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Parenting

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Original poster

How did you wean your toddler off the bedtime bottle?

57 replies

Gateau · 07/01/2009 08:45

My DS is 20 months and he seems to love his milk at bedtime. But we just can't wean him off the bottle. From time to time he will take a beaker, but more times than not he pushes it away. Any tips on how to transfer him from bottle to beaker at bedtime? He drinks throughout the day from a beaker.
Second question is, how much daily milk does he need at this age? I'm just wondering if he really needs this last drink or if he is just taking it out of habit and because it's there.

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compo · 07/01/2009 10:07

I think at about 3 I'll be able to reason with her - your a big girl now etc

Original poster

Gateau · 07/01/2009 10:08

I mean progressing onto a cup is aiding his development, IMO.
I feel quite bad/lazy that I haven;t yet helped him to progress. I know other people who cracked it when their LO was 12 months. But everyone's different, I know that.

OP posts:

seeker · 07/01/2009 10:08

Pick your battles, that's what I say!

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mejon · 07/01/2009 10:08

DD (29 months) still has a bottle of milk each morning but for a couple of months she's been having her bedtime milk from a beaker with a free-flow straw on it (got it in Tesco). I originally moved from the bottle as she was tending to be sick after being in bed for a while - I thought that the concentrated sucking on the bottle may have been causing it though I think she was just a little under the weather and the milk itself was the aggravating element. TBH I don't know why I haven't been giving the morning milk in it too - habit probably - I may try tomorrow and see how we go.

seeker · 07/01/2009 10:10

But why does he need to progress? Why is a bed time cup better than a bed time bottle? Presumably he drinks out of cups during the day? I imagine his bed time bottle is a bit like his teddy bear - a warm and cosy part of going to sleep.

Original poster

Gateau · 07/01/2009 10:11

I don't view it as a BATTLE, seeker.
I see it as HELPING him to progress.It's nothing toi do with what other people see; it's what I see.
And I don't know if it is a comfort or even if he needs it. It may just be a habit.

OP posts:

purpleflower · 07/01/2009 10:12

The main reason I wanted rid was because he had started waking in the night for milk and wasn't eating well during the day. As soon as he realised that he couldn't fill himself up on milk at night he started eating well and sleeping through again.

Neeerly3 · 07/01/2009 10:13

gateau, one bottle a day is really no issue and if he's having it in bed, who's to know and who's to comment on how 'awful' it looks?

My two were 2.6 when we 'gave' their bottles to their new cousin who was a baby and needed bottles, and since they were 'big' boys they didn't need a bottle - it took about 3 nights of sobbing at bedtime after having a cup of milk downstairs for them to realise the bottles were gone. Neither have bad teeth or a lisp, but one did have grommets due to glue ear, but that wasn't brought on by having a bottle at bedtime, more that he was 12 weeks prem.

Just make sure your DS brushes his teeth AFTER the bottle.

I think the recommended amount of milk is a pint a day isn't it?

Original poster

Gateau · 07/01/2009 10:14

I got a bottle with a free-slow straw in it, but didn;t like it as you couldn't wash the straw properly.

OP posts:

izzybiz · 07/01/2009 10:15

I'm with seeker on this one.
If it is just one before bed and its not hanging out of his mouth all day, I really don't see a problem.
My Dd is 4 and at school, she still has her bedtime drink in a bottle.
She is not under developed in anyway, its her one comfort, some children have a favourite teddy or blanket to take to bed.

Its at home no one else sees her with it, doesn't harm her or anyone else, no problem in my eyes, she will stop when shes ready.

If I was still giving her a BF every night at 4 we would be applauded!

Neeerly3 · 07/01/2009 10:19

gateau - I was made to feel like you, by various people commenting on my DT's 'still' having bottles at 2 and a half. What they didn't tell me was that their kids although having no bottles or dummies anymore would fuss and mess about at bedtime and it was a ongoing battle every night. Mine would have their bath, get into bed, have bottle, call me, I would go up, supervise teeth brushing and then settle them into bed....all done and dusted by 7.

I am being terribly general there, but my point is, if it WORKS for you as in DS is settled, happy, sleeping when he should sleep, why the need to change? He won't SUFFER from having a bottle for a few more months if thats what it takes.

Far too many "you SHOULD be doing this and SHOULD be doing that" by certain ages these days, just do whats best for you and DS.

Original poster

Gateau · 07/01/2009 10:19

With respect, I'm not looking for people's opinions on whether to wean him off or not.
I'm seeking advice on HOW people weaned their DC off the bottle because it's what I want to do.

OP posts:

GoodGrrrl · 07/01/2009 10:20

i'd tend to agree with seeker- the DC in question is still young, and if they drink from a cup / beaker / whatever the rest of the day, don't worry.

Finding the right beaker is a problem- i tried 5 or 6 with DS1 before i got the right one. When he was comfortably drinking from it all day, i stopped the bottle as an experiment at about 18mths (i think, maybe slightly later) and he was fine.(I thought it would be much harder than it was) With DS2 i was a bit braver, and he also took to a beaker sooner than his brother, so he's stopped his bottle now and he's 14mths.

It is lovely not having to wash fiddly teats and things, but like someone said, it's a bit like a bedtime teddy, isn't it?

GoodGrrrl · 07/01/2009 10:22

Gateau- for the 'how', i just waied until they could drink all day time drinks from a beaker, then just did it one night- took them to bed with a beaker instead. The thought of it was much worse than the reality in my case- they were both ok with it. I think at the worst DS1 looked a bit confused. DS2 didn't care - he loved his milk so much i don't think he cares where it comes from! They both drinks TONS of the stuff.

GoodGrrrl · 07/01/2009 10:22

waited

Original poster

Gateau · 07/01/2009 10:24

Thanks GoodGrrrl.
I wish I had just gone for it like that, but I think I missed the opportunity.

OP posts:

GoodGrrrl · 07/01/2009 10:27

you never know- be brave! i felt like i was slow getting DS1 to drink from a beaker, he was well over 14mths and still drinking everything from a bottle, but he's fine now. Maybe put the bottles away (but don't bin them) and give yourself say 3 nights of trying it. If after 3 nights there's no progress or alot of upset, let them have the bottle and try again in a few weeks?

With the milk amount thing, i think it's about a pint for a 1yr old, but no idea for older. Mine drink pints a day They love the stuff!

Neeerly3 · 07/01/2009 10:27

ok, for the how, we just went cold turkey as both the DT's would throw a hissy fit if offered milk in a beaker. But it's good to have a 'reason' for your DS to think about - do you have any very young babies in your family or friends?

one weekend we were staying at my sisters, her baby was 3 weeks old, so we just ceremoniously gave him the boys bottles, or rather the boys gave him their bottles themselves - I then gave them a cup of milk exclaiming how big they were now to have milk in a cup and off we went up to bed....there was much confusion when they then didn't get bottles after the bath, but like I said before after 3 nights or so of me reinforcing what we had done, they were back to going to bed without a peep.

Umlellala · 07/01/2009 10:29

Was going to choose a special cup with dd (when she could drink well from a cup) but she happily took a NUK first cup we had bought for baby ds when her friend stayed and used her bottle. No problem at al (shewas about2.5)

Dummies on the other hand

Umlellala · 07/01/2009 10:30

PS everyone I know was still doing bedtime/odd bottles at 2.

meandjoe · 07/01/2009 11:58

my 17 month old still has a bottle at bedtime. i really love the quiet, cuddle time it gives us. i get to watch him get all sleepy and he holds my hand and i feel so privilleged that we have that time together at the end of the day, just to appreciate him and tell him how much i love him. i'll be devestated when he gives it up but he seems to love it too.

i hate seeing toddlers drinking juice from bottles all day, loads of kids seem to have them constantly when in the pushchair etc but my ds always has day time drinks in a cup. i am in no hurry to push him to give it up.

LilRedWG · 07/01/2009 12:16

We tried DD picking a special cup - she still refused it so we've given up.

purpleflower · 07/01/2009 12:27

We just went cold turkey. He used the bottle to fall asleep with. The first couple of days were rough. I just made sure I really wore him out during the day. He did cry a bit but only for 3 or 4 nights but DP took his dummy away on the second night which doesn't help and made it longer. We were so scared of what he would do but its been fine. He now gets cuddles to sleep and we sneak out of his room when he drifts off. It takes a little longer but it's nicer because he is using us for comfort not his bottle or dummy.

DaddyJ · 07/01/2009 12:41

Well, we had to wean dd off her last bf before bed (at 2y 3 months)
and we went cold turkey but replaced the wind-down time of bf
with story telling (dw) followed by singing in bed (me).

First three nights she would still ask about the boob,
from then on it was all 'stories and singing, yay!'.

seeker · 07/01/2009 12:42

STILL don't understand why people are so determined to take away little people's bottles!

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