:16

hi bbf couldn't leave a thread by you unposted on!

Didn't really have the bottle problem with dd1 as it was more the opposite.

Did this about a month ago with dd2 though- she has avent bottles and I just put the spout from the magic cup into the avent bottle.

They may stop prescribing her hypoallergenic formula soon so thought we should cut it down. Didn't even bat an eyelid and now only on one bottle a day before bed.

As for the dummy- well I'm considering sourcing one which will match her wedding dress

Original poster

BlueBumedFly · 07/04/2010 20:40

Hi girlsayear! Thank you honey, you are lovely.

Dd has tommee tippee, she did try two new cups tonigh but rejected both after 10 mins or so. She loves to lie down when she has her milk all snuggled under the duvet whilst i read to her, prob our best quality time on the days I work! Will keep trying new cups until i find one she can compromise with - no real rush i guess. She is moving up nursery class next week which will be traumatic as she is so shy so maybe I should wait until she is a bit more settled. I am such a chicken!

Never had a dummy but she does has a skanky pink ragged bunny that she sucks the ears of when stressed (heave).

OP posts:

girlsyearapart · 08/04/2010 06:52

If it's only one a day I wouldn't get too stressed anyway.

With you on the (heave) though- dd1 has a comfort blanket she sucked the corners of, it was absoltuely rancid. In the end we cut the corners off and re hemmed now she just cuddles it instead of sucking.

Original poster

BlueBumedFly · 08/04/2010 23:11

Euw, soggy blanket ends... a bit like soggy rabbit ears. Bleugh.

OP posts:

seeker · 09/04/2010 09:03

One bottle a day is absolutely fine - ignore anyone who tells you different.

zebedeethezebra · 09/04/2010 10:01

There are various people who are wrong here. Giving bottles at night is terrible for the teeth (unless it only has water in) since milk contains sugars that will rot them. As an ex-dentist I have taken out hundreds of toddlers teeth for exactly that reason. So I would be persistant in encouraging your child to give it up.

'fraid I don't know anything about cups though.

seeker · 09/04/2010 10:05

I'm assuming it's bottle followed by toothbrush!

wheresmypaddle · 09/04/2010 11:20

Zebedeethezebra Providing a toddler thoroughly cleans his/her teeth following using a bottle is there still a problem? I would have thought this is the best solution?

kittywise · 09/04/2010 11:25

My 4 year old still has a bottle at night. She knows she is 'too old' but neither of us care. So what does it matter? It gives her comfort and life's far to short to sweat the small stuff .

Original poster

BlueBumedFly · 09/04/2010 12:24

Oh yes, toothbrushing is in place!!

OP posts:

MyMamaToldMe · 09/04/2010 12:35

OP - my DD (23 months) is the same as your DD - loves her night bottle, which totally relaxes her in the same way as your DD. We have also tried swapping for a cup, etc. but she get's so upset that we relented. Anyway, my question is re. toothbrushing. So your DD has her bottle, is all relaxed and then you do her teeth? Is that right? And how does she react? I had no idea about the whole milk before bed = bad teeth until the other day, and am now wondering how on earth I am going to do her teeth after her bottle - so your tips would be most welcome!

TheLadyEvenstar · 09/04/2010 12:44

DS2 is sitting next to me right now with a bottle of milk. he is tired and wants his bottle. Do I have a problem with this? no not at all. he has his bottle as and when he wants it, he is 2yrs old. In fact he only has one cup he will use and that is a noddy mug...hardly able to take that out with us in his buggy!!

wheresmypaddle · 09/04/2010 12:52

Mymamatoldme I had this dilemma with DS- he gets all cosy with stories and a bottle of milk and I was worried about changing the 'mood' with teeth cleaning.

However, it works fine. I keep the mood calm and quiet, use the hall light rather than the bathroom light and we sing a couple of nursery rhymes while he cleans his teeth. He is a little older than your LO and so this time now includes a before bed wee in anticipation of removing his napy at night soon.

I think if you do whatever works for you to keep the mood you should be OK.

Good luck......

Original poster

BlueBumedFly · 09/04/2010 13:18

It works fine, we have books, milk, snuggles then we 'fly fly fly' to the bathroom (she is getting quite heavy for this now but she needs a 'last' wee) fly back, blow out the light, music box on and into bed. However, DD is almost 3, at 2 I used it as a sleepy-maker too....

OP posts:

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