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Original poster

2.5 year old still has 3 bottles a day, when did yours stop?

49 replies

Cafeaulait27 · 28/01/2024 08:45

Hi! Our 2.5 year old still has 3 bottles a day, one first thing before breakfast, another after his nap, and another before bed (then brushes his teeth). He drinks water from a water bottle the rest of the time.

we previously tried switching the bottle for the water bottles he loves but he wouldn’t accept milk in it, I guess he loves the comfort of it. We are in a really good nap/sleep routine and as he’s been poorly a lot lately we haven’t attempted again for a while.

we’re going to start by giving him a snack and milk in a cup after his nap today and go from there.

just wondered what’s the norm? I definitely wish I’d attempted it when he was younger and I’m sure it would’ve been much easier.

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Stevesellsshells · 28/01/2024 08:47

No bottles after 1. Has milk in a cup with breakfast and before bed. Likes a glass of milk if we go out to eat dinner. He's 5.

BarbieDangerous · 28/01/2024 08:49

My daughter will be 3 in May and she stopped having multiple bottles a day probably when she was 1.5/2 years old. My son is 21 months old and he hasn’t had multiple bottles in the day for about 6 months.

They’ll have one bottle of milk in the night before bed if I feel like they didn’t eat much dinner and need a little top up but that’s it really

Blondeshavemorefun · 28/01/2024 08:49

No bottles after one but milk in a cup

Think took my daughter a good 4/5 days to take from beaker cup

Milk is sweet and via a tear can damage /rot their teeth

Dentists always advise no bottles after 1 ideally

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Blondeshavemorefun · 28/01/2024 08:50
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tchotchke · 28/01/2024 08:50

Another here that didn’t give bottles after 1. Switched to a cup.

ColdButSunny · 28/01/2024 08:52

Yes, cup after 1 is what we did too. Don't worry if he starts drinking a lot less milk from a cup. As long as he's getting lots of calcium in his diet (cheese, yoghurt, milk on cereal etc) it doesn't matter if he isn't drinking loads of milk.

dementedpixie · 28/01/2024 08:53

Both mine were off bottles from 12-15 months
They had milk in a lidded cup instead

saltnvini · 28/01/2024 08:53

Took to 1 and a half to stop completely. The bottle fairy came and took the bottles away.

Hopingforno2in2024 · 28/01/2024 08:54

DS’ bottles went into the bin on his first birthday. I think you just need to chuck the bottles so there isn’t the option of going back to them

Ihaveoflate · 28/01/2024 08:54

When she turned 1 I think. She may have had a bottle before bed for a few months after that. I don't remember her drinking that much milk at that age.

I'm not an expert, but 2.5 sounds pretty old to be drinking that many bottles of milk. But then, my daughter never had milk before a nap (and she stopped napping at 2) so maybe we're the outlier

newyearnewnothing · 28/01/2024 08:54

No bottles from the day after their 1st birthday.

theduchessofspork · 28/01/2024 08:55

Cup only after 1.

Why are you still giving him 3 bottles?

SnapdragonToadflax · 28/01/2024 08:55

The official advice is to move away from bottles after 1. In reality, most people do it gradually around 14-20 months.

Mine was only having a bottle at bedtime at 1, and we stopped that around 16 months I think. First I put milk in a Tommee Tippee cup (so still an element of sucking), then switched the milk to water, and he wasn't bothered about that so stopped wanting it.

Bottles affect their teeth, so you do need to stop them now.

boomingaround · 28/01/2024 08:56

Mine has a lot of milk still too (at least as much as yours perhaps more) but she has it in a sippy cup. Her favourite cup is actually one with a soft spout (not a teat but not a million miles off the shape) but it's nearly fallen apart with overuse! Is it the amount of milk you're worried about or the bottle itself?

NewYearNameChanger · 28/01/2024 08:58

We moved to sippy cups at around 1. And no need to give anything before bed at this age, especially if you are trying to potty train.

NuffSaidSam · 28/01/2024 08:59

Bottles should go around one.

He doesn't need to be drinking that much milk so I wouldn't worry about him not taking milk from a cup. It's fine for him to get the nutrition he needs from food and just drink water.

lavenderlou · 28/01/2024 09:00

No bottles after 1st birthday. DC1 was dairy and soya intolerant as a baby so continued with prescription formula until she was 2 but had it from a cup.

Scarletttulips · 28/01/2024 09:03

DS’ bottles went into the bin on his first birthday. I think you just need to chuck the bottles so there isn’t the option of going back to them

I have twins and the sight of those bottles in the sink! I also scooped them up and binned them all!

OP you need to make the decision to dump the bottles because your DC doesn’t have the capacity to make that decision.

Blondeshavemorefun · 28/01/2024 09:08

Hopingforno2in2024 · 28/01/2024 08:54

DS’ bottles went into the bin on his first birthday. I think you just need to chuck the bottles so there isn’t the option of going back to them

Same

InTheRainOnATrain · 28/01/2024 09:08

None after 1 really. They don’t need to be drinking huge amounts of milk- milk on cereal, eating cheese and yoghurt is absolutely fine instead. The only reason I’d see to keep going with it past 12 months is if it’s going to cause problems at bedtime but would be looking to wean off ASAP. My eldest was quite attached so she was more like 14 months by time we completely stopped, my youngest was never that bothered so actually stopped at 11 months.

GreatGateauxsby · 28/01/2024 09:09

I’d work on day bottles first.

Our Dd is almost 2 and loves bottles

we dropped morning one first she just got taken down for breakfast we just topped cold turkey and after a week it was fine.
then we reduced the nap bottles after lunch over 2 weeks…so from 180 down to 40ml then stopping
again fine. No real drama.

we tried removing bed bottles and giving a cup and her sleep went to hell in a hand basket… we held out for about 2 months…
it was not a hill I was willing to die on
she gets bottle at 6.30 teeth at 7 now and sleeps like a dream.

no 2 is pending so no changes now but we will try to drop bed bottle in summer

idontlikealdi · 28/01/2024 09:12

Dts went in the bin at 1 as well. Then they refused milk in the morning but would have it in a sippy cup in the evening before going upstairs for teeth / bed.

Gooseysgirl · 28/01/2024 09:14

Hopingforno2in2024 · 28/01/2024 08:54

DS’ bottles went into the bin on his first birthday. I think you just need to chuck the bottles so there isn’t the option of going back to them

We did the exact same!

RadioGaGaRadioGooGoo · 28/01/2024 09:26

Dd is 21 month and she has a bottle at bed time but it's more of a comfort thing, she sleeps really well and I'm really reluctant to change anything just in case it effects her sleep. She has only had the one bottle since she was 1. We will probably get rid of it when she's 2 unless she drops it herself before then

SugarAndSpike · 28/01/2024 09:37

Are you worried about the fact he's addicted to milk or addicted to the bottle?

My DD2.5 is addicted to milk .. only difference is that it's from bf. She feeds from me first thing in the morning (tbh it's my only way to get some more rest in the morning as we kind of dose together.. I'd much rather rise at 6:30 than 5:30!) and then just before bedtime... for comfort. I'd like to stop really.

My other DD stopped bf around 1.5.

It's all just kind of happened this way.