16 Month Old Still on Bottle - APO,AE

My daughter was still on the bottle at 2.5. I don't think you need to worry too much yet. When you do wean him, remember you are taking away something that is comforting and familiar and give him some time to get over it. He will get over it, but it will be hard.

I don't agree with taking a bottle away at 1 year old - why must we do this when we are encouraged to breastfeed until 2 or even later? Just try and bush his teeth a couple times a day and let him have his bottle a little longer (as long as he isn't running around with it in his mouth all day). Let babies be babies, they grow up too fast as it is. I used to use the Walmart bottles that are like $1 each and I don't think they leaked, but I put the NUK nipples in them - depends what yuor little guy likes.

No, he doesn't have to be off the bottle. There are lots of children out there still nursing at this age and on bottles at this age. Whether he gets his milk out of a tippy cup or a bottle is not any different. I discussed this with our pediatric dentist. He said of course most people want to wean their children to a cup and that's good but if the child needs to suck they need to suck. What's your child going to suck if they don't have a bottle? A thumb? A corner of a blanket? A toy? Give the child some time.

It isn't the drinking milk out of a bottle that rots teeth, it's the holding the bottle in their mouth "all" night while the milk drips into their mouths, onto their teeth. The saliva can't rinse the milk off because it is continuous. Giving milk to the them at bedtime is okay. IF you are practicing good oral health. How many people do you know that only brush their teeth at morning and night? Do they get milk rot if they drink milk at breakfast and then don't brush until bedtime?

A friend of mine who was the director of social services of a local agency told me about having to teach cllasses to parents about how to give bottles properly. This is one reason, a small reason...choking is the big one, why propping bottles is a bad thing, the mild flows continuously.

If you want to give your child a bottle then do so and don't let other people tell you it's not okay. Practice good oral hygeine by brushing their teeth at least twice a day. Keep offering the tippy cup, eventually he'll decide to use it exclusivly.

Yes, he needs off the bottle and he shouldn't be going to sleep with a sippy cup either unless it is filled with water. It's not just the bottle that will hurt his teeth, it's the sugar from what he drinks out of it too because it will sit in his mouth and start to eat away at his teeth.

Give him water in his bottles from now on. It won't make it worth his time to have them after a while. And yes, he'll throw a fit over it and you'll just have to be strong because you are the mom and you want what's best for your son. It will probably take a few days, but he'll get over it.

S.

I'm in the camp of "it's not OK for a child to be using a bottle past their 1st birthday".

We didn't give our kids the option - it was cold turkey. Bottles were packed up, and sippy cups were the only option. It sounds harsh, but it worked.

Our kids have never had the option of having a drink in bed with them. They may have been nursed or had a bottle to sleep when they were infants, but they go to bed completely without anything now. It has alleviated the stress of needing something and of having night time accidents.

We've found that even the best sippy cups can occasionally leak. The ones we've rarely had problems with are very expensive (Nalgene) and Platex (the ones that look like travel coffee mugs).

My advice would be only theoretical on how to break him of the habit of needing something to get to sleep, so I'm sorry I can't help more.

Ditto Gina B. (except the tooth decay. I think it's far more genetics)

My dd just turned 2 and she's a 'sucker'. She drinks from straws and open cups during the day but still drinks her milk from a bottle. She still comfort nurses for naps and bed. She's a 'sucker'. Many children nurse for 3 years or more so I think we're right on schedule. Plus, I don't think she'll go to junior high school with a bottle! If we do, then we'll have a problem! lol!

K. C: if you're okay with your ds and his bottle for now, go with it. Seems gentle to give him other options for drinking beverages too. Eventually you can wean him, or he might just sit up one day and say, "No bottle." I've heard it happens.

Good luck!

he needs off the bottle..that is entirely too long to be on it. hes going to cry but he;ll get used to it. give him his cup before you put him down and let him drink it then put him to bed without anything. he will cry but after a couple days he will get used to it. ive been using the sippys from walmart that have the characters on it and they seem fine. your child will throw a tantrum at first. dispcipline him and if he acts out and throws the cup then take it away. he will cry it out..

My son used his bottle FOR MILK ONLY until he was 2.5. I had no problem getting him to drink other liquids out of a sippy cup during the day, but he would not drink his morning, nap time, and night-time milk unless it was from a bottle. I was of the opinion that getting him to drink his milk was far more important than what he used to drink it with. And, there are many children still nursing at that age. I don't think there is any difference. Both are to give nutrients and for comfort. (Remember, doctors are for giving MEDICAL advice, but I do not believe that ANY doctor should be giving parenting advice. It is not their place!! We didn't tell the doctor about our bottle use. It was not his business and he didn't need to know!)

At 2.5 we made the decision to take his bottle away. It was very hard for about the first week! Regardless of when you take it away, its gonna be hard for the first few days to a week. However, when my son was 2.5, I could explain to him why we were taking it away, etc.

The one thing I would agree on is not to let him fall asleep with his bottle. My husband and I would rock my son or cuddle with him on the couch while he finished his milk. Once finished we would brush his teeth and either finish rocking him to sleep or put him in his crib if he was drowsy enough to fall asleep on his own.

As far as sippy cups that don't leak, I love the $1 nubby cups at Walmart. They are the simple looking ones with the white valves. Cheep and we don't seem to have an issue with them leaking. Good luck!!

Hey K.,
The best sippy cups I have found that don't leak are the Playtex Insulator, really any by Playtex. You will get a drop or two that is between the valve and the spout, other then that no leaks. I wouldn't panick to much about his teeth. My dentist said it's more genetics then bottles and pacifiers that cause the need for braces as long as the child is off them by 3 years old. I'm amazed the Dr isn't more pressing about your son not taking milk or juice to bed because of the possible tooth decay. Some routines take awhile to break and you may have to let him cry it out, which is hard but you can do it. My 19 month old girl wont take a sippy cup at all. Trial and error then do what YOU feel is best for YOUR son!
Ashlee