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Author Topic: 21 month old still takes bottle at bedtime  (Read 5438 times)

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peachespoe

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21 month old still takes bottle at bedtime
« on: June 29, 2010, 03:42:44 am »
Hi. I am not sure if this is the best place to post this, but I couldn't find much info on weaning a bottle from a 21 month old....

DD drinks a sippy cup fine during the day (milk and water), but we have continued giving her a bottle of milk at bedtime, because it has been such a nice part of our bedtime ritual (hold her in our lap and read books, while she has a bottle). She is pretty attached to it and it doesn't really bother me or my DH much if we continue for a while longer, but I know we should probably wean her from it at some point.

What I am wondering is, if we decide to wean her from it soon, should we continue to offer milk in a sippy cup instead, or try to wean the "milk at bedtime" habit all together. I have put off switching to a sippy at bedtime, because I don't feel that it is that different from a bottle so why not just keep using it if she gets comfort from it. So then, I guess what I am asking, is at what point should we stop the "milk at bedtime" habit with a toddler and how do we go about doing that if she is spirited, touchy child who is attached to the habit?

Thanks!!
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Offline Colin Macs Mom

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Re: 21 month old still takes bottle at bedtime
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2010, 18:16:17 pm »
Quote from: peachespoe
at what point should we stop the "milk at bedtime" habit with a toddler

I don't think you need to unless you see it as a problem, or she starts waking at night asking for milk to go back to sleep. As long as you brush her teeth after she finishes, you're fine IMO. But yes it is a good idea to consider changing to a sippy sometime soon.
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Offline brenda2

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Re: 21 month old still takes bottle at bedtime
« Reply #2 on: July 01, 2010, 02:51:08 am »
we switched to a sippy cup for dd1 at 24 mo.  so she was used to having bottles for milk at all times including bedtime and we just switched to sippies of milk at all the same times.  so she still takes and loves her milk at bedtime from a sippy cup and she is almost 3 yo.  we just brush her teeth after and i don't think it is a problem.  now we are moving the milk earlier so she has milk around 7 and bedtime around 8:30. 

curious if other think the milk at bedtime habit needs to be stopped at some point.
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Offline Dree

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Re: 21 month old still takes bottle at bedtime
« Reply #3 on: July 01, 2010, 03:14:32 am »
Bottles need to be stopped. But milk in a sippy cup is okay. My dd is 4yrs old and sometimes like to have a small cup of milk. Sometimes she does not drink it at all. They will wean themselves off when they are ready. Sorta like toilet training. But that is a story for another time...LOL  ;D

Dree  ;)
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Offline nelliestar

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Re: 21 month old still takes bottle at bedtime
« Reply #4 on: July 02, 2010, 12:19:42 pm »
Why do they need to be stopped? If teeth are brushed afterwards. Is it to do with teeth growth? x
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Offline Dree

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Re: 21 month old still takes bottle at bedtime
« Reply #5 on: July 02, 2010, 13:23:51 pm »
Having milk at night is fine as long as you do two things. 1- It in should be in a sippy cup and 2- you should brush their teeth.

Baby bottles (with a nipple) should be weaned by 2yrs old max. If you continue, it does become a habit. I have seen kids still drinking out of their baby bottles at 4yrs old. It isn't good for their teeth.

My ped asked me to wean my dd by 18mths. I did not do it. I waited until she was 2yrs old and did the switch to a sippy cup. I would hold my dd in my arms as she drank her milk and I would read her a story in my rocking chair. We would brush her teeth. Then I would put her to bed.

Dree
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Offline Shiv52

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Re: 21 month old still takes bottle at bedtime
« Reply #6 on: July 02, 2010, 15:29:11 pm »
My DD has never taken a bedtime bottle as i bf but it is not something I considered a problem.  I actually think if its a  comfort item then its not a big deal and it'll be weaned when its ready.

Quote from: Dree on July 02, 2010, 10:23:51 am
Baby bottles (with a nipple) should be weaned by 2yrs old max. If you continue, it does become a habit. I have seen kids still drinking out of their baby bottles at 4yrs old. It isn't good for their teeth.

I don't think this is necessarily true.  I asked my dentist about this recently and he said that bottles and sippies and cups with straws all put the same pressure on teeth.  I was asking about weaning cups with lids to open cups for all drinks just in case you think I was asking random questions!!!  He said for all the time it takes to drink a bottle/lidded cup of milk or water, it will not effect teeth.  He said its 3/4 year olds who have bottles 10 times throughout the day or suck dummies all day long can have issues with their teeth.   One night time bottle of milk will not affect teeth development or placement once they are up.   My dentist was more concered with there being no juice in bottles and brushing teeth after bedtime drink! 

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Offline Tweakster

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Re: 21 month old still takes bottle at bedtime
« Reply #7 on: July 02, 2010, 16:41:21 pm »
We were told there's nothing wrong as long as teeth are brushed after the milk.  It doesn't matter how it's served up - bottle, sippy, open cup.

Finn is only 15+ mths but I suspect that he'll be on a bedtime bottle for a long time.  He loves it and it's his real zoning out time - we all enjoy the bonding that it brings.  I don't think you need to be in a rush really.
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Offline skatty

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Re: 21 month old still takes bottle at bedtime
« Reply #8 on: July 02, 2010, 19:23:27 pm »
Quote from: Shiv52 on July 02, 2010, 12:29:11 pm
I actually think if its a  comfort item then its not a big deal and it'll be weaned when its ready.

I agree :)
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Offline mokey_cat

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Re: 21 month old still takes bottle at bedtime
« Reply #9 on: July 02, 2010, 19:36:18 pm »
I dont see the bedtime bottle as too much of a big deal either.  DD will drink it sometimes, other times she will only have a few oz but its part of her bedtime wind down and tbh, I enjoy that time as we get lovely cuddles.  I am letting her tell me when she does not want it anymore, I think it might be soon but I will keep offering her it until she refuses and then maybe offer her a cup of milk at bedtime or with her dinner.  I brush her teeth right after and she drinks out of a sippy for every other time so I dont see it as too much of a problem.

Quote from: peachespoe on June 29, 2010, 03:42:44 am
but we have continued giving her a bottle of milk at bedtime, because it has been such a nice part of our bedtime ritual (hold her in our lap and read books, while she has a bottle). She is pretty attached to it and it doesn't really bother me or my DH much if we continue for a while longer, but I know we should probably wean her from it at some point.

I also thought I should wean her to a cup at bedtime because people told me to but chose to continue anyway because I feel exactly the same as you since it did not bother us and its such a nice part of the routine.  I would just do what feels right for you.

X
« Last Edit: July 02, 2010, 19:38:19 pm by mokey_cat »
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Offline brenda2

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Re: 21 month old still takes bottle at bedtime
« Reply #10 on: July 03, 2010, 01:59:34 am »
it seems different dentists have different opinions on this - ie what age kids should be weaned from bottles.  a lot of my friends dentists have said 1 year.  my dentist told me to switch her to sippy cup when we first saw him (dd was 21 mo)...i tried and she was not ready so we waited until she was 24 mo and she gave it up willingly and very easily, so she was ready.  we still have cuddles and milk at bedtime during stories only now it's in a sippy.  i don't think this kind of drinking a few sippies of milk during the day makes any difference to their teeth TBH.  i agree with pp who said if your 4 yo is having a dummy and bottles all day long then maybe it's a problem.
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Offline *Liz*

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Re: 21 month old still takes bottle at bedtime
« Reply #11 on: July 03, 2010, 04:32:34 am »
Last few weeks my 22 mo has really started messing about with his bottle. He suddenly doesn't want to snuggle for it and is drinking it up and down like a cup anyway. Amount taken has dropped from 8oz to 2-4oz.

It looks like he is self weaning really. We are going to try taking him out to choose a special milk cup this weekend but I am very close to just ditching them (and I never thought I would be saying this).

So I would say don't fret about it as it seems they really do have a developmental shelf life as well.
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Offline nelliestar

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Re: 21 month old still takes bottle at bedtime
« Reply #12 on: July 03, 2010, 12:20:47 pm »
I feel reassured that we are ok having bedtime bottles for a while yet.....we brush teeth afterwards.

Thank you everyone xxxx

What about you peachespoe? Any thoughts on what you are going to do after reading the above?

Nell xxx
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peachespoe

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Re: 21 month old still takes bottle at bedtime
« Reply #13 on: September 30, 2010, 18:57:36 pm »
I realize that it has been a while since I started this post. I am still on the fence about when to wean the bedtime bottle. What we have done so far is water down the milk so it is 1 part milk to 2 parts water. Then we have been pushing the milk at meal times more. We give it to her in a regular cup (not a sippy) since she loves feeling so grown-up drinking out of a normal cup. I am hoping the milk at meal times will just appeal to her more and may be she will wean herself eventually. So far she still loves the bottle.

Last week I was determined to wean it soon and came up with this plan...We have a new baby across the street so I was going to tell her since she is a big girl now, it is time to give all your bottles to baby Joy. Have her help me wrap up the bottles in a gift bag and bring them over to the new baby. Then the new baby's Mom gives us a gift bag back with an extra special water bottle (I found a great one at a toy store) with a card explaining that this water bottle is to replace DD's bottle at bedtime. That she has grown up so much and no longer needs a bottle.

But this week I am back to thinking we will wait longer before doing this. Maybe after Potty triaining? I am not sure when. I keep going back and forth.
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Re: 21 month old still takes bottle at bedtime
« Reply #14 on: September 30, 2010, 19:15:48 pm »
Quote from: peachespoe on September 30, 2010, 13:57:36 pm
I am hoping the milk at meal times will just appeal to her more and may be she will wean herself eventually. So far she still loves the bottle.

This is our exact scenario.  He loves his bottle.  Only trouble is that he's chewing the ends.  So we keep it short and sweet now, once he's done we take it away.  And we give it downstairs instead of in his room.  Hoping that soon he will just stop wanting it, or he'll just ruin the teats and we can say 'all gone'.
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