Doc says it's time to dump the bedtime bottle

The boys will be 14 mos next week. At our 12 mo wcc (just this week), pedi said to get rid of our bedtime (only) bottle.

The boys are so excited when this bottle comes out. I'm sure it's a comfort thing and more of a cuddle/bonding with Momma & Dada than a hunger thing.

Questions:
Method? Cold Turkey? Slowly dilute w/more & more water?
Were your kiddos hungry? Did they wake early?

Any other thoughts/advice?

 

Hey there!

I was always worried about dropping that last bottle too! When I did it, I dropped it all at once. Replaced it with a quick drink out of a cup right before bed, followed by teeth brushing. They did not wake any earlier.

Good luck! I always found that the things like this that I tended to stress about, usually were no problem, it was the things that I didn't stress about....I was in big trouble with! :hug99:

 

Hi there,

We kept the bedtime bottle until the girls were almost 2 and it wasn't a big deal. They liked it and we continued to have a calm bedtime. We read books and then brushed out teeth and went to bed. If you are fine with it, then don't take it away yet.

Our pedi who really wanted us to get rid of bottles during the day, told us to keep the bedtime one as a comfort for them until they were two. Your kids are still babies and they enjoy it.

When you take it away, they'll be done with it no matter how old they are. Why rush it when they are so young? Many of my friends did the same thing and our kids are all bottle free at 3 and 4 and none the worse for having a bottle until 18 months or 24 months or so. Heck if my girlfriend can bf her 4 year old, my two year olds could have a bottle. Actually we stopped just before 2, but you get the idea. I personally feel that between 2 and 3 most of those "baby" props should be weaned away.

GL with whatever you decide. Many people are very passionate about when to take away the bottle. It is really what you and your children are happy/comfortable with.

 

We replaced the bottle with a sippy of milk. I am paranoid about them waking up hungry at night if they didn't eat much dinner, so I still offer the sippy of warm milk after dinner, after bath and pajamas. We do brush teeth after the cup of milk. We switched to a sippy cup cold turkey and it didn't seem to bother them. They did drink less at first, but now Bea always finishes her cup and Ainsley usually drinks half of it.
Did the pedi say to drop it because they don't need the milk, or because it's a bottle? Just curious.

 

QUOTE(becky5 @ May 6 2007, 03:50 PM) [snapback]245427[/snapback]
Hey there!

I was always worried about dropping that last bottle too! When I did it, I dropped it all at once. Replaced it with a quick drink out of a cup right before bed, followed by teeth brushing. They did not wake any earlier.

Good luck! I always found that the things like this that I tended to stress about, usually were no problem, it was the things that I didn't stress about....I was in big trouble with! :hug99:



I did the same thing. It ended up being no big deal.

 

Can you give them a sippy of warm milk instead? Just pop the milk in the microwave for 20 secs to knock the chill off and see if they will take that instead? Warm milk does something for sleep from what I understand. Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

I went from bottle to sippy cup. Then I was able to get them to stop the bedtime sippy cup soon afterward. I didnt do this though until they were well over 2 yrs old. I know .. bad mommy.

 

I just switched the container from bottle to sippy. I also started offering a yogurt for a snack since they didn't seem to drink as much from the sippy. Still at age 5 they get a yogurt during storytime before teeth brushing and bed.

 

I think that you need to get rid of it when the kids are ready to. In other countries, they dont drop the bottle until 2 or even older. I never did understand the mentality of getting rid of the bottle. My kiddoes just got rid of their bottle 10 days ago. They are 22 months. They were ready. One of the nipples busted on the bottle and I showed it to both of the twins and explained that it was broken and that it was all gone. They have asked for it, but each time I am able to tell them that it is broken and all gone. They understand. If you think that they are ready to let it go, then by all means do it. Do it cold turkey. But if they aren't ready then keep them on it. There isnt any reason not too and I am sure that you could find lots of literature supporting which ever way you decide.

BTW - I just read dfaut's post - I still heat up their milk in the morning and at night for their sippies.

Good Luck.

 

At 18 months we are still doing Nuby cups with milk(switched from bottles to soft top nuby's at 9 months) this is their only soft topped cup of the day.

 

We are still on a bedtime bottle here. I'm sure when we go for their 15 month appt. in 2 weeks we will be told to start thinking about dropping it. I will replace it with a sippy of milk and a small snack. Even my 6 year old still has a small glass of milk and a snack before bed.

 

I got rid of day bottles When they were about 1 or so, and did the sippies. I did give them a night bottle until they were 2 though...they enjoyed it. I did it cold turkey though after they were 2. I had them throw them away so we could be big boys..and they were into it, it was cute.

Now they have milk (watered down a bit) at night. I would wait if your not ready.. No offense to my pedi but she got mad at me for giving them bottles at 11 months! Told me to get them off it...there were small things I kept from her to get away from lecture..I did what I thought was right for my kids within reason... 8P

 

Mine still got their night bottles until 18 months. I was completely stressed out about taking it away, but it was no big deal. We gave them sippies for a couple of months, and then they gave that up easily.

In our situation, my dr wasn't too concerned. My kids part of the bottle & then launched it across the room before settling in to sleep.

 

I too have been wondering at what age you stop the night time bottle. Our sippy/bottle routine varies with each day. For example, tonight they got their night time bottle at 5:30pm then had dinner at 6:30 and then bed at 7:30pm. We do thta probably one or two days a week depending on how fussy they are during the late afternoon early evening. Most of the time though they get dinner at 6:15 and then bottle at 6:45 and then bed after that. They've always slept in till 7am even when their last bottle was at 5pm or so, so I've been wondering when to give up their night time bottle too. Anxious to see the other posts.

 

Thanks, ladies.

We substituted with a Nuby tonight and it was no big deal (although they didn't drink as much).

I agree that it's not a big deal to continue with the bottle. To be honest, I was more stressed out about the process than I was passionate about the principal of making them "grow up" too soon.

Now that I think about it, I won't be sad at all to bid farewell to all those Dr. Brown's bottle parts.

 

I'd cold turkey it and give them a sippy with water right before bed. I was very nervous about getting rid of the bedtime bottle but it was really a piece of cake. They are perfectly happy just having some water before bed. It was really quite painless.

Lily actually likes walking around with the sippy cup of water. I didn't let her walk around with her bottle or a sippy with anything else in it.

 

I got rid of bottles around 13 months or so...that being said I don't see what the big deal is in keeping a bedtime bottle for a while longer.... If they are sleeping with it then that is an issue...but if it's just to drink before bed, and then you brush their teeth then what is the big deal?... Personally, if you fall in this second category, then I say forget the peds advice and do what you are comfortable with... I know I would, especially if it was my last baby... I wouldn't rush it.... My policy...unless the peds specifically ask about it next time, I wouldn't offer information. "Do they use sippy cups now?" Answer: "Yes".... the main issue with bottles is when parents let the kids suck on the bottle all day long or all night long...especially with juice...it can rot their teeth pretty well... some peds just have these textbook standards and never think outside those guidelines....