Why am I seeing Moms on here still giving their 18 month old a bottle!?

Brodie Renae - posted on 03/27/2013

You're not trying to be judgmental? I find this extremely judgmental to mothers who still give their toddlers the bottle. My 19 month old still has the bottle as she refuses to drink from a sippy cup ( we have tried 5 different brands and types ) so the bottle is the only way she gets her fluids. I also give her full cream milk too, when she wakes up goes for a nap and goes down at night. Am I going to be judged for this also!? She eats big girl food and loves it. But not every child transitions as quickly as other children do and it's okay for them to do it in their own time and mothers should not be judged for that! So perhaps you should keep your judgemental opinions to yourself next time!!!!

Melanie - posted on 08/18/2012

With my second child I had to stop nursing her cold turkey at 10 months because I got medicine in the ER that they knew for sure went into the milk and they told me absolutely no nursing. (My milk was actually GREEN when I pumped it. I was so glad for the warning) I put her on a bottle and luckily she didn't have a problem. People kept getting upset that I didn't take her bottle away as soon as she turned one. I looked at them and said "If I could, I would still be nursing her, but I can't. I will give her the bottle for as long as I would have nursed her, because she needs the comfort of it right now." I let her keep her bottle until somewhere between 14 and 18 months.

K's - posted on 08/15/2012

I have learned not to judge other parents. Before I became a parent it was easy to say "oh, I won't do that" or "my child will never" you don't know the situation the parents are in and why they do the things they do. All children and families are different. My son is 18 months and I have felt the pressure to take him off of the bottle, he drinks from a sippy cup, eats big boy food and has an occasional bottle daily. It is his comfort and it makes him happy. I do not want to make him feel the anxiety of being without something that he truly wants at this time. I believe we will know the correct time to take him off the bottle, potty train and so forth...do what is right for your family.

Kelly - posted on 08/07/2012

I agree with the moms who say she's being judgemental. My daughter had no problem to stop the bottle at age one. My son who is 18 months, still takes a bottle, but only for comfort to help him fall asleep. He loves eating big boy food to. So, no you don't have to take the bottle away at age one, do it when you and ur baby are ready.

Cherrie - posted on 02/17/2010

My daughter is 18 months old and is still on her bottle. I believe that when she is ready to get off it we will know. but for now that is her comfort and i dont want to rip it away and stress her out.

Erica - posted on 02/17/2010

I give my 18 month old milk before bed but it is in a sippy cup, having your child on a bottle to long can wreck their teeth not just tooth drcay but can make their teeth crocked, and thats why they also say to not have your child take a soother all the time same thing it can totally mess up their teeth!!

Erica - posted on 02/17/2010

Thats crazy giving a 18 month old a bottle, I ditch the bottles a12 months!! It will totally screw up their teeth if they have a bottle for so long!!! Totally agree we should not be gving 18 month old a bottle unless there is something wrong with you child and has to have a bottle for a medical reason!!!

Josephine - posted on 02/17/2010

I really don't understand why seeing a child with a bottle frustrates you. There are bigger things to be frustrated about than thatl. My daughter is 19 months old and I choose to give her milk before she goes to bed. The only reason why she has a bottle is because she won't drink milk in a cup, she only drinks water or juice in a cup and has been like that since she was 6 months old, just like she wont drink water or juice in a bottle.

It's the only way I can continue giving her milk. She also won't drink cold milk it has to be warm. If I didn't offer her the milk before bed she wouldn't even notice. She could go without having a bottle at all if only I could find a way to get her to drink her milk.

I hope you got all the answers you were looking for when you decided to start this thread maybe an insight to what other mothers' lives are like, there is alot to take into account when weaning your child from the bottle, it's not straight cut like it may have been for you, there will be some people who share your views but as you can see the majority of people that replied to your post don't.

Cindy - posted on 02/06/2010

Danica ask your mom when you lost your bottle? unless you were breastfed you did not lose it until you were 3 or 4.
That was then this is now. It is not fashionable to a baby to have a bottle after 1 year. Why? Because it's hard for the Daycare centers to sterilize them. That's right sister. This whole movement of no bottles was to please the daycares. since most of us ship junior to daycare so we can work, Junior has to be potty trained and cup trained way earlier then our generation was.
Is this Horrible? Nope, it's just life. My eldest was a Bottle sucker until he was 3. No issues with speach, or teeth. He is bigger and smarter than 90% of his peers.
Baby brother - decided he didn't need a night bottle at 3 months age. Decided he didn't need bottles at all a month ago. Baby brother is Smarter - bigger then 90% of his peers as well.
Does the bottle Matter - nope. It's a personal choice. It's like the color of your kids clothes - it's your choice. Nobody really can stop you from putting a little girl in blue, or a little boy in pink. They can laugh, but it's your choice.
We all have choices to make.

Stephanie - posted on 02/06/2010

I don't think that it's ok for moms to judge other moms. All kids learn and grow differently and that's ok. The only problem that I would have is if a 5 year old has a bottle. 18 months old is still a young child and if they are comforted in the bottle that's ok. It will be harder in the long run to get that child off the bottle, but you don't know the circumstances as to why they still have it. My daughter has about 3 cups of milk throughout the day, eats regular meals and is growing perfectly on the curve. So what one kid likes the other might not!

Marie - posted on 02/03/2010

well said!

Faythe - posted on 02/01/2010

Why are you seeing so many moms still giving their babies bottles?? Because they are THEIR babies not yours....feeding and sleeping choices are very personal and are between a mother and her child only. There is no right or wrong but what is right for each mother. Also each child is different just like adults and have different emotional needs.

Laura - posted on 02/01/2010

hi in regards to the bitting question im sure my sisiters little girl went through this till she was about 2 and a half wen i used to look after her we had tryed everything then i started putting the stop bitting nails nail polish on her lip (a tiny amount ) and as the tast wasnt nice within a week of doing it every time she bit anything or anyone she had stopped but makesure u only use a bit that all u need anyway hope u get it sorted soon

Laura - posted on 02/01/2010

i find it frustrating wen otha moms judge ur child for having a bottle my son is 18 months old yet he is a big boy and looks more like he is 2! he drinks from a sippy cup a normal cup and through a straw and has never had a dummy but he still has a bottle with his milk in it in the morning and at night and sumtimes in the day b4 his afternoon nap we have kept him on tyhis as his is on perscribed lactose free formula milk and he needs this as he cnt have dairy and so this replaces the lost calcium ect i think that people shudnt b to quick to judge as sumtimes there r reasons behind it and like alot of u have said every child is different and they will let u no wen they r ready u shudnt force ur child to do anything to early my son will be kept on his formula milk till he is 2 which is what we havebeen told to do by his dietician and yes it will be in a bottle as this is the way he most happiest with it. i feel that as long as ur child is happy why change it at the end of the day they still babaies and u have got pleanty of time to get them on to cups why rush?

Denise - posted on 01/31/2010

Being that my daughter refuses to drink milk from a cup, she still has a bottle when she wakes up in the morning. Her Dr. was more worried about her not drinking any milk at all then she was about the fact that she still has one bottle a day! Ava will drink water all day long in her cup so I fugure eventually she will let me switch her milk to a cup.

JoEvelyn - posted on 01/31/2010

why would anyone still want to wash bottles after a year!?!

Sherryl - posted on 01/31/2010

does anyone know how to stop 18 months old from bitting i have tried alot of things he doesnt bite as much as befor plzzzzzzzz word it nice

Sherryl - posted on 01/31/2010

my son drinks with a sippy cup n normal cup during the day n at bed time he has a bottle of milk he will give up wen he is ready but if thats not befor he is 2 n a half i will be giving them to the sick kids in the hospital like i did with my step daughter she thought it was great to help the sad babys this has offended me alot wat i choose to do for my kids is my bizz dr recomend u breast feed for 2 -2half years r u going to say thats wrong because it each to there own n how would u feel if someone put the way u raise ur child down like u did for us mothers that give our kids bottles or breast feed at this age think about that befor u say things

Joni - posted on 01/30/2010

I wonder the same thing somtimes...

Crystal - posted on 01/30/2010

We just discovered that my 18 month old daughter likes drinking out of straws but thing is that she will not drink milk out of a cup with a straw she wants to use a bottle to drink that out. How do i do to get her off the bottle. I've tried sippy cups etc and she doesn't want to let go of that bottle.

Belinda - posted on 01/30/2010

My son is lactose intolerant and is not a big fan of soy milk. He will drink it warm form a bottle before naps and bedtime, so I'm sticking with that until he is more willing to drink it cold. He's getting to like it better, so hopefully we can transition soon. He usually drinks water from regular cups or sippys when we are on the go. Every mom has to do right by their own baby!

Felicia - posted on 01/30/2010

some babies take longer then others to adjust ot regular milk and cups and some parents dont know how to deal with it. My son is 18 months and hasnt had a bottle for a while. But with my other sons it was a little different.

Amanda - posted on 01/29/2010

My husband and I just recently transitioned our daughter from a bottle to a sippy cup before bed. Since about a year old she'd have a bottle of milk before bed but drink everything else from a sippy. I have to admit it has been tempting to bring back the bottle at night because she never drinks as much milk from a sippy cup. Either way I don't think any of us have the right to judge one another. The title of this conversation alone makes me feel defensive for the mom's who still choose to use bottles. I think there are much different ways to go about expressing your opinion and critizing another mother shouldn't be one of them...but then again, that's just my opinion.

Janice - posted on 01/29/2010

My daughter is 18 months and she still gets a bottle of milk (not formula) before she goes to bed. She drinks perfectly well from a cup throughout the day and has a healthy appitite. There is nothing wrong with this or my parenting. She will let me know when she dosn't want her bottle anymore, just like her big sister did.

Lawanda - posted on 01/29/2010

my daughter is 18 months and she loves her bottle she will tel u wen she wants it,wen she gets up in the morning n wen she goes to sleep at night sometimes through the day she will take it but most of the time she wil eat table food their is nothing wrong with her teeth n besides i brush her teeth,she drinks milk n cereal or just milk she is not on formula n she also uses her cups oh yea she is healthy!!!!!!!!!!! wen the time comes for her not to want her bottle anymore she will let me know then i will throw it away until then she will be takin her bottle n table foods

Ashley - posted on 01/29/2010

you need to quit judging other parent's.my Daunghter is 18 month's old and she drink's perfectly fine from a cup ,sippy cup and still drink's from her bottle at night when she wake's up wanting some milk.and she is as healthy as can be.there is nothing wronge with a bottle and they will wean from it when they are ready let them be baby's and quit worrying about it and I don't understand why you are so concerned about other parent's it's none of your business how other parent's raise their children. and I don't know why you have to worry about why they are giving THEIR! children bottle's.sound's to be like your forcing your children to grow up a lil too fast.their only little once so enjoy them while you can.

Corey - posted on 01/29/2010

Hi there. I have an 18 month old that is still on the bottle. I have tried the sippy, the cup, a cup and straw and any other advice I have received to get her to drink from other sources. SHE REFUSES. And to prevent her from getting dehydrated, I give her the bottle. She will stop when she is ready and I am not concerned about it. Every child is different. I have a friend who's 1 year old took herself off the bottle. She decided she didn't like it and prefered other methods of fluid intake. I will not force the issue with my daughter because some people think it abnormal to be taking a bottle til they are ready for something else. And do tell how it teaches them to suck on their food????

Jema - posted on 01/28/2010

keep your concerns to yourself.

Clarissa - posted on 01/28/2010

I would like to say that I don't understand why people are so worried about what other people are doing to or for their children. If you don't know them you don't know thier familys or what is going on in hteir household. So please don't judge others because you decided to do what you wanted for your child. I think think that if there were issues with a child over 18 months being on the bottle then the childs Dr would let that parent know. My daughter was older than 18 months when I took her off the bottle, she was drinking out of a sippy cup during the day but had to have her bottle during nap and at night. She is healthy and outgoing and not a single problem with her weight. But I will say that I do have an issue with children over the age of 2 taking a binky! But I don't judge them for their parenting. This is for other mothers to ask for advice not to be critisized for the decisions that she makes. And if their are issues with their children because of their actions then they will have to deal with them not you!

Tracy - posted on 01/28/2010

My 18 month old is not on a bottle. She self weaned at 15 months. I however would not judge a woman still breastfeeding her 18 month old so what is the big deal about giving your child a bottle. I say it is a personal choice and it should be left up to the mother and father when the child is weaned onto a cup completely. I people should worry about their own children and not mine.

Danielle - posted on 01/28/2010

MYOB mind your own baby! I'll bet you have a problem with the fact that my 18 month old never would take a bottle and rejects milk from anything but my Breast. If you feel so strongly about it don't let your kids do it but let other parents be INFORMED by their childs DR. when it may be time to transition. You are not trying to Judge you ARE Judging other parents. Get over yourself and remember not everyone is going to agree with all your parenting choices and I am willing to bet if they posted something as rude as what you have you would be offended!

Vicky - posted on 01/28/2010

my son is 18 months and drinks perfectly well from a cup however for comfort he has a bottle of fomula milk morning and night. i think this is your opinion i have known mothers to give there children aged 2/3 bottles with so many bad things in this world, war, death i think you complaining about a 18 month old having a bottle is pretty pathetic. do what you want for your child and let others make there own mind up. also i think you may be confused because its mainly juice in a bottle that health vistorsdont like not milk.

Kari - posted on 01/28/2010

My sister has a degree in early childhood development and I agree with her that some kids still need the comfort of a bottle to suck on.

Cortney - posted on 01/28/2010

My 18 month old can drink from a cup but she loves her bottle. She is healthy as can be as well. She will drink straight from a cup, not a sippy cup, at meals. But likes her bottle through the day.

Valentina - posted on 01/28/2010

I agree with the consensus which is do what works for you. My 18 month old daughter has been off the bottle since she was one because she started drinking from a straw @ about 8 months so she didn't really want the bottle but if she would have put up a fuss I would have allowed her to keep it for a while longer. I don't think its a big deal either way. I have three children and they are all different.

Tanya - posted on 01/27/2010

At the end of the day it comes down to when the child would have been receiving breast milk. It is recommended by doctors that a child should be breast fead at least up until 2 years. Formula is simply a replacement of breast milk. The conclusion is simply to then give a baby breast milk or formula at least up until the age of 2. I don't want my child to have a less desirable bone structure. She has to be strong so as not to break bones one day just by doing simple things.

Surely your child can learn to drink normal milk and water or tea (redbush which has no caffiene) in between from a straw or sippy cup or even a normal cup.

My daughter gets a bottle in the morning, then tea or water or watered down juice or cordial cooldrink made with water or milkshake when we go out. Our dokter advised that it is important for her to learn to keep her teeth clean, but not to worry too much. He says it is important to have healthy teeth, but that milk teeth is simply there to create the spaces that her permanent teeth will fill.

Yes, I think that your child should not be walking around with a bottle in her moth the whole day. But she can definitely drink what she wants to drink when she wants to drink it. I believe it is not bad for her as long as she drinks and when she finishes gives the bottle or cup or straw back after drinking. She will ask me if she wants some more at a later stage. I also brush her teeth when she wakes up and before she goes to bed.

She has no problem drink normal milk, but I don't believe in taking her off the bottle until the age of 2.

Ta

Victoria - posted on 01/27/2010

We all have RIghts as Parents! It's not as if they are abusing them. I have always given sippy cups after a year old. But that is just me. I wouldn't tell another Mother what is best for her Child or for their Family! Caroline...your situation is different!

God Bless...let's be loving to one another! We are all striving for what's best for our babies!

Stephanie - posted on 01/27/2010

I am shocked that anyone would take the time to worry about wether or not my child is still drinking from a bottle at 18 months old. You know what frustrates me, moms that are more concerned with what I am doing than raising their own children. If your child is off the bottle, awesome, now continue to worry about your child. Maybe we should worry about mothers who are beating their children, or neglecting them. I think that mothers who let their child stay on the bottle or carry around a blankey, or mothers that "carry their children too much" are more compassionate and realistic because we don't follow the book as to what some doctor on the other side of the country says I should do. He is MY child for a reason. I am not concerned about what people think when they see my son with a bottle. I wish they would tell me something, because they are usually the moms whose kids are punching and pushing all the other kids around the playground. And I don't believe that the bottle or a sippy cup would play a role in the child's health anyways. I'm sure it is more pertaining to what is in the cup....just sayin.

Danielle - posted on 01/27/2010

I think it is a personal choice as is breastfeeding/ bottlefeeding. I dont see why it is frustrating to you. My daughter is 18 mths and drinks perfectly fine from a cup or water bottle. I choose to give her a bottle of milk when she goes to bed. My 5 yr old also drank a bottle of milk at night until she was 3 - by my choice. And my 16 yr old son drunk from a bottle until he bit the teats of it at 20 mths. My children are all perfectly fine and very happy and healthy. My 16 would not know how old he was when he came of a bottle(nor probably care) and it did not affect him in any way shape or form. I have also studied child care at university and am quite ok with my parenting decisions.

Caroline - posted on 01/27/2010

hi my daughter is 18 months and i dont see problem of her havin a bottle its more the fact that she has problems with such muscles in her mouth.she has cerebal palsy that havin a bottle is easyier on her shes had a rough first year and i dont wanna stress her by takin her bottle of her... believe me ive tried sippy cups she just throws it about the place.. am i just glad shes as healthy as can be ... everyones intitled to their own opinions .. am just glad i have had the chance to be a mother ..

Caz - posted on 01/27/2010

i give my daughter a bottle just before she goes to bed its the only time she has a bottle now and has been since she turned 1, She just has water and juice through-out the day in a sippy cup or through a straw. But i think its up to the parent to decide at the end of the day they know their baby and know what they need its not for anyone else to say whether they should or should not have a bottle.

Elise - posted on 01/27/2010

I think all your post are All right ... Some Boys & Girls are Off Bottles Buy 12-18 months and Other's Arnt
like my Daughter that is Not Quiet Ready to give up her Bottle, and Im totally fine with that,
But there is No reason For Other mum's to pressure Other mum's By making them Feel as there Doing the Wrong thing buy Giving there Child a "BOTTLE".. As we Not doing the wrong thing at all, Its Up to The child and when they are Ready ,
"Everychild is Diffrent ",
And Unless you have a Child that wont drink from a cup Or is Quiet not quiet ready for a cup then I think maybe you should be a Little More Supportive (spelling) of us Mothers and Not put us Down !!!
As my little girl is 18 months and is Not fully Drinking from a cup yet and i think some off your Comments are Very "Unsupportive"

Natasha - posted on 01/27/2010

Hi, first time to post on here, my son has just turned 18 months old and still has bottle about an half hour before bedtime as this was always the routine, I can see everyones point about no longer needing a bottle as the perfectly able to drink from a cup and that, but my son will not drink normal milk at all i'v tried everything to get it into him, so I'm a bit reluctant to take him off the bottle as its all the milk he gets bar in his breakfast and a yoghurt during the day, if anyone can give me suggestions on how to get around this i'd be all ears!!

Sara - posted on 01/26/2010

wow I didn't realize this was such an issue! My son is 18 months and he drinks out of both i more so do the bottle with water and bed because i find it doesn't leak as bad in the bed because unlike other babies my son is fighting allergenic asthma after coughing he wakes up looking for water to wet his throat then goes back to bed. with the sippy cup i find i have to fill more frequent makes it hard as a single parent to constantly be up all hours the bottle works perfectly fine for my son and we will go off when he is ready as he started showing signs he wants to try regular cups but that is our milestones to work through. Moms I think you know your baby better then anyone else do what suits you and your child!!! enjoy it and stop stressing about whats right and appropriate i mean think back to our ancestors you really think they stressed this much about something as little as this?

Sami - posted on 01/26/2010

i am also frustrated by this. my son hasn't had a bottle since right after he turned one. he still uses sippy cups but shows a want to use a regular cup so we're going to try them soon. it didn't come to my attention about other toddlers with bottles till i saw a little girl around 4 yrs old with a bottle drinking from it, i was shocked!

Natasha - posted on 01/26/2010

I must agree with the moms who children are still on bottles. My oldest is almost 4 and still looks for her bottle at night or when she is ill. My 18 month old drinks from a cup, she doesnt like sippy cups. She still has her milk bottles evey day, between 4 to 6 a day and is very healthy. I was just told not to worry about it, they will give it up when they are ready. You dont see 18 year olds walking around with a bottle hanging out their mouth so dont worry it will pass.

Lisa - posted on 01/26/2010

My pediatrician was actually more concerned that my daughter only drinks about 8 oz. of milk a day. she has a sippy cup or a cup with a straw all day but will only drink either water or watereddown juice in it.
To drink milk i have to give it to her in a bottle, and i refuse to let her run around allday with a bottle so she only has one during the day.
My first daughter was off the bottle at 12 months, on the dot. But as has been said every child is different and this is SO true.
You have to look at the circumstances before you judge. With my 18 month old, the month that she turned 1 we moved, so i didn't want to take the bottle away because she was already confused with the move and different room, etc. And then I had my son last month so I wanted to wait until he was here, i didn't want her to think that we took her bottle away to give it to him.
On the plus side, my 18 month old can count to 10, say half the ABC's, talk in sentences and is potty trained so if she wants a bottle to sleep then i'll let her be a baby for a little while longer!

Carolyn - posted on 01/26/2010

I think it's easy to tell someone what the "right" thing to do it, but it's a lot different when you have to put it in to practice. My son stopped using the bottle around his first birthday, but that was because he gave it up so easily and happily transitioned to a sippy cup. Other kids seem more attached to their bottles and it might take them a bit more time to wean them off. We all know that putting kids to bed with a bottle is bad for the teeth, but I don't think it is extremely detrmimental to their health to allow them to continue to drink from a bottle after one year of age, especially if you are taking good care of their teeth. My son still has his sippy cup of milk about an hour before bed (he drinks water or watered down juice with meals usually). It's a comfort thing for him and I am happy to give him his milk at that time. It's great for us to pass along advise and suggestions for ideas for raising our kids, but I think we also need to be flexible in our thinking and aware of the fact that each child IS different and each parent has their own views about what is right and appropriate for their kids :)

Brandee - posted on 01/26/2010

I don't think there are any advantages to having a bottle after 1 years old.. My son uses sippy cups, a straw or a regular cup (with adult assistance).. We also started to ween the paci after his first birthday and now we are free of any nipple like items.. I think it is just a personal preference though.. However, my pediatrician advised against putting him to bed using a bottle or cup because it can cause tooth decay and ear infections.. It just bothers me to see a toddler running around at 2 or 3 years old with a pacifier, so I have ween my son off his.. Every parent has to do what works for them and as long as the child is not being harmed then we are doing a good job.

Amanda - posted on 01/26/2010

My daughter has been off the bottle since she turned one. There is no need for a bottle after that age