my 2yr old still drinks on a bottle at night, he might get cavities. help!

Christina - posted on 03/17/2010

Hi Vanessa. Im going thru the same thing with my son. He drinks it out of hi sippy cup and he just turn 3 and once he is done i brush his teeth. When ur child is ready to leave give it up then great. You can also start changing the patterns little by little. i've learn not to force a child sometimes it makes things worse.

Geralyn - posted on 02/02/2010

My son was never on a bottle or sippy cup to begin with. He was solely breastfed. When I introduced solids, I introduced a straw, and he has used a big boy cup with a rubbery soft straw ever since. The rubbery soft straws are for natural suckers (lol) and does not cause the oral motor/teeth placement issues that sippy cups or bottles can cause. Sippy cups are only intended to be used through a transition period. I know this doesn't help you directly Vanessa at this point, but for moms who have younger children, think about the cups with the rubbery straws. You never have to "wean" 'em off of those - they are age appropriate for children of all ages.....



Vanessa, it sounds like he is using it more to soothe or pacify than drinking for thirst/hunger. Breastfeeding moms experience that, too. I liken it to nighttime nursing, because I had to wean my son off of that. It would be the same process finding a replacement to the bottle, like a favorite blanket or stuffed toy. [I think its easier when they are younger to fade out a bottle or pacifier or something like that. It appears that they get attached or used to it as they get older and its harder.] Just a thought.... You could have your son pick out a blanket or toy and introduce it as his sleeping buddy explaining that instead of the bottle, he can sleep with his new little buddy. and his little buddy will cuddle with him at night.... Bring it up in a way where he buys into the "big boy" change....

Aubrey - posted on 02/02/2010

my dauther had the same problem but not a bottle. She went straight from breast to sippy cup. But she wouldnt go down with out her cup or a boob so when i stopped bfeeding that was easy but the cup was harder. I switched to water wich she diddnt want usually threw it out of her crib at me eventually after a week nights of realizing thats all that i am gonna get in this cup i dont want it any more now she doesnt use a cup at night at all wich has also lead to her sleeping through the night because she isnt waking up for a drink and shes also not peeing as much so she isnt getting up soaked. Try to get it away as soon as possible but in the mean time brush their teeth at least before bed and when the wake up. Propper dental care is way worse than the milk. Good luck

Shawn - posted on 02/02/2010

My 2 year old daughter kept biting through the nipples of bottles and I said one more time and no more bottles,we stuck to it. Had a hard time getting her to drink milk in a sippy cup.....she always got her milk in bottles. Anyways, I took her to the store and told her she could pick out "special milk cups" She did and I also started by letting her sprinkle some quick in it too. Now she drinks her milk.....in any cup and she drinks it during the day and no longer needs it to fall asleep!

Sophie - posted on 02/02/2010

If it is cows milk - it is fine. Formula is bad but cows milk is fine. The two things that do not hurt teeth are water and milk.

Sara - posted on 02/02/2010

try n get him 2 av it b4 he goes up 2 bed then brush his teath thats what i did 2 my 2 that way he still gets his comfort plus ur lookin afta his teath

Valerie - posted on 02/01/2010

hi my daughter is three in a week n three days n she is still on the bottle, i've just put water in it instead of cordial or milk or anything u might put in there. yeah sure she screams but i just tell her that she is a big girl now n that big girls dont need the bottle n she still crys for it but i learnt the hard way bout bein persistence cos i let in n gave her the bottle n now it time to say no . she has had her time with the bottle n that time is over as of now... try the best u can in anyway that might help both of u, good luck.

Theresa - posted on 02/01/2010

I had a set of triplets that were born under 2 pounds and I found it very hard to take them off the bottle. so it was about 2 1/2 when I took them off and my daughter which is 4 reminded me that we did on easter the children all put their bottles and nipples all in a bag the night before easter and we made a big deal about it and the next morning the easter bunny brought gifts. They did ask for the bottles but the response back to them was the easter bunny took them and gave them to other babys and they were big kids now.Its not easy but it is a start.

Theresa - posted on 02/01/2010

it's not easy so don't worry and don't let people make you crazy that you have a 2 yr old with a bottle...the reality is you're child is not the only one. in fact i think you'll find that more 2 yr old than not still go to sleep with a bottle and the ones that don't i'm will to bet they have a binky. my daughter still goes to sleep with her bottle and she's almost 2. I put water in the night time bottle and she doesn't seem to mind, never did. in fact, i think the bottle is just for comfort and when he's ready he'll give it up...my older daughter gave it up on her own when she was about 2 1/2 i just gave her a cup the first few nights with a little water before going to bed. good luck and don't stress. that should be the least of your worries.

KaTysha - posted on 02/01/2010

My son was 13 months when we took away the bottle. He was upset at first, but we bought different types of cups during the transition period. He had the cup with the straw (he liked that one for awhile), then he had a sippy cup with the had guards (he never liked those), now he is on gerber sippy cups. You have to try different things and see what works for your child. My personal feelings were, my child is going to meet all the stages of his development if I can help it or control it. And one thing that I can control is when he came off the bottle. Yes there is a stigma attached to children over 12months that still drink out of a bottle. At some point parents have to stop treating their kid like babies and foster an environment that encourages them to grow up. Whats best for my child is to learn independence and learn new things. Its easy to keep a child on the bottle. Thats all they have ever know. At some point you have to teach your child new things and push their comfort level. Show your child new things, push them. They are never too young. I won't judge anyone for having their child on the bottle at 2 years, I'll just say it would never be me.

Diana - posted on 01/31/2010

Change to water. He wont like it. Mine cried alittle and would just get mad and throw it. It didnt take long though. but he does like his sippy at night

Crystal - posted on 01/31/2010

What you heard is correct, try buying him a cup that has a soft silicone nipple that is similar to the bottle and slowly pull him form the bottle. Stop giving him milk at night also because that can sour on his gums. Try mixing fruit juice with water. You can buy the cups from either Wal Mart or Family Dollar for like 3 dollars.



I cant understand why so many ppl allow their child to remain on the bottle after they are 1 years old, my son has been off the pacifier since he was 10 moths and off the bottle at 1 and off the cup like at 1 1/2 years old.

Mel - posted on 01/31/2010

vanessa if you want your son to be off the bottle or if you think he is ready than this is your call. my 3 yr old had to be taken off at 2 and a half because she was toilet training in the night. (she was early trained as she wanted to be) however my 21 month old has just gone on to bottle to aid her sleeping whilst being taken off the breast as i have a 2 month old baby i am now feeding, this was suggested by plunket and her sleep nurse. when i took my other daughter off the bottle there was a couple nights of upset but this didnt last forever and although its hard it does work eventually, just dont rush it because of his teeth if hes not ready to stop bottle feeding than let him keep doing it, you can get very good orthodontic teets designed for healthy teeth for bottles now so maybe switch to them if your still worried. i wish you all the best!

Jessica - posted on 01/31/2010

The one kind of sippy cup that helped me changed my daughter from bottle to sippy cup. Was the soft nipple sippy cups. My daughter would only use those for the longest time. Because they are smoothing like the bottles but are a sippy cup. you could try that.

Mel - posted on 01/31/2010

reply for sabrina: thats a load of ....! my 3 yr old has just got off the bottle! her teeth are great! a 12 month child is not to old nor is a 2 yr old to have a bottle! it is a bout comfort and reassurance to the child often at this age. it is recommended that a child has a bottle untill 2 years of age as milk is still a very important part of a childs diet at this age, snatching away a childs bottle to young can be to much emotionally and break their spirit, all children a different and if your child is not ready to let go than dont force them! in fact i have just put my 21 month old onto a bottle at night because im in the process of taking her away from the breast as i am feeding my new baby. i was advised by plunket to do this to help her sleep.! i think you are the one who needs advise on this subject! all vanessa is looking for is some friendly advice! not judgment by somebody who took thier wee 12 month off the bottle because you think he is a big boy!

Alisha - posted on 01/31/2010

what i did with my 2 daughter was i got them new sippy cups that replaced their bottles. they already had sippy cups that they used but we went out together and bought these new ones. I also let my children drink before bed and then placed them in bed. i ahve to say it is different with EACH and EVERY child. YOU as a parent knows whats best for your own child. fallow your heart when it comes down to your children. Good luck

Robin - posted on 01/31/2010

My son is the same way..he's a total bottle junkie. My son won't drink water because it has no taste..so I found a flavored water called Fruit2o. I would get that and try it, I use the "essentials" Fruit2o. I went to a dentist and she said she gives her kids the same thing. I hope this helps..Good luck!

Katherine - posted on 01/31/2010

I agree with previous posts about your child not having a bottle - it is unhealthy for a child of that age to have a bottle, regardless of its contents. Children should be switched to a sippy cup anywhere between the ages of 12 months (sometimes earlier) up to about 14 months. Giving your child a bottle beyond that can lead to major dental and orthodontic problems. I think the best way is to just throw out all the bottles and offer sippy cups or normal cups as the only option. Also, offering only water at bedtime is a good idea; it will prove whether the child is actually thirsty or if they just want the liquid for comfort. Continuing to offer juices or milk at bedtime will also make it much harder for potty training, there's no way your child will be able to stay dry all night if he's still drinking at bedtime. Best of luck.

Jasmine - posted on 01/31/2010

if you give him less and less each night and then on the last night not give him anything you can take it away completely that what i just did with my two year old some cause he always wanted a night night sippy before bed and now he goes to bed with out it

Jessica - posted on 01/30/2010

what i did with my daughter and it worked with her... i told her that we were going to through all of the bottles out in the trash then she will not beable to use them anymore. So i got all her bottles around and had her help me put them in the trash.. after that she used a sippy cup ever since. At first she was fussy but she new there was goin to be no more bottle....

Chana - posted on 01/30/2010

I rock him while i give him his bottle and then i brush his teeth when hes done (with toddler toothpaste thats safe if swallowed) and then put him to bed. Sometimes i give him bottle with water. So hope that helps for you

Annemaree - posted on 01/30/2010

my 2 n half yo boy still has a bottle at nite but i have started watering the milk down to half half he dosnt drink all of it now n starting to have a few nites with out it there were screams for a while .... i am slowly replacing the bottle with a cuddle chew rug now it seems to b working good luck

Erica - posted on 01/30/2010

When my son transitioned from having a bottle at bedtime to not, I put him on a Nuby sippy cup. The top is soft like a bottle, but it worked for him. Then I put waer in it, with a really small amount of juice for the flavoring so he would take it. I still brushed his teeth, but he took the sippy cup instead of the bottle rather quickly.

Michelle - posted on 01/30/2010

Hi my daughter and son are 4. When they were going from a bottle to a sippy cup I found a cup at Wal-mart, brand name is Nubi. This sippy cup has the same silicon nipple as a bottle but it is not.

Rita - posted on 01/30/2010

I also wonder... for those who are quick to judge... do your children still have a pacifier or dummy? I cant honestly see the logic in saying that a bottle must be removed at bed time but a pacifier is ok to suck on day in and day out for hours at a time? My nephew was 5 wen he finally got rid of his pacifier and has awful bucked teeth but didnt have a bottle to go to sleep. What is worse? I would say out of all the posts I have read the ones I can get some sense out of are the professional dental nurses who know what they are talking about!!! Do what is right for you as a mum, use what nature gave you... your instinct... its usually right. :)

Rita - posted on 01/30/2010

Hi Vanessa my son still has a bottle for bed time also.. hes nearly two.. ive been told that as long as you dont allow your son to chew on it or leave it in his mouth so he sucks on it... its okay.. i usually wait for my son to fall asleep and then go and get his empty bottle from the cot. That way he is not sucking on it as a comforter throughout the night. We always brush our teeth together a couple of times a day also. Really is a warm drink of milk before bed so bad? and whats the difference between giving it to him in a cup or bottle at night as long as you take it away when he is finished with it?

Michelle - posted on 01/30/2010

Hi vanessa i changed from the bottle to the cup gradually, when my girls got juice through the day i gave them it in a cup. once they were happy to take that & found we a cup they were comfortable with i moved onto the last bottle at night. i bought a special cup for milk so that they Knew that this was the one just for milk and made a big deal out of them drinking from the big girls cup, at first they only took a couple of ounces but once they realised that this was it they didnt have a problem with it. if u bring milk time forward a little bit & give him longer to drink from his new cup & give him praise for doing a good job then you could spend a little bit of quiet time up in his bedroom reading a book & let him sit in his cot with a soft book or toy to get used to being in bed without the bottle. then when its bedtime give him a special toy (even buy one specially) so that he has some comfort from that. i use a musical toy for a short time but find it best to stay quiet at this time & try not to lift my girls & i defo dont bring them back out of the room. Maybe try to do more physical activities in the first week or so, so that when its bedtime he is ready to just sleep, good luck xxx

Radha - posted on 01/30/2010

my daughter is two and i too give her a bottle of milk before she goes to bed, i am worried if she will have cavities but like you rightfully said as long as their teeth are brushed i guess bottles are ok.

Heather - posted on 01/30/2010

I also do want to say that sometimes whats going on in life can effect whether or not the child needs the bottle or not. My daughter was born in April of 2008, we stopped bottles TOTALLY in September of 2009 (so she was 17 months-ish) it took me all of 3 nights...i just gave her warm water in her bottle 1 night and then the next it was warm water in her sippy cup she had been using daytimes for 3 months. Then my life got quite stressful...her biological father started using drugs, threatening me and then landed in jail. As soon as things got stressful for me the sippy with water just wasnt going to work from Ellie's point of view! so back to the bottle we went. We are about to start working our way off it again because things finally calmed down again. As it has been said many times though...no 2 children are the same! i dont expect my next child to be this easy by far :-)

DEIDRA - posted on 01/29/2010

Take him of the bottle a give him a cup at night. That's not good he still on a bottle at the age of 2yrs.

Charlene - posted on 01/29/2010

Felicia - of course not all children are the same. I knew that before I had three of them & can confirm that daily. Vanessa has a concern and simply seeking advice from other mothers. She has received many comments and suggestions. Some of them, though I'm sure were well intensioned, come across rather brash. I was acknowledging her concern, giving some suggestions and supporting the other mothers who go the route of water instead of milk + moving beyond the bottle, and wishing her the best in whatever method(s) she uses to progress her son beyond the bottle. My response was meant to be positive, hopeful, and supportive. I was not anticipating a demeaning retort.
Again, Vanessa, best wishes for you and your son. Blessings to you and Felicia in your adventures with your little ones.

Corrie - posted on 01/29/2010

My second child is almost three and she still has a bottle at night. She gets one bottle at bed time and when it's gone, it's gone. She is so smart she will save a little so she can have a drink if she wakes up. It took me three weeks of sheer torture to get her to take a bottle when I switched from breast to bottle at 10 months. Now her bottle and blankie are her comfort things at night when she is sleepy. My oldest didn't have a bottle after 12 months and her comfort item is usually a stuffed animal. Every child is different and I agree you should move from milk or juice to water only, but you can do it slowly by mixing a little more water each night until you just have water. For some children they give it up on thier own because they no longer like the taste. I think it's important to remember that a 2 year old is still a baby and each child evolves and changes at their own rate. Good luck!

Tara - posted on 01/29/2010

honestly the ONLY way to do it is to get rid of it completly. you have to throw them all away cuz you will be tempted otherwise. i just let lillian throw her own bottles in the trash, then she KNEW they were gone. i told her "ur a big girl now and only babies get bottles" she didnt really want it after we threw them away together. good luck. be strong. he will only cry for it for a day or two anyways

Mayra - posted on 01/29/2010

Drop the bottle A.S.A.P! I just took the bottle away from my daughter a month ago and yes she has two cavities (but what child doesnt have cavities) and she got "ilk anemia".Do not let this happen to you! Take it from a sad mother but proud I took her bottle away.She's a big girl now.Hope it helps.

Felicia - posted on 01/29/2010

dont worry about it its not hurting him how dare that sabrina tell you to act like a mother

Felicia - posted on 01/29/2010

its not that easy!! not all children are the same get a grip lady

Charlene - posted on 01/29/2010

Hi Vanessa. Your concerns are understandable. We have been very blessed that bottles were not a big concern with us. By the time we were phasing away from nursing after the first 12 months & using supplimental bottles or 'away-from-mommy' times we had introduced the sippy cup with water (betw 6 - 12 mo.)

After that the children transitioned to cups/lids with straws & received their milk that way. To avoid messes, milk cups stay in the kitchen. Exceptions are for movie nights when we 'picnic' with towels on the floor to catch crumbs or dribbles.

The 7 & 4 year old take water to bed with them in water bottles whose former life were TummyTickler 100% real apple juice with only natural fruit sugars (no extra added sugar) & character toppers which are not supposed to leak. The 2 year old still has his sippy cup of water until he stops using the TummyTickler water bottle as a shaker and sprinkling water on everything. (We are hoping he's about done with that novelty.)

Till then they have milk in cups with or without straws during meals, water available all the time, juice for the older ones may or may not be watered down - the 2 year old's is watered down to keep down on natural sugar but promote fluid intake.

Good luck & God's blessings with your experiments with the system that works for you and your little one.

Chaantallaimy - posted on 01/29/2010

my son is 2 and until xmas he had a bottle every night when he went to bed. I told him that santa was going to take his bottles and leave him some presents instead. I started to tell him this a week before xmas and he soon got use to the idea of not having his bottle. On xmas eve he helped me put his bottles under the tree and on xmas day there was his presents. He never once asked for his bottles. He now takes a sippy cup to bed with him but only while I read him a story then I take it away and he is fine. If you are giving him pasturised milk, either in a bottle of sippy cup, i don't see a problem. He will tell you when he is ready to give it up. If you think he shouldn't need it now then give him a sippy cup instead and tell him that the bottle fairy came and took his bottles but left him a siipy cup or another present. I hope this advice helps and good luck.

Kendall - posted on 01/29/2010

they should not have anything to drink in there bed, it will sit there all night and eventually rot theie teeth out. i never started the habit and have never had a problem, but my daughter has been 100% off the bottle since she was 13 months old. the only thing we battle with is the pacifier. my suggestion would be to work on laying him down without it and he may have to cry it out for a few nights but it shouldnt take long to get rid of it, the longer you wait the harder it will be most likely. good luck.

Holly - posted on 01/29/2010

dang, one of my sons is almost 3 and still loves his bottle. I know he isnt going to have it forever and when he is ready to give it up, he will. He doesnt have any cavities and is very healthy. Of course each child is different. Why is it that so many people that get hung up on something that is obviously not gonna last a lifetime. ;)

Naomi - posted on 01/29/2010

THORW THEM AWAY! TRASH THEM! my son was the same way with the sippy cup i just trash them and he cryed and cryed well they get over it trust me it might take a week or two but if you dont do it now its going to get harder to take them away. and just let him know no more bottles and tell him why. just let him cry its going to be hard.

Jennifer - posted on 01/29/2010

WOW! I love the good advice here! My son is now off the bottle but he wont take to the milk not that it not in his bottle? ANy advice or is this a new topic?

Glenrose - posted on 01/29/2010

hi my 2 yr old was still using her bottle to sleep ,2 weeks ago i cut the top of her bottle off so it was uncomfortable to drink from, i gave her during the day and she said its broken i then said to her should we try the cup she said yes she tried it a little bit but didnnt like it, then came night time she asked for her bottled i showed her and she said its broken then she went to sleep, no crying no screaming she only asked for her bottle 2 or 3 times and i will show her and she will say its broken and throw's it on the floor its been 2 weeks now she doesnt ask for it,i still have the bottle just incase she will ask for it

Rebecca - posted on 01/29/2010

This was one of the hardest things for me and my hubby to do. I took my little guy to Wal-Mart and let him pick out a big boy sippy cup for night time. He did cry, but after a few days, he would drink from his cup and be happy to just hold it. Try to offer your little one water instead of milk and see if that will help. We also got him a buddie to hold on to when he was upset, Pablo beanie baby, Best of luck!

Tiffany - posted on 01/28/2010

My daughter used to be the same way and I gave her one of those cups where the top is kinda shaped like a bottle's nipple, and she slowly got off of her bottle. She wanted her cup at night though and I started out giving it to her but cut down on the times that I gave it to her at night and she did cry for a couple days, but started to get used to going to bed without it and now she goes to sleep without it. Just keep cleaning his teeth and gums cleaned and he should have no problems with rotting teeth, my daughter's teeth are just fine.

Emily - posted on 01/28/2010

found it shaundra bowles...great idea kuudos to you...thanks for sharing that one hope it works for me.

Emily - posted on 01/28/2010

i just wanted to say something to one of the mothers on this post. i cant seem to find it now so i cant address you directly so im sorry for that but the idea about the bottle fairies i think is brilliant what a great idea. i have 5 kids and have never thought about that i have a daughter who is 13 month and we will be trying your idea with her in the next few months. in case other mothers cant find the post either she said they made a party out of it.. gift wrapped the bottles and left them for the bottle fairy to take to kids without bottles then the fairy had left her something in return for the bottles...brilliant! i say way to go mom for a fabulous idea both breaking her from the bottle and also teaching her to give to children who need.excellent..i am definitly trying that one...thanx whoever you are mom.

Emily - posted on 01/28/2010

breaking a kid from a bottle is hard! my son was 2 and still wanting his just at bedtime. i really have no advice except to only put water in the bottle. die hard bottle lovers will drink it anyway and some really like water. i can tell you what happend with my son. he had lost his and i had already thrown most away so it was the only one left he settled for a sippie cup and it was a hard 2 nights but then it was forgotten and he stopped the sippie at bedtime pretty much on his own. try giving him a spill proof sippy cup maybe one with a rubber sipper instead of plastic and see if the same thing works for you it was only bad the first night a little crying the 2nd but by the 3rd it was forgotten just dont let him see it or you r done

Vanessa - posted on 01/28/2010

soo many advices.. so many points of view.. some i've never thought of. such a good thing that i joined this group! i would like to thank all of you.. i really appreciate it. :)

Angela - posted on 01/28/2010

why are you o rude and mean??? dam!!!