When did ye all stop bottles?

cowhands

My daughter is a year and a half and still has 2 bottles of warm cows milk a day. One in the morning and one in the evening before bed. She eats anything and everything during the day does she actually still need these bottles? And while Im on the subject should I replace the bottle with a cup?

part time punk

Interested in this too. Our daughter, also 18 months, has 3 6oz bottles of milk a day. The odd day she only gets 2 and it doesn't seem to bother her. But she loves the one in the morning, has it right when she wakes and we get to doze a bit more! And the evening one is a firm part of the bedtime ritual. It will be hard to change this but if we should then we would. Think bottles should be replaced with sippy cups but we still haven't.

January

My 20 month old is still taking two bottles of cows milk a day, one morning and one evening, sometimes she'll refuse the evening one. She drinks all other drinks from a beaker at the moment, or one of those sports cap bottles.

Moonbeam

I stopped bottles at about 18 months and she drinks from beakers or a normal plastic glass now.

Speak Now

Still lashing them down at 2 and a half

silja

Milk: yes, it's important for young kids, please keep giving milk (in a bottle, glass or whatever).

Bottle: I think you are supposed to reduce bottles after the first year, because especially with juice, the teet means the sugar of the juice stays near the teeth too long. That being said, my 2.5 year olds still have a bottle overnight in bed- sometimes they only drink a little of it, but it helps them sleep through.

Speak Now

silja wrote: »

Milk: yes, it's important for young kids, please keep giving milk (in a bottle, glass or whatever).

Bottle: I think you are supposed to reduce bottles after the first year, because especially with juice, the teet means the sugar of the juice stays near the teeth too long. That being said, my 2.5 year olds still have a bottle overnight in bed- sometimes they only drink a little of it, but it helps them sleep through.

Yeah it's all milk, it's like rearing a calf :pac:

Chuchu

Quick not unrelated Q for you guys... when did you make the switch to cows milk? Dying to do this, our critter is just gone 1, we're now on only the 2 bottles (morn and eve) which has been a great step for us as she's eating much better since we dropped the middle fot he day bottle, but we're still giving formula for the 2 remaining ones... thanks in advance.

jessiejam

My little fella is 2 since July. I had him on the aptimal 1yr plus up until last week, I had tried him with ordinary milk but he didn't take to it. He has been on 2 bottles one in the morning and one a night since about 12 months. All other drinks are from a cup.

I was going to change to the 2yr plus but last week i chanced my arm and gave him cows milk, and low and behold he loves it now once its warm. I'm not bothered about him still having a bottle just morning and night. Its not as if hes walking around trying to talk with it hanging out of his mouth.

Cat Melodeon

My lad is 13 months and now takes his morning and afternoon milk from a cup. We're hanging on to the bedtime one as it makes the routine so much easier (for us). Any juice or water he gets is from the cup. We went through about 6 different cups before finding one he would use. He's getting good at drinking from a normal cup too, although mostly dumps the contents over his head. Have to say he seems a bit young to have dumped the bottle so quickly but he kind of did it himself so I'm not complaining. We also realised last night that we haven't seen him use a soother for about a month - they are available to him but he just doesn't use them any more. Maybe using the bottle less has taken away the need to suck? Don't know, but grand!

Since he turned 12 months we've started to introduce cow's milk - about 1oz cow's milk to 7 oz breastmilk (or obviously formula if you're using it) at the beginning, we're up to 3oz:5oz now. Start slowly - we went a bit gung ho at the start and were rewarded with squirty, vinegary nappies for a week.

Chuchu

were rewarded with squirty, vinegary nappies for a week.

Yuck :eek: !!! Good tip thanks!!!

stovelid

Was of the bottle and on to beaker/cows milk at 1 year-old. .

MrsA

Both off bottles at 14 months, then the younger one got a bit of a bug and saw his bottle and wanted one, so I gave him one, he is now 17 months and has one bottle a day. I hate children over 1.5 having bottles so I will be taking it off him again very soon.

Children don't need cow's milk, as long as they have a balanced diet cow's milk is really only a drink.

Once mine are off bottles they only drink water.

January

My 20 month old was given cows milk at 13 months (finished the box of formula that I had, two bottles a day at that stage).

Hoping to have number 2 off formula by 12 months too.

Toddler milks are full of sugar... not really necessary for a baby if they have a balanced diet...

Nicki123

MrsA wrote: »

Children don't need cow's milk, as long as they have a balanced diet cow's milk is really only a drink.

Once mine are off bottles they only drink water.

I couldn't agree more and it irks me a bit to see people's reactions when I tell them that my little one had never drank milk. She was breastfed up to 12 months and then she only drinks water out of a cup. Under no circumstances will she tolerate milk or formula or juice and at 17 months old she's a healthy and happy little person so I'm not going to push it. We are careful to make sure she gets plenty of calcium from other sources.
So, it's not the end of the world if they wont drink milk.

TheQ47

My 3 children went off the bottles around 2 years old each. My youngest gave her bottle to Santa on Christmas Eve to "give to other children who needed it more". Haven't looked back.

Eldest child gave her bottle to the fairies, and the middle child threw it in the bin herself, with our assistance! Whatever works for you and them.

cynder

My fella is 3 and 8 months and still has a bottle (cold cows milk) on average 2 times a day but sometimes can have 6 a day. I'm in no rush for him to give them up. He only gave his dodo up last week. He is fine and healthy so i don't see the need (and has fine healthy teeth).
Milk is good for him. He drinks squash/fizzy drinks out of cups, glasses, bottles, he does not have a beaker, he loves a nice warm cup of tea with his toast.


To add i breastfed my 1st lady till she was 2.5 (she had chronic tooth decay)and my other boy threw his bottle away 1 week after his 2nd birthday (fine healthy teeth).

Gloomtastic!

Our 4 1/2 year-old still has a bootle every night in bed. Loves it and therefore loves going to bed. His 7 year-old sister decided she didn't want one after her baby teeth fell out at 6 although she will have one very occassionally.

Two perfectly normal kids with perfect teeth who both have no problem going to bed when they're tired. We never have any problem getting babysitters!

cynder

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Our 4 1/2 year-old still has a bootle every night in bed. Loves it and therefore loves going to bed. !

Im sure my guy is going to be the same, he will be 4 at xmas.

annR

Our 2 year old for a long time had bottle only in the morning and at night, she started drinking her milk in the morning out of a cup a few months ago but still takes a very small bottle at night just cos she loves having the bottle. There is a limit to the amount of milk toddlers are supposed to drink because there isn't much iron in milk and you have to make sure they are also eating enough to get iron.

Yawns

My little lad gave it up himself at 8 months. Didn't want milk at all. Still took an odd bottle of water etc till he was 9 months. Then it was beaker of water from there. He has a balanced diet so doesn't need milk.

He's 2 at the moment and now wants out of nappies! During the day we just have him in his pants so he can practise pulling em down and going. Day 3 and only been 2 accidents so far so good going Not too happy with his creche tho, they want him in nappies in the creche until he is fully trained. We tried him in pants, but he doesn't talk to the teachers a lot so he wouldn't tell em when he wants to go liek he does at home. So they put him straight into a nappy No more chances it seems.

But judging how well he's doing during the day it might not be too long before he grasps the whole concept of just going in himself and doing his business

mohawk

Very glad that my 14month old still loves his bottle. He was sick in hospital for a few days and didn't want to eat. He gets two a day.
Milk is very important part of diet until they are at least 2.

Yawns

No it's not.

The most important diet for any child is a well balanced diet. This does not have to include milk as long as the child has a balanced diet.

mohawk

Yawns wrote: »

No it's not.

The most important diet for any child is a well balanced diet. This does not have to include milk as long as the child has a balanced diet.

Of course you can get all your vitamins and minerals from other foods such as veg but, the body absorbs vitamins and minerals easier from animal products then from veg.


So I think I will stick to giving my little man his milk to complement his well balanced diet.

annetted

you can get a plastic drinking cup (think by tomee tippee) with a soft top which is like a bottle and still give warm milk in. good one to use at first as it is not very different from their own bottle. only thing is, our little man use to turn it upside down and soak the bed - its fairly fast flowing. from that we went onto regular drinking cups (there is one you can get it Boots - it black and white print called Cow Cup). like everything with kids, no two are the same so whatever works for you and your family go with that.