DD still drinks from a bottle

[stillusingbottle]

My Dd who is about to turn 3 still drinks from a baby bottle. Does anyone have advice or has been through the same?

I've offered cups and sippy cups since the age of 1. She will sometimes take a tiny sip when prompted but won't drink normally or enough. It doesn't matter if I offer it lots, or take a break. If I let her go thirsty and then offer a cup she won't drink enough (half a cup took her a whole morning) and stays thirsty and gets constipated. I can't let her go thirsty too long because that's abusive imo. I've put lemonade or juice in the cup to make it taste better. I've tried different cups in different colours. We told her if she drinks a whole cup she is allowed to buy a game on the ipad. If she drinks cups for a whole day she can buy any stuffed animal she wants. Still no change.

I'm at my wits end. Any advice?

My dc drank from a bottle til they were much older. It was the only way to get a bed time milk drink down them. No long term effects, they are both fully functioning adults now. Although they do drink water from a sports bottle, which strikes me as an acceptable version of a bottle

ps I wouldn’t start giving a child fizzy or sugary drinks . It can damage their teeth and is empty calories.

if you don't want her to have it then you really need to just bin the bottles and say no more you have tried cups and beakers but caved and don't want her upset which is fair, but she doesn't want to give them up, cut the teat say its broken.

Sports bottles
i went through all the bottles and cups known to mankind - all the colours and characters
sports bottles - the ones where you suck (like the fruit shoot ones) and latter any with a straw we’re the breakthrough
I only offered milk or plain water, and my now teen daughter has no issues with her teeth (bite is ok) - she did had bedtime milk until halfway primary school and used a bedtime bottle until about 3 or 4
also for daytime drinking I just made sure there were always water bottles around so she could have sips whenever, sometimes she was thirsty and drank the whole bottle in one go but more often than not she just took sips here and there all day

Bin the bottles.

Sports cap water bottle is better.

I don't care about upset, I care about her staying alive and healthy. I've hid them away once and she didn't drink, was crying, got constipated, no more wet nappies. I had to get fluids in her so brought them back.

Thank you. I have 't tried a sports bottle yet. Will try one.

get her to pick a couple out £shop do cheap ones

My son would only have milk from a bottle, with the top of the teat cut off for a number of years. He'd hide the bottle from anyone visiting. When I finally stopped it, he stopped drinking milk. Never has since and he's 20 now.

https://www.kleankanteen.co.uk/products/kid-kanteen-sippy-12oz

You do need to get rid really. We were getting nowhere with the softly softy tactic so just went for the dummy fairy story that they had gone to other babies and she didn't need them any more because she was a big girl. I binned them so we couldn't go back on it. We had a few days where she was a bit grumpy about it but then she was over it. I'd just go cold turkey.

Sorry just saw your last post. She won't make herself ill. You need to hold out longer. Use foods to get fluid in if needed eg soup etc.

Nothing wrong with some juice.

If you do change to a sippy type water bottle or a sports bottle, please be aware that black mould can accumulate in the spout even if you only put water in it. I put a travel type mug with water in at night on my bedside table rather than a glass as I am a restless sleeper and have knocked over a glass before! I tend to rinse out the cup every evening when I refill it but unless I use a QTip or tiny bottle brush in the spout, it gets mouldy after a few days.

After I mentioned this to my sister recently, she checked all the sports bottles that my nephew uses and she was horrified to find mould hidden away in the spout of most of them! She is normally OTT with cleaning but thought that just washing them in hot soapy water was sufficient.

We had this problem until baby #2 arrived and within days, when he’d seen the baby drink a bottle loads, it was like he suddenly realised bottles are for babies. He had huge tantrums until I worked out that it was the bottle causing it. If you don’t have a baby obviously that isn’t as easy but maybe getting the message across that babies drink from bottles would work

She won't die of thirst. You're having a battle of wills and she won. If you don't want her to have them bin them.

Don't worry about it

Just get rid of the bottles, only ever offer a cup and don't worry about it. Half a cup of water for a morning is fine, she's 3. Let her listen to her own body, she will probably drink more later to make up for it. Trust her!

@Mamato29192 juice is just sugar water with some vitamins in. It's fine sometimes (as is everything) but yeah, giving juice every day especially to small children is not ideal.

We switched to the Fred and flo beakers after the bottles and then transitioned from their to an open cup during the day. A sports bottle type bottle from sisema for a couple of pound in most supermarkets when we are out of the house. She's 3 and still has the Fred and flo beaker before bed as it's the only way to get her to drink an adequate amount of oat milk into her. She does a rinse of water when she is finished.
We have issues with my daughter not eating enough and with food allergies it is more important that she gets a required amount of oat milk that it is her drinking only from an open cup. We have frequent dentist appointments to monitor her teeth due to severe reflux and he understands the struggle of balancing conflicting needs and has said for her to have as much of her drinks in an open cup as possible. She never has juice and she doesn't have any citrus fruits on the recommendation of the dentist

My son gets it every day not loads and very watered down

How many days did she not drink for?

I would explain to her that bottles are for babies. She isnt a baby anymore. Shes a big girl who wants to grow up big and strong and learn lots of interesting things, etc. So......... the bottles need to be given to the babies. Take the bottles away (put them in the bin when she isnt looking) and give her a lovely new, just for her sippy cup etc. With a present such as a new picture book.

She will cry and make a fuss but it wont be for more than a day or two and she will soon forget the bottles (if you disappear them completely - that way , there is no option and you wont be tempted to give into her).
Giving her lemonade etc is far more abusive to her than a day or two of fuss. When she is thirsty, she will drink.

Make sure that her diet is full of fruit and veggies to help with her not getting "stuck" and she will be fine.

I'd just bin them. You are confusing her by giving her choices. At almost three she can drink from a cup.

You could also try cutting the teats to remove the feeling of sucking. Then gradually cut the teats right down.

I'd never offer juice or lemonade. Wait until she is older.

Have you tried cups with crushed ice in. My kids seemed to think water was much tastier with ice.

I'd get a sports bottle.

If she's not drinking then fruit, veg, homemade ice lollies, jelly etc will help keep her hydrated in the meantime.

You could try making a big fuss about hot chocolate (warm milk with a tiny bit of hot choc powder) and a few marshmallows, take her out for babycino in a cute cup etc.