Bottles before bed

[jesslambo88]

Our little boy is 21 months and still has a bottle of whole milk before bed...does anyone else's little ones still have a bottle of milk

We switched to sippy cups for milk at 12 months with all 3, and also started giving milk downstairs before bath at that age too. Took a few days to adjust but then no problems.

Yes 2.5yr old- but brush teeth after

Since being in lock down little one who is 16 nearly 17 months we have stopped milk before bed. She was getting her dinner bath milk then bed so tried it one night without and she slept perfect so wasn't doing anything for her sleep at night as she still slept through we have also go rid off the dummy aswell in this time. The way I seen it was in lockdown anyway so if they nap during the day can catch up on sleep then if the nights are rough! But she has took to both perfect specially the dummy it's been so easy! X

Yes (18months) but phasing out due to dental advice- reducing amount in bottle and introducing milk in a cup before going into the bath.

We have always brushed DD's teeth after her bed time milk ever since she had a tooth and she rarely had milk in the night after that age. We brush her teeth as one of the last things we do before we put her to bed.

Our DD used to fall asleep on us and we gradually transitioned to her going asleep herself in her cotbed too. It worked well for us but did take a few months and DD was a lot younger, we started the process when she was around 8 or 9 months old and by the time she was 1ish she would reliably be put down in her cotbed, sing twinkle twinkle give her a kiss and say good night and leave. I think it sounds like you're doing a good job with that, all children are different. It does stick out to me that it takes him an hour to fall asleep though, do you think he might not be tired enough by bed time? Maybe if you try putting him to bed 30 mins later that might help? Alternatively could he find it distracting that you are in the room and it's actually taking him longer to fall asleep? Rarely DD would get upset if we left but we found if we stayed there it was taking her like an hour to fall asleep, but if we left and let her have a cry she would fall asleep much much quicker say within 15 mins. We think we were providing a distraction for her which was counter productive for her sleep.

My 2 year old doesn't sleep through the night so feel a bit of a fraud giving sleep advice but... I wonder if the 'gradual retreat' tactic would work well in your situation , sounds as though you're half way there so maybe worth looking up.

I don't think there's anything wrong with milk before bed , as pp have said if we wanted a cup of milk or a cup of tea before bed that wouldn't be an issue and I don't think this is any different. The fact that he's stopped feeding to sleep will probably work in your favour when working out his new routine. Good luck!

I know it’s bad.

But my DD is almost 22 months and still having a bottle of formula to go to bed with. It’s a sleep aid for her which isn’t great.

She has to have formula as she has a dairy allergy and won’t drink coconut milk etc.

It’s something I want to sort out soon but I’m quite enjoying getting the sleep right now.

@CantKeepSecrets yes he has a bottle before bed...where do u start ur little ones routine...I don't no if I should give him his milk in a different cup now and start giving it him downstairs with a story etc x

@MeadowHay ye he still has milk in a bottle at the mo...do u give ur little one there milk in there room or downstairs x

@mitsyblue ye I think I may need to change to a cup and give downstairs xxx

@kissmewherethesundontshine this is what my hubby thinks that he will just grow out of it...I think I just worry more if I'm doing the right thing xxx

@GlamGiraffe ye so he has a bottle of whole milk...the last week he's started pointing to his cot and wanting to go in there after his milk...I put him in and leave the room and he gets really upset and starts shouting mama mama mama...he gets really upset and starts heaving/coughing...I don't want him to get into a state before bed...someone advised me to stay in his room till he's settled...I've only been trying for a week so understand it's going to take time but I just don't no what to do for the best xx

@MsChatterbox so each night u would leave it a bit longer before going in and built it up over a few weeks...I've only been trying for a week so far but do I return then stay in the room till he's asleep?? Xxx

My ds is the same age as yours OP and I give him milk in a sippy cup in the living room and brush his teeth on the sofa before heading to his room. You could first of alltry giving him milk in a bottle in the living room and explain to him that he no longer gets his milk in his cot as he is a big boy now etc. Once he has adjusted to that you could then swap to a sippy cup for night time milk. If he wants something to drink in his bed whilst reading a story you could give him water.

I understand what it's like as my ds still has a bottle in the morning but I've removed his dummy at the moment so one battle at a time

@SnowdropFox ye it's taking our little boy around 1 hour to settle...when u started to build the time up would u return to ur little ones room xxx

@Dmt80 no he's always had his bottle of milk on my lap on a chair in his room then I've always put him to bed once he's asleep...over the last week he's started to want to go in his cot after his milk so I've been putting him in but it's taking over and hour for him to settle...if I leave the room he gets really upset xxx

Milk in a bottle is really bad for their teeth. It should be in a cup and then teeth brushed afterwards.

@MeadowHay ye we're taking him up later tonight and trying that...when u leave ur little one when there crying would u return...ye I feel like I'm distracting him to but just don't no what to do for the best...I no I need to change and give him a cup instead but don't want to change to many things yet when we've only been trying to get him to self settle for a week 😐xx

Yes after you return stay in the room with him. He just needs to know you're coming back and will stay. Once he feels confident you will come back he will start to feel safe to fall asleep without you there (or she sorry writing this without Re reading 🤣)

Are people talking a bottle with a teat (a baby bottle) my 3 yo has milk before bed but in a cup.

If you're going to start giving it downstairs I would really recommend continuing with bottle for a little while then switching to a cup. Just so it's not too much change at once!

When he was a baby the routine used to be dressed for bed, bottle, rock to sleep then put in cot.

Now he's a toddler I've switched it to cup of milk downstairs, upstairs to brush teeth and go for a wee (I started this before potty training just to get him used to the toilet) then nappy and pj's, story with him laying in bed and leave room for him to sleep. I used to stay sat next to his bed when he needed that!

22 months bottle on lap in bedroom, teeth done afterwards happy days. Don't worry about it as long as his teeth are brushed their still babies.

It’s fine!

I literally just took bottles away from my daughter on her 3rd birthday but I still give her a 1/3 tome tipped cup of milk before bed - I make sure I clean her teeth after and that she has a wee before sleep. She’s always been a routine baby so she likes to have a little milk first thing, before afternoon nap and before bed. I probably should have taken the bottle away earlier but she loved it and I can’t see the harm!

Until she was about 4.