Bottles...?

Question

I am wondering what anyones opinion is on the right time to take your child off bottles, all together?

My daughter is on cows milk now, but still needs a bottle at night, its like a comfort to her. She even sometimes takes a bottle through the day and at night!! She is a year and a half.

My midwife told me ages ago that a child should not get up through the night after about 4 months!!

Anyway, my question, is when is the right time, or approx age to take a child away from the bottle and use a cup only... She uses a cup as well. thanx

Answer 1

do what makes u and her happy she will come off the bottle when she is ready

Answer 2

It normally is 1 year old i believe. The reason being that the longer you wait the harder it is to do the switch.
So i would advise you to buy a nice beaker that perhaps she could pick herself. Then start by doing the switch in the morning only. Any milk she hasn't drunk put it back in the bottle so that she finishes her drink. After a while she will drink it all out of a cup but be persistent and firm otherwise it won't work. When she is nicely settled with the breakfast feed, you can do the same with the evening.
Drinking out of a cup also helps them to cut down on large amount of milk they can drink. Therefore give your child some milk with his dinner and the rest before going to bed.
The last thing i would add is that it is the milk which is the comfort and not the bottle therefore drinking milk out of a cup will have the same result!!!!!
Good luck

Answer 3

MY daughter is 2 next month and has a bottle of milk through the night . She ask`s for a cup every day but her bottle is still available for her should she want it , she does not have a dummy though and never has since birth , but there is no right or wrong time to wean a baby off a bottle , Each child is different only You and your child will know when the time is right . And tell your midwife that she should stop giving out wrong advice to people .

Answer 4

All children are different. My eldest didn't want a bottle EVER, and my youngest had one until she was three.
The fact that your babe is only 18mths is nothing!! She still is just that- a babe, let her be one.
I'd like to know what midwifery college your midwife went too Lol. To say that children should be sleeping through the night after 4 mths with or without bottles, dummies etc, or for whatever reason, is complete and utter rubbish!!! She either doesn't have children or she gave birth to the saints from heaven themselves- SOME are that lucky, 99% of us are not!!!

All children will give these things up when they are ready and not before, with encouragement in most cases- What harm is a child doing if they still use a bottle or have a dummy at 2 or 3 yrs?

All you do is give it less, preferably without them noticing, or wean bit by bit and explain that they are growing up a bit more now, keep it for bed times and cuddles etc, they will soon loose interest, and if they don't who is it harming. My daughter used to take a bottle to bed till she was 3, it never used to have anything in it and she never used to "suckle" on it, she just used to hold it, soon after she "grew out of it".
So good luck Hun let your babe be a babe and don't worry-
Your not alone :o)

Answer 5

Hi, I don't know when the right time to get rid of the bottles are either, some say 6 months some say 12 months. Ive not long taken it off my daughter think she was 2 yrs and say 3 months. its when you feel ready enough to take that comfort away. she quite happily has milk in a cup now but plays up now and again because she knows i like her to drink some before she goes to bed. Shes been drinking water/juice out of a cup since she was 4 months but just didn't like her milk in it. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

My daughter is 2 now & she used a cup for water at 6 months but still had her milk in bottles until she was one then I used a seperate cup for her cows milk so she got to know which was which. She uses a dummy still & I know first hand how hard it is to remove something which comforts them so if her bottle is a comfort thing your best bet is to replace it during the day with just a cup then maybe give her one at night just until she is used to her milk cup then throw all bottles away & just offer her the cup at bedtime aswell.

Good luck!

Answer 7

honestly your child will give you clues when she's ready, every child is different. My daughter refused her bottle at around 11 months and is on a sippy cup still and she's 2 and a half. If she's still on a bottle and she's about to turn three then there might be a problem, but just do what you think is best. try a soft nipple sippy cup and see if she'll transition to that first.

Answer 8

I think you should let your child wean herself. My daughter is the same age and she uses a cup during the day, but still takes a bottle to bed. I only put warm water in it, milk and juice can cause baby teeth to decay when it sits on them all night. The most important thing is to keep your child happy and healthy.

Answer 9

Don't take the bottle away from her if she still wants it, its a comfort for her. Ignore the midwife she doesn't know your child only you do, my daughter is the same age and still has a bottle after her breakfast and one before she goes to bed, its nothing to worry about they do things in their own time, and when she doesn't want it anymore she will let you know. they don't develop according to a timetable, so if she is still waking up through the night its unlucky for you but it won't last for ever. Don't worry and trust you insticts.

Answer 10

my son is 13months and only just sleeping through the night, I think its nonsense that mothers are told to expect their child to sleep through from such an early age, I spent months tearing my hair out thinking i was doing something wrong.
My son has a bottle when he wakes up in the morning and when he goes to bed. I dont think their is anything wrong with it, if they are drinking water through a cup and only having a bottle at sleep times. Just make sure they dont fall asleep with it on their own, this is bad for their teeth (im sure you already know).

Answer 11

Our son is 19months and still has a bottle of milk at night before he goes to sleep but uses a cup at all other times. I don't see any problem if they still like having a bottle sometimes - I'm sure they will let you know when they don't want it anymore!! As long as they are able to use more 'grown-up' stuff as well I don't think there is any need to worry at all.