Toddler still has bottle of milk before bed

[pastasaucee]

My 17 month old still has one bottle of formula a day, which he drinks in his bedroom right before bed. It seems to help him wind down and relax before going into his cot.

I’m worried though that he’s too old for bottles and also that it could be damaging his teeth. I don’t brush them after milk as you’re meant to wait 20 minutes apparently, and that would completely disrupt his bedtime routine. Even brushing straight after milk wouldn’t work as he hates having them brushed and would be upset and agitated right before bed, which is not ideal. I’m so reluctant to change things up as he goes down really well like this, but I know I have to for the sake of his teeth more than anything.

Does anyone have any advice on what I can do and how?

You know the answer OP, it's not easy though bit has to be done. We just moved to cows' milk about 14m, it took about 2 nights to adjust but that was it.

That’s the other thing - I tried to switch him onto cow’s milk and he just won’t take it!

We give (hold the cup) a cows milk at night but use a tommee tippee cup and that won’t be so bad on teeth
Could you use that for formula to ease the transition.

I’ve never been against a bottle-
My eldest had a bottle of warm milk before bed until 3- but we always brushed teeth after. You have to switch the routine, if you teeth clean after the attachment to formula might go by itself.

Just start bringing it forward and then phase it out

Instead of a bedtime bottle after bath and teeth, it gets moved to milk in a cup before the bath, then on the sofa etc

You’ll need to phase it out for potty training anyway, so may as well start now so it isn’t too much happening at once

My 2,5 year old will not touch cows milk. He still had a bottle of formula every morning and before bed. There is no way on earth he would not have one, he would screen for hours- he loves his milk. It’s absolutely normal and most of my friends children would still have bottle at this age- but like u said they don’t have to. I will add though that my son is an amazing eater and he eats full breakfast and full huge supper anyway, so the milk doesn’t make him eat less if you get me.

I’m guessing this is just a fight you’ve got to have.
Weening babies/ toddlers is something you have to do and it’s just that you’ve left it a bit longer than most.
It will probably be an awful couple of nights but you’ll get through it.
Bite the bullet and stop.

We switched to cows milk at 12 months which he’d drink happily warm. But then started moving to cool milk in the bottle, then a beaker then cup. He wouldn’t drink the cool milk from the beaker at first but got used to it after a few weeks. We always did teeth afterwards though

We switched to having it in the bath, then cleaned their teeth after they got out. Yes it disrupted bedtime but they got used to it quickly.

@Elisemum

My 2,5 year old will not touch cows milk. He still had a bottle of formula every morning and before bed. There is no way on earth he would not have one, he would screen for hours- he loves his milk. It’s absolutely normal and most of my friends children would still have bottle at this age- but like u said they don’t have to. I will add though that my son is an amazing eater and he eats full breakfast and full huge supper anyway, so the milk doesn’t make him eat less if you get me.

Have you tried phasing to cows milk? 1/4 cows milk 3/4 formula, then half and half, then 3/4 cows milk etc? No toddler has such refined taste buds that they would notice it if done gradually

Then reduce the quantity, and bring the bottles to earlier in the evening

You don’t have to make it a battle, just do things slowly

I weaned mine from formula onto cows milk by gradually mixing cows milk into the formula. Started off with 1oz cows rest formula and over 2 weeks I just slowly increased the amount while they adjusted to the taste. I also found the best cup to replace the bottle was a tommee tippee one from pounand.

The combination of still having a bottle at this age and not brushing teeth after the milk is terrible for his teeth. Just stop giving him the bottle. You will have a few difficult bedtimes and there will be lots of crying but it has to be done. Please don't be one of those parents that wrecks your kid's teeth so that you can have an easy life!

Sippy cup and cow's milk after 12 months here. Year 5 and still the same.

I think one of mine finally ditched the bottle at around age 7...

Do not worry, @pastasaucee. He's in his 30s now and doing just fine...

Mine is nearly 3 and still has a bottle of formula. He will drink cows milk but not at bedtime. It’s a bottle of milk, is it really doing any harm? He’s still a baby really.

He drinks water from a Tommee Tippee free flow cup. I’m concerned giving him milk in the same cup could confuse him! I do want him to keep drinking formula/cow’s milk because it’s a good way to ensure we meet his daily calcium intake. If he absolutely won’t switch to cow’s milk, can I keep making formula for him? I know it’s a hassle and more expensive but I’d rather he had some milk than nothing at all!

Have you tried warming cows milk up?
Buy the same cup but in a different colour

Does he not eat yoghurt or cereal at all?

Have you tried mixing formula with cows milk?

I don’t think at 2.5 he will get unnecessarily confused by using the same cup for different drinks though!

I brush her teeth straight after the bottle of cows milk. Didn't know you had to wait 20 minutes?? 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ But is cows milk better for teeth than formula?

I thought the only thing good for teeth was water.

I was really worried about dropping the pre bed bottle, I think DC1 was about 2.5 at the time. One weekend we went away and I forgot to take the bottle so had no choice but to use a cup instead. I was amazed to see they were not bothered at all.

Have you actually tried a cup OP? It might not be as bad as you think.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/weaning-and-feeding/what-to-feed-young-children/

He only needs 350ml of milk a day. So if he has a bowl of cereal, a yogurt, some cheese and even a tiny glass of milk, a whole bottle of formula really isn’t necessary. It’s a habit.

I wouldn’t worry so much about what he is drinking and how if it’s only for a few minutes I think they get more concerned if they’re holding the bottle in their mouth..
but you have to brush his teeth after. We take the toothbrush into the bedroom and when dd was little did it to elmos toothbrushing song or one by blippi then straight into cot. You will regret not doing it when they’re anaesthetic in hand extracting a tooth from a preschooler, so get that sorted then work out next step.
As an FYI my 3 year old has a bottle of milk still but we put medicine she needs to have in it and quickest way. Her teeth are fine but we always brush as last thing we do then only water after that!

Mine is nearly 3 and still has a bottle of formula. He will drink cows milk but not at bedtime. It’s a bottle of milk, is it really doing any harm? He’s still a baby really.

@Kittyswhiskers what do you do about teeth brushing though?

@lking679 do you have to wait 20 minutes between finishing the milk and brushing teeth or is that not necessary?

He only needs 350ml of milk a day. So if he has a bowl of cereal, a yogurt, some cheese and even a tiny glass of milk, a whole bottle of formula really isn’t necessary. It’s a habit.

It’s the days when he doesn’t have cereal that worry me. Sometimes he has eggs on toast for breakfast instead!