15 month old - bottle in the morning and bottle in the evening, is this okay?

Jennifer - posted on 10/22/2012

Didn't see this before my comment was made..well said, Take care.

Jennifer - posted on 10/22/2012

My son is 13 months old, breast fed since birth, with no bottle experience. Since his sleeping is (and has always been) like a newborn as well...I introduced the bottle very late, in the hopes prayers of a good night's sleep for mama-he just wasn't taking to a bottle early on. I logged on with a question on the approximate age to begin sippy cup.

Now I know the original post is pretty dated-back in 2009 I believe, but I just had to say to Serene Coons..how rude of you. I sincerely hope that in the 3 years since this posting, you have stepped down from your horse. Mom's need to encourage eachother..it's a hard enough job we have in getting through day by day with spit up on our shoulders, breakfast dishes still begging to be bathed, dinner prepared, job (s) in my case I have two from home, houses to be cleaned, without having another mother speaking to us in such a manner. You should be ashamed..as well as learn to spell. Ridiculous.

Mom on Terri, thank you for asking MY question... wishing you the best :-)

Terita - posted on 10/13/2009

No there is nothing wrong with her still taking a bottle, my son still takes one. If your dr don't have a problem with it then neither should you. Keep doing what you feel is best for your baby.

Raelene - posted on 10/13/2009

not sure which country most of you mums are from but from my country Australia, we are not encouraged to take our children off the milk as a 1yo - they do encourage to go from bottle to sippy cup .. however in my case, my son was breastfed for 14mths & when i tried to wean from breast to bottle at 12mth old he wouldnt have a bar of it .. i tried several types of cups heinz / nuby etc .. in the end he would only take the Avent bottle which i gave to him everymorning with a small amount before bed as well ..we continued with this until this day except these days he has converted to the sippy cup he is now 4yrs old .. he loves his milk every day & we are told that the milk is great for healthy bones ... my daughter is 15mths old & i breastfed until 8mths old, then fomula fed until 12mth old she is now on full cream milk (which is recommended here -not skim) Morning & bed time ... she is using the Avent bottle - she does drink water thruout the day in a sippy cup ... i think as long as they are content keep them on milk as long as YOU want ... the babies love the cuddles with bottle time & my son just loves to have his milk to start the day -they both eat regular meals & are very healthy children ... good luck with your decision ..xx

Dusty - posted on 10/13/2009

my daughter Madison is 16 months old and still wants a bottle when she goes to bed and sometimes when she gets up in the morning. she is healthy and everything so i don't worry too much about it. and she will not drink milk out of a sippy. she will take juice but not milk. the doc says she needs to get off of it but i'm not trying that hard homestly. if she asks for it i give it to her and if not i don't remind her.

i don't think it's that big of a deal as long as they are eating good.

Julia - posted on 10/04/2009

Our pediatrician said babies should be off the bottle by 12 months due to developmental reasons. We didn't have to worry about it because as soon as we introduced the sippy cup at 6 months, my daughter weaned herself...at 6 months. Good thing we didn't invest into a bunch of bottles! Now...I'm trying to wean her from the breast at 15 months..........

Elizabeth - posted on 10/04/2009

Terri:

Your child will surely decide when she is ready to ween from the bottle. Some kids develop differently, and some just don't have their jaw/lip muscles fully developed to handle a cup/straw! If your child was refusing milk, that would be a different story ... but knowing that she is at least drinking it ... who cares how she drinks it? If it makes you feel better, my brother was a 'bottle-olic' and although my mom tried so hard to get rid of them, it was a battle. He would drink 3 bottles before bedtime until he was 3. Has he suffered because of it? Nope! Was he developmentally affected? Hell no! Point is...a baby wanting to drink from a bottle once or twice a day will not affect them. It's the same as sucking a lollipop for 3 minutes! Power to you and your milk guzzler! Thumbs up!

Elizabeth - posted on 10/04/2009

Quoting Serene:

Aren't you suppose to take your child off of the bottle @ 12 months? Thats redicolous to keep a child on the bottle for 15 months?

I don't believe it is ridiculous at all for a 15 month old baby to still drink from a bottle! Children are different and just as long as they are getting their fluids, it does not matter how they get them. It was extremely difficult for my son to lose the bottle ... whereas my daughter refused to drink from one at 11 months...she has been drinking from a straw since that age!

Believe me, they will not be traumatized or physically disabled if they continue to drink from a bottle!!!

Lily - posted on 10/03/2009

I still give my 15 months a bottle of milk that is not ridiculous. I have the same problem I have to give him milk before he goes to sleep so he won't wake up in the middle of the night!

Serene - posted on 10/02/2009

Everyone has there opinion about bottle feeding and you can keep your baby on a bottle as long as you want to but, I've seen what it does to kids that stay on it for a long time. Developmentally behind. I work in a child care and I have seen 1, 2 and 3 years olds on bottles and I have seen the outcome of it and it isn't a pretty sight. I took my son off of the bottle when he was 9 months old, he drinks out of a sippy cup, and when he turns 18 months old the binky comes out of his mouth. My remark was maybe rude and i'm sorry for upsetting everyone about what I had said. Sorry.

Nachole - posted on 10/01/2009

I would think it was time to take it away. I took my sons away at 12 months. I just started giving him a sippy with milk in replace or the bottle. He threw it back at me a few times but once he seen he wasnt getting the bottle back he just accepted it. At the age your child is now it could start affecting her teeth so Id take it! =-)

Amy - posted on 10/01/2009

unless a dr says to keep them on its a good idea to start weening at 12 months. it may take a while. my daughter wasnt fully weened until nearly 14 months. but there is a point where it begins to hinder their mental growth.

Emily - posted on 10/01/2009

I am having a problem with weening. Our son Dane was doing fine with it till we moved cross county. I know the stress has alot to do with in but now he wont even take a sippy unless is a certiain kind. And ofcourse i cant find any in this podunk town we are in. I am just going to order some but is that going to let him be picky??? He also like a milk bottle for all naps. So three bottles of milk a day.. i dont think thats too much. I do want to switch him to almond milk or somethng else. Is that too much at once or should i deal with the sippy/ bottle issue than switch in a few months????HELP

Ruby - posted on 09/30/2009

My daughter is 15months old. Shes a healthy little girl and still loves the bottle. She has one in the morning and one in the evening. With some kids having a bottle is more of a comfort thing. Some babies go off the bottle earlier and some later. Dont force your child into going off the bottle. Start slowly maybe changing her night bottle to a sippy cup. :)

Laura - posted on 09/30/2009

My son is nearly 16 months and he has a bottle in the morning and before bed. I tried a sippy cup a while back but he guzzled it down (as it came out too fast) then once finished he threw the lot us. I don't see why its a problem. As someone else has said she isn't wandering around during the day with a bottle in her mouth. Its comforting for them and they are still little. We try so hard to make them grow up fast, drop the bottle/ take the dummy/pacifier off them. But if its not doing any harm then why do so. I'm aiming to stop the morning bottle altogether over the coming weeks as he's not that bothered with it and the evening milk will go in a cup around christmas time when he is 18 months.

Good luck hun!

Veerle - posted on 09/30/2009

Hi Terry,
(this is my first comment ever on circle of moms: just joined...)
Here it's the same. I don't worry about it: my son eats very well and still enjoys his bottles (he drinks what we call 'soya groeimelk', so no regular cow milk, but something for his age). My eldest son did the same and I don't think there is anything wrong with him. ;-) He is healthy. They both like to be close to be and like to be cuddled - maybe the bottle gives them a cosy feeling in the morning and in the evening?...
I wish people were not so radical about questions like yours. Every child is different and has different needs...
Wish you all the best!

Cami - posted on 09/29/2009

I agree. i think its normal. my sons routine is very similar to Anne's. He has his cup of milk in the morining wen he wakes up then at night wen he's going to bed. You dnt have to take her off it. Some moms do and some dnt. I took him off the bottle wen he was about 10 months bcuz he started teething and kept biting a bigger hole in the nipple of the bottle making it harder for him to drink bcuz the milk was comin out too fast.

Laura - posted on 09/29/2009

Quoting Serene:

Aren't you suppose to take your child off of the bottle @ 12 months? Thats redicolous to keep a child on the bottle for 15 months?

It is absolutely normal and healthy for a 15 month old to be on a bottle. You are just being rude and mean for absolutely no reason. You are no expert.

Donna - posted on 09/29/2009

Quoting Serene:

Aren't you suppose to take your child off of the bottle @ 12 months? Thats redicolous to keep a child on the bottle for 15 months?

Serene - sorry, but I don't think your message is very encouraging!  :(

Geraldine - posted on 09/29/2009

my 15 mts old still has his bottle in d mornin nd 1 b4 he goes 2 bed..der is nothing wrong wit dat..its different if der had d bottle hanging out of der mouths 24/7..der still only babies..

Geraldine - posted on 09/29/2009

Quoting Terri:

15 month old - bottle in the morning and bottle in the evening, is this okay?

My baby wakes with a bottle, and won't take food, then at night she expects a bottle before bed, should I be trying to get her off? She used to drink formula, and now she drinks soy milk, but there are so many different opinions. She is a healthy girl, so nutrition is not a question, I just want to do what is right.

Shelley - posted on 09/28/2009

I'll agree with the Nuby transitional sippy cups being the best way to get her off the bottle. My twins love them, so we buy new ones frequently and use them only for milk. We give juice and water in other types of sippy cups to get them used to diversity. I still give them milk 1st thing in the morning, once around noon, and again before they go to bed, but we give it in a sippy cup.

I asked my pediatrician at our 15 month check up about taking away my son's pacifier, and she compared it to taking away the bottle. The earlier, the better. We're going to try to have the paci gone before 18 months and just be prepared for him to be very upset at bedtime for a while.. She said if we wait longer, say 2 or 3, he'll be searching the house for it. I actually have memories of searching for my bottles when I was little b/c I had them until I was 4. I turned out fine. Things are done very differently today than they used to be.. Every parenting choice is a personal one, so maybe your pediatrician could give you more personal advice. Good luck!

Angela - posted on 09/28/2009

my daughter was off of the bottle at six months she learned very quickly but babies learn at different speeds if ur dr says its ok then ur fine i would talk to ur babys dr my sil sons dr told her that he should have been off of the bottle by one bc the longer they take the bottle the more likely their teeth will grow in messed up

Catherine - posted on 09/28/2009

My son is 15 months also and he has a bottle of milk before he goes for his afternoon nap and before he goes to bed at night.. he drinks from those straw sippy cup type things but he refuses to use an actual sippy cup.. i dont see a problem with keeping him on a bottle for now, he is still little and before long they will eventually be off the bottle all together. I plan on taking him off the bottle al together within the next month or 2, but you will know what is best for your child. If you think she is doing alright then she most likely is.. Mom knows best and you will know when its time for her to come off the bottle, every child is different

Catherine - posted on 09/28/2009

I gave my daughter a bottle in the morning and bottle in the evening of milk at 12 months by 13 months she was completly off the bottle to a sippy cup. Now at 15 months she still takes the evening sippy cup but doesn't really care for anything first thing in the morning. Hope that helps.

Carla - posted on 09/28/2009

my son is 15mos and gets (rather DEMANDS) warm milk first thing in the AM and also about 30 mins before bed. He's picky though, these milk portions will only be consumed warm and in his Born Free Sippy "bottle" which is a soft rubber sippy nipple not a true bottle nipple. But it's technically still a bottle base. He also drinks out of topless cups and sippy cups too, straw and hard plastic. I think the bedtime /wake up rituals with the warm milk in THIS particular "bottle" are just that, rituals. I'm sure I can break him from it, but I think it's more important for him to get his 16 oz of milk however he will drink it, verses getting him off of a said bottle. You are fine with what you are doing. If you your baby doesn't drink out of ANY sippy cups, I'd try to introduce those during the day. My son loves the "take and toss" ones. The liquid comes out pretty easy too. (can make a mess though if you have a baby who likes to bang the cup around or throw it) But it's still a sippy, so it's easily wiped up.

Terri - posted on 09/27/2009

Thanks for all your comments, your right I am the Mommy and my baby is healthy and happy, and for the most part I do know what is right for her, we will get there soon enough!

Jacey - posted on 09/27/2009

My son is just 15 months and I have just started taking him off the bottle today.....Hes not happy about it but he will be okay soon enough and please don't let anyone pressure you into taking your baby off the bottle it is NOT rediculos to still have your baby on the bottle you are her mommy and you know whats right for her....Some children are just not ready to be off the bottle you do what you want and what feels right to you..I hope this helps!!

Patricia - posted on 09/27/2009

My son has his bottle in the morning when he wakes up and he has one in the evening. But he has oatmeal before bed. He drinks only whole milk, but he eats other foods during the day. But those two bottles are the only ones he has and they are only 7 oz. I think he's doing just fine.

Anna - posted on 09/27/2009

Why would it not be ok if you are ok with it? Please don't let other people tell you a bottle is ridiculous - older perhaps but really at 15 months they are still little ones...It is suggested to stop the bottle at 12 months however ultimately it is up to you. Maybe set a target to phase it out if it makes you feel better....As long as you are not putting the bottle to bed with your baby...

Ellen - posted on 09/27/2009

NO WAY! She is still so young!! If she is not taking a bottle during the day she's totally fine!! You go Mom!!

Tracy - posted on 09/27/2009

I have only recently started giving my little boy his milk in a sippy cup. I found this NUBY brand and it has a softer top but its a sippy cup. I would reccommend it as my little one found the transition really easy. Everyone has different opinions. Good Luck:)

Serene - posted on 09/26/2009

Aren't you suppose to take your child off of the bottle @ 12 months? Thats redicolous to keep a child on the bottle for 15 months?

Anne - posted on 09/26/2009

I still give my 15 month old milk in the morning and at night. Not in a bottle - in a sippy cup. He has a cup full first thing in the morning followed by breakfast a bit later on. Then at night he has his normal dinner, then bath, then before bed he has a cup full of milk.

I think (not positive but think) at this age they still need around 500ml of calcium. No more than that though as it hinders iron absorption.

In my opinion, milk in the morning and at night at this age is fine. :)