Still on bottle at 18 months

I think my child is one of the only kids left on a bottle at 18
months! Granted, she only gets one at night (not in bed), but it is
part of her routine. She loves her bottle, and starts asking for it
hours before she even gets it. People tell me I missed the window
period for weaning (12 mos), or when she went to regular milk. Is
this true? I really don't want to let her CIO. I really don't see
her giving it up on her own. I know she won't be in highschool with
it, but at least another year or so. Any tips?

Thanks.

I think my child is one of the only kids left on a bottle at 18
months!

Hardly. Most non-nursing bottle-using kids I know don't give them up until
around age 3. (That said, I don't know very many such kids, because most of my
friends are extended breastfeeders.)

Granted, she only gets one at night (not in bed), but it is
part of her routine.

Well, I don't really see the harm. I take it she's not nursing, but think
about the response you'd get on this group if you were worried about an 18
month old who was "still nursing". We'd all tell you that was great! Bottles
do come with a set of problems that don't happen with nursing -- greater risk
of tooth decay, jaw development issues, sanitary issues, choking risk. But if
she's not toting a bottle around with her all day, though, you don't really
have the sanitary issues and you reduce the tooth decay risk and the jaw
problems risk. If the bottle contains water or you brush her teeth after she
finishes it, and she doesn't have it in bed, that takes care of tooth decay and
choking risk.

She may still give up the bottle on her own, but probably at more like 3. And
if she doesn't, that's also a better age to wean her, because she'll be much
better able to understand why. Two year olds are notoriously difficult to wean
before they're ready.

Holly
Mom to Camden, 2.5 yrs

On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 00:38:17 GMT, Karen P wrote:

I think my child is one of the only kids left on a bottle at 18
months! Granted, she only gets one at night (not in bed), but it is
part of her routine. She loves her bottle, and starts asking for it
hours before she even gets it. People tell me I missed the window
period for weaning (12 mos), or when she went to regular milk. Is
this true? I really don't want to let her CIO. I really don't see
her giving it up on her own. I know she won't be in highschool with
it, but at least another year or so. Any tips?

Thanks.

Weaning should be child-led. If she seems ready, you can encourage
her to give the bottle up by seeing if she will take a sippy cup at
night instead. You can emphasize that big girls don't drink from
bottles and see if she would give the bottles away to a younger
infant.

I don't really think 18 months is so *big* though. My children were
breastfed and very different. My son wanted nothing to do with
nursing at 13 months once he started walking. My daughter, otoh,
had a night time nursing until she was 2 1/2. If you are comfortable
with giving her a cuddle and a bottle, I wouldn't worry too much.
She will wean when she is ready for it and she isn't carrying it
around all day, so I don't think it's a problem.


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..
Outer Limits

On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 00:38:17 GMT, Karen P wrote:

I think my child is one of the only kids left on a bottle at 18
months! Granted, she only gets one at night (not in bed), but it is
part of her routine.

DD is over 2, and she still gets one bottle a day -- in the morning
with her milk in it

She will take milk out of a cup, but she drinks more milk out of her
bottle. So for now, we are giving her the bottle. We will be weaning
her off it soon.

--
Daye
Momma to Jayan
EDD 11 Jan 2004

Karen P wrote in message . ..
I think my child is one of the only kids left on a bottle at 18
months!

My DD is 17 months and also loves her bottle. She has one when she
gets up in the morning (6 oz) and in the evening not long before bed.
In the weekend she also has one late morning and mid-afternoon. She
also loves her bottle and asks for it pleadingly, nodding her head
earnestly to say "yes! I *do* want a bottle!". SHe seems to love it so
much and it seems to relax her, and it buys me 15 minutes or so of
quiet to do something else.

I can't quite see how we're going to give this routine up but it
doesn't seem to be a bad thing. She isn't a great solids kid yet.
She's only had bottom chewing teeth for a short time and is a bit
reluctant to eat lumpy food still. I assume we'll get there in time!

Glad to know we're not the only ones

Kate