To my fellow MoM's of 1yr olds+

Jessarella

I am still giving them a bottle before bed and a bottle in the morning. I am ready to drop the night bottle starting tonight. I know I am doing this way later than most. I was kinda going off their adjusted age, but even still I am late. Anyway..

What I have been doing is dinner at 5, 8oz bottle at 7. bed at 730.

I think a warm bottle kinda soothes them and helps them drift to sleep with a full tummy.Do I just drop that bottle and put them to bed? Do I give them a later dinner so they are more full at night? What do you do?

Thanks for your tips!

Mrs. Destructo

I'm the wrong person to ask! We aren't planning on putting away the bottles for a long while yet because my IUGR baby doesn't eat enough table food and my bigger baby gets jealous of his brother's bottles.

lolacake

I'd like to hear the answer to this too- I'm in the same boat (although even later than you!). I wonder why you're doing the night bottle first, though? I've been thinking about dropping the am bottle, and just doing breakfast earlier. I'm STILL paranoid about getting enough in their bellies at night!

FaeryStarGazer

I have no idea, I've been trying to work it out too- your sched is very similar to ours only they go to bed at 8pm. It makes me nervous to put them to bed with noting in their bellies, kwim? We were going to drop that morning bottle first- and most mornings we are able to just let them sleep through- H dream feeds them and they sleep until 10am- which is to late. This bottle dropping business is hard.

Rose.9.6.03

I'd either give them a later dinner w/milk or a bedtime snack w/milk in a sippy.  We've done both with the girls, depending on the day. 

I thought getting rid of the bedtime bottle was going to be a nightmare, but it turned out to be a breeze for us.  I hope the same for you!

luvmagoldn

Are you talking about switching to sippy cups or dropping the milk?  We switched to sippy's at one year and still gave them milk before bed until they were about 20 months old.  The evening milk got dropped b/c they were eating so well at dinner there just wasn't time for milk before bed anymore.  At first we slowly moved the milk from bedtime (7:15 or so) back to dinner time (6:00).  Then I would ask them if they wanted milk or water with dinner and they always said water.

They are still getting a sippy of milk when they first wake up then DC gives them two more cups during the day.  I figured between that and the other dairy they get throughout the day they are fine.

Hope this helps.

Jessarella

Well I don't want to give up the morning bottle because the thought of me getting my lazy arse out of bed at 6am or even 7am to feed them breakfast is more than I can possibly bear. Right now we hand them a bottle while we change their diaper, then lay them back in their crib with the last 2 or so oz they haven't finished and they drift back to sleep till 8 (and so do I). I get them up at 8 let them play and feed them breakfast at 9.

So should I start giving them a sippy of cold milk at bedtime?

I would give them a bottle at night forever if it would make them fall to sleep better, but isn't there a reason we aren't suppossed to by this point? I'm not sure I just know most people dont... your thoughts please.

luvmagoldn

Well, to me there is a difference between giving them milk at bedtime and giving them milk to fall asleep.  When we were still giving milk as part of the bedtime routine we would go upstairs, give them baths, get them dressed and give them their milk.  We would then go brush their teeth, read a story and put them to bed.  If it works for your kids I don't think there is anything wrong with that.  I just wouldn't want to give it to them last thing, while you are holding them with the lights dimmed.

TazDev

We still give them a bottle before bed.  We change them into jammies, give them their bottle, brush their teeth, have cuddle time with mommy and daddy then put them in bed.  My kids do not drink enough during the day.  Them drinking enough has been an issue always though.  They LOVE to eat but without their evening bottle they are not getting the minimum of 16oz of milk in a day.  Ours still get a bottle in the morning but it is right before breakfast.  Then a sippy with lunch and dinner.  Honestly I am lucky if they drink 6oz at any one time.  Honestly I think they are supposed to just be transitioning off bottles period.  I do not think there is a reason to cut the drink before bed until you are toilet training.  Then you do not want them drinking right before bed because it will wake them up in the middle of the night to either go to the bathroom or bc they are wet. 

Jessarella

Awesome. Thanks for your advice ladies. Maybe we wont cut out this bottle quite yet. We will probably just adjust the routine in which we give it to them. Maybe transition to a sippy at night too.

They do drink milk with breakfast and dinner, and water with lunch sometimes I add a splash of juice but not very often.

They always drink their entire 8oz bottles at morning and night. They don't drink that much with their sippys. So it makes me feel good that they are getting that big supply of milk at least twice a day. 

Thanks for all your advice and tips.

amygdala

We started dropping bottles just past 1y, & were down to only a bedtime bottle by 15m. ?Now at 21m, they STILL get the bedtime bottle! ?I do the same as you: dinner at 5, bottle at 7, bed at 7:30. ?Mine won't drink milk from a sippy, so it's the only milk they get, which makes me reluctant to drop it. ?I have no idea how/when we'll drop the bedtime bottle...I'll probably be discussing it w/their pedi at the 2y appointment!

Jessarella

Good, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one still bottle feeding.

cands

My girls are off bottles and on sippy cups, but we still give them a sippy cup of milk as part of the evening routine: sippy cup of milk, diaper change, into pjs, cleanup time, brush teeth, go upstairs to bed.