28month old and still on 2 bottles a day, she is fighting to give them up

Flowerbud

My 2 year old has always loved her bottles and i just couldn't let go of them as she enjoyed them so much. Now she is fighting with me any time i suggest that they will be stopping. She has one first thing in the morning when she wakes up and one last thing at night when she goes to bed. I am struggling, is it so bad that she still has them when she enjoys them so much, and if it is, how do i go about weening her off them, i've tried to water it down more so she won't enjoy it as much, should i perserve with this strategy? Her eating is ok but not great and i think if she didn't have the bottles then she might eat more?
Thanks in advance

Moonbeam

Have you tried putting the milk in a nice beaker that she can have instead?

Grawns

Two bottles doesn't sound too bad to me, 500 mls is about what they should be taking but I have the opposite problem. Won't drink milk or formula at all. :eek:

I just hope you're brushing her teeth after the night bottle as you could end up with a bigger problem. If you're worried about ther eating maybe gradually put less in the bottle. A tablespoon less per day.

Plek Trum

I second the statment about minding her teeth. I have seen several children coming into our practice for their first examinations and presenting with extensive caries (decay) due to bottles of milk, especially at bedtime.

Please be aware that milk contains sugars, as does fruit juice etc.
Having to perfrom fillings, extractions on a 3 / 4 year old is as traumatic for the parent, the child and staff.

Maybe google BBTD (Baby bottle tooth decay) for info and help with the weening process. (I would recommend replacing the milk gradually with water - the suckling of the bottle is more a habit and comfort we find than a want for the actual milk).

Best of luck!

Cat Melodeon

I'd focus on getting rid of the morning one first - it should be less traumatic and you can distract her with other 'waking up' activities. You could try and get into a morning exercise routine with things like star jumps, bed-bouncing, big stretches, fun stuff, and afterwards give her a beaker of milk with her breakfast instead of a bottle.

The evening one is more difficult as it's a real comfort. I can only recommend the same as the others - offer a beaker of milk before bedtime, get her to brush her teeth and then give her a bottle of warm water (having gradually watered down the milk until it's just water).

cynder

my boy is 3.5 years and still has 4 bottles a day (he has a speech/compehension delay and possible asd or adhd)

My other boy threw his bottle out a week before his 2nd birthday and lost 1/3 of his weight.

My boy who holding on to his baba is a healthy weight so im not pushing him to give up his bottle, he needs it for comfort as well as his milk. He is starting preschool in september and he wont have it there. Milk is good for kids this time next year i will take the bottle off him if he hasnt given it up he will be 4.5 then.