Weaning off bottle

jlm29

My 16 mo loves his bedtime bottle. Just loves it! It's funny really, because he was breasfed until 14 mo, and always reluctantly took a bottle, but my milk dried up in pregnancy, so I replaced it with a bottle, which in hindsight might not have been my cleverest moment, but he was a bit traumatised by the sudden loss of his biggest comfort, so I did what we needed to do.
He always fell asleep at the boob, and now he sometimes falls asleep with his bottle, and sometimes he drinks it, and gets himself comfy and nods off. I have been lying on my bed with him while he does this, and then moving him to his cot, where he sleeps fine. Sometimes he sleeps all night, and sometimes not, but that's down to teething lately I think.
He doesnt get any other bottles, he doesn't take a soother, and he drinks water from a cup no problem by day, but I'm wondering should I try and pull the bottles now, although that seems a bit mean. I'm worried about his teeth really, I know he should be brushing his teeth after the bottle (well I should brush them obv!). I'm also a small bit concerned that it will get harder and harder to get it off him as he gets older.
My older boy always had a bottle downstairs and went up to bed awake, so his bottle was removed rather painlessly, probably around this age!
I know it's recommended to get rid of bottles and soothers by one, but in reality, i know very few people who have done this! What has everyone else done?

Anne_cordelia

I wouldn't rush to remove the bottle but I would be concerned about teeth too. So could you give the bottle downstairs and then brush teeth, read story and put him to bed then? I would just change bedtime routine. You could try putting him in the cot awake and staying with him until he falls asleep initially an gradually move to leaving him to drop off himself. Maybe a cot mobile or something might help with music and lights?

jlm29

Anne_cordelia wrote: »

I wouldn't rush to remove the bottle but I would be concerned about teeth too. So could you give the bottle downstairs and then brush teeth, read story and put him to bed then? I would just change bedtime routine. You could try putting him in the cot awake and staying with him until he falls asleep initially an gradually move to leaving him to drop off himself. Maybe a cot mobile or something might help with music and lights?

Thanks, I think I knew the answer really! It's just the nights he falls asleep drinking it that are a problem really, I'm not going to wake him up, ever!!! He goes a bit mental when put into the cot, but I suppose we can work on it!

Anne_cordelia

jlm29 wrote: »

Thanks, I think I knew the answer really! It's just the nights he falls asleep drinking it that are a problem really, I'm not going to wake him up, ever!!! He goes a bit mental when put into the cot, but I suppose we can work on it!

You can pull the bottle to 30mins before bedtime anyways so he won't fall asleep. It's better for teeth to brush 30mins after any food or liquid anyways (except water)

shesty

Hmm....we have a 2.5 year old, she gets a very small bottle in bed, then washes her teeth, and we do stories then.Since she's been potty trained the amount in the bottle has reduced.She wears a nappy at night but won't sleep if it's wet, so we do a couple of ounces of milk only.
I should add at her age she's only too delighted to get back out of the bed and go wash her teeth....prolonging the whole process is her main aim!! We definitely introduced the teeth washing around a year and a few months, and it just became the norm, so maybe just try that....give him his bottle, then up to do teeth??it might happen more naturally after that?

Lucuma

I got rid of bottles at 1 year with my older child and am doing same with my second child now. My sister also did this. So there are people out there that do it! I just think I've enough hassle with soothers I don't want to be trying to wean them off bottles at 2 and 3 years old as well.
The older child seems to have very good teeth so far. We brush them always at night and sometimes in the morning.