When to you take them off the bottle?

[Shoally]

My DS is 14 months old and enjoys his 3 daily bottles.

A friend of mine told me that she weaned her DS off bottles at 12 months as it is bad for their teeth. Instead he drinks his milk from a sippy cup.

I would love to know your thoughts on this as I am not too sure what to do.
:xmastree:

[Mrs Potts]

I agree with your friend. Although, it really is only a worry for the teeth if the child is put to bed with a bottle as the milk can stay in their mouth and cause dental caries.

Moving to a sippy cup is important for speech development too. Also, switching to a cup early on avoids all the stress from having to try to get the bottles off a stubborn and reliant 2 yr old.

Both of my kids moved to a cup at the same time that we swapped formula for cows milk, which was around 12 months. I'll do the same with bub #3 when the time comes as it was so trouble free at that age with the other two.

[NibbleCurlynBub]

DS is almost 3, he still has bottles.

The thing that is bad for teeth is if bub falls asleep with bottle in their mouth, the milk pools and rots teeth.

But neither of mine do that, they drink the bottle and pop their dummy in and nod off.

I honestly don't think it is a problem.

[Electric Rodeo]

My DS is 18months and loves his bedtime bottle...dare I say in his cot too. I have heard all the same things too and whilst it is a concern. I figure since he has it and then plays around in there for a little while banging it against the rails etc it gives time for his saliva to rinse most of the milk awaya dn isn't as bad for him.
Ha ha just my effort at justification.
works for me.

[embryonichappyperson]

I got told years ago with my DS recommended age for taking away bottles is about 1 year. I guess because as they become more older they become more stubborn and the bottle is harder to get rid of. I don't think a kid over 1 really needs a bottle anymore.

My son wasn't finishing his bottles anymore around 11 and half months old so I just chucked out his bottles and formula and put him on cows milk in a sippy cup.

Personally I think toddlers look a bit silly with a bottle hanging out the side of their mouth and they are a bit old for it.

My friend let her 3 year old go to bed with formula every night and his teeth rotted to bits. In place of his baby molars he nows has metal replicas of his original teeth :o Apparently when his adult teeth come through the metal molars will fall out no probs. He had all his other remaining baby teeth capped and whitened. All this came to a grand total of $5000. Now his parents are in debt and I think the moral of the story is: don't let your kid go to bed with a bottle full of sugary drink or formula!

[defa]

My DD is 2 and she still has her bottle just before bed and not in bed..
She is a good sleeper and i not messing with that she can have her bottles till she doesn't want them..

[Mrs Potts]

Personally I think toddlers look a bit silly with a bottle hanging out the side of their mouth and they are a bit old for it.

I'm glad someone else said this. It's exactly how I feel too, but was too scared of flaming to say it!

[Electric Rodeo]

I got told years ago with my DS recommended age for taking away bottles is about 1 year. I guess because as they become more older they become more stubborn and the bottle is harder to get rid of. I don't think a kid over 1 really needs a bottle anymore.

My son wasn't finishing his bottles anymore around 11 and half months old so I just chucked out his bottles and formula and put him on cows milk in a sippy cup.

Personally I think toddlers look a bit silly with a bottle hanging out the side of their mouth and they are a bit old for it.

My friend let her 3 year old go to bed with formula every night and his teeth rotted to bits. In place of his baby molars he nows has metal replicas of his original teeth :o Apparently when his adult teeth come through the metal molars will fall out no probs. He had all his other remaining baby teeth capped and whitened. All this came to a grand total of $5000. Now his parents are in debt and I think the moral of the story is: don't let your kid go to bed with a bottle full of sugary drink or formula!

I need to take some steps to wean him off it. I know the in cot bottle is bad and really should act now. Have known for a while but he has only just started sleeping through due to chronic ear infections so the bottle was a saviour. Now he is sleeping I will change to the sippy cup before bed like I did with DS1 at 12months. Hmmm could be in for an interesting couple of nights;).

[NibbleCurlynBub]

Personally I think toddlers look a bit silly with a bottle hanging out the side of their mouth and they are a bit old for it.
Guess it won't be a problem then, seeing as most take them to bed at night. ;)

[Sunnygal]

DS1 had a bottle until he was about 2 1/2, he easily switched over to a sippy cup, I waited until he was ready...
DS2 never had a bottle and easliy takes a sippy cup...
I think its personal preference and what works for you, if you are happy for your child to have a bottle then leave it! I really don't see much difference between a bottle teat and a sippy cup teat anyway?? One is just more 'socially appropriate' apparently!

[justmum]

My DS still has 2 bottles at 18 mo - I brush his teeth before he goes to bed after he's had them.

We'll be weaning off the midday bottle over the next few weeks - he's getting really attached and wants to take one to bed with him sometimes. Obviously I don't let him, but I do wish I had taken them away a little bit earlier so he hadn't become so attached to them.

[misskittyfantastico]

DD is three and has just now given up her beloved inch of milk in a bottle before bed. She still has a dummy though. I don't think it's the best thing in the world, but we did brush teeth after the bottle...there are worse things I could do (anyone a "Grease" fan:p)

[embryonichappyperson]

Guess it won't be a problem then, seeing as most take them to bed at night.It's still a prob :)

Every time I see a kid with a bottle hanging out of their mouth I tsk to myself but each to their own.

I have said my piece and now I'm exiting this thread.

Have a good one. ;)

[NibbleCurlynBub]

But how would you see them if they're in bed? :confused:

[misskittyfantastico]

It's still a prob :)

Every time I see a kid with a bottle hanging out of their mouth I tsk to myself

Fair enough...I myself tsk at the odd the thing! At least it's not a stubby of EB or a ciggie hanging out of their mouth!:p

[kerrysinead]

My DD has just turned 1 and has a bottle at morning and bedtime and half a bottle in the arvo. Shes not too fussed on sippy cups but is getting there slowly in her own time, so ill start dropping the bottles then. She loves her bedtime bottle though and I think she will for a good while yet, she doesnt go to sleep with it though, i giv her a quick sip of water then her dummy and shes out like a light. Im not too worried about it cos I was talking to her paediatrician about it the other day and he said his son was 3 and still went to bed with a bottle so don't stress! :laughing:

[Lastcenturymum]

A lot depends on the child I think. I weaned my DD1 off bottles at 9 months as I had to wean from B/f at 4 months and just wasn't a fan of bottles and certainly didn't her running around with bottles when a toddler. She never went to bed with them so that wasn't really an issue and was always a good sleeper too. She was good with a cup from 8 months but I know some really like sucking till they are older and I guess if they take a bottle to bed then it becomes a routine/comfort thing for them.

[guerin]

I just wrote a post asking when their babies stopped wanting formula and I think this thread has answered my questions. She is 11 months and it looks like many stop at a year, so perhaps she is just ready to stop now. Should I just stop her and put her onto cows milk or should I wait. I thought 2 years was the optimum or is that just formula companies trying to sell more formula?

[flick82]

DD1 was 10mths. She would still have a cup of milk before bed, but out of a sippy cup. I had to try nearly all of them before I found one that she liked. She only started dinking from a cup at 9mths.

[Electric Rodeo]

I just wrote a post asking when their babies stopped wanting formula and I think this thread has answered my questions. She is 11 months and it looks like many stop at a year, so perhaps she is just ready to stop now. Should I just stop her and put her onto cows milk or should I wait. I thought 2 years was the optimum or is that just formula companies trying to sell more formula?

Think it's the formula companies trying to sell more;)
Whether you wean from a bottle to cup or not at the same time, cow's milk is fine from 12 months on.