what age to stop bottles

[julie w]

I am caring for an 8 month old child. Her mother says she doent have bottles of milk in the day, only one in the morning and one before bed, and therefore doesnt bring any bottle or milk here. I have another child in my care 9 months old and she loves her bottles between meals. I really think the first child is too young not to have milk during the day. She is too young for cows milk, but mum is adamant she doesnt need it. What are your thoughts on this. Thank you x

[bluechair84]

8 months is fine for two bottles a day. It's the equivilant to a pint of milk a day that the 8 month old needs but some of that would be in diet too such as cheese sauce, yoghurts and other dairy. I wouldn't worry


Amo x

[chez]

Guess its personal choice as long as shes getting the milk she needs then she probley doesnt need it.

[mgtrem]

I know that with my own son at 8 months he was having 3 8oz bottles a day. Then I took him to be weighed at 9 months and he was on the 98th centile for weight (75th for height!). HV said he didnt really need the extra milk anymore as he was putting on quite a bit of weight so I stopped it.

He still has a bottle in the morning and at bedtime and he's 16 months. I know I should prob move him onto a cup (he has his water in one during the day) but he's still my baby and giving up bottles would mean admitting that he's not a baby anymore!!

[The Juggler]

both my two stopped their milk in the day at 8 months. tehy loved cheese and yoghurt and had milk morning and night.

I also put them on cups at 7 months and ditched the bottles (no more sterilising )

I don't think it's too young not to have bottles in the day as long as they ARE having enough milk. I have a 9 month old and HV advised them to drop the milk in the day as she was not eating. She now eats much better.

I think milk in the day can get in the way of weaning especially if they are having several bottles although I know some children eat well and still have several bottles at day - in which case no problem.

[Roseolivia]

My ds is 10 mths and he's down 2 btls a day, a morning bottle (usually only drinks 2oz) and a night time bottle (6oz of good night milk). each child is different, don't think Alfie enjoys his milk as much as my dd did.

[rickysmiths]

Well I care for 1 14mth old. He eats and always had very well. He drinks loads of water from a cup.

However he has a bottle (cows milk) before he arrives in the morning, he has another mid morning and mid afternoon with me and a fourth before bed.

I have had other children for whom it was a struggle to get them to have one bottle in the day.

[PixiePetal]

both my own children were not keen on milk - after me finishing breast feeding.

they both still had morning and night bottles till 1yr then just night time if I could get them to have it all stopped by 14/15 months and neither have drunk milk since. They do eat cheese and yogs and have survived to teenage healthy

In my day (gosh that makes me sound old!) babies were on solids at 4 months and cows milk by 6,then on to 3 solid meals a day - things change in child feeding as fast as the weather and back again.

my DD first had baby rice at 11 weeks and DS at 9 weeks. By 6 months it was 3 meals a day and the 2 bottles of milk - strange to think that at 6 months now parents are just beginning solids - crazy world!

[khlwomitchell]

does relate back to weaning, if early and good eater then milk becomes surplus as day time top up.
My kids were given milk am and pm, breastfed til 7 mths, the morning feed was hit and miss from 6 mths though. Then milk before bed.
I hate formula, stinks so bad, so only gave a night and then moved to cows milk at 12mths.

My kids started weaning at 4 mths so by 8mths were on beakers and bics or ricecakes with the big kids snack time routine. Then a filling lunch.

Each to their own, my LO is 10mths and comes with 2x 4oz bottles, one for bedtime after lunch and one in case hungry at 4pm before pickup. He doesn't often have 4pm one, i just hadn it back

[catswhiskers]

|It depends on whether the 8 month old gets upset during his day with you and needs a bottle of milk. 8 months is still young and it's a comfort item to a lot of babies so if you feel he needs milk during the day I would talk to mum.

One bottle in the morning and one at night isn't enough surely for a growing baby? Mine all had (and wanted their bottle of formula, then cows milk) until they were 2 and a half/3 years old and they still had their meals.

One of my ex-mindees (who is now nearly 3) was born nearly 3 months premature and i took him on at 10 months old (really 7 months). I remember Mum giving me a beaker to give him milk but he was hysterical through the whole day. I couldn't put him down and even my family life was affected because of his constant screaming hysterically.

Mum had been advised by HV to start him on a beaker. He wasn't on solids so was crying because he was hungry and tired!

Because he was so small, he needed constant milk, and I talked to Mum about giving him a bottle. It was either that or I would have to give up. Really hard as I had his older sister from 6 months.

After that, he got so much better and seemed to turn a corner.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

My children start drinking from a cup at 6-8 months and I find that this is when the drop of milk happens. I spoke to a HV and she said that as long as they are getting their 1 pint per day then not to worry, remembering of course that the extra calcium comes in cheese/yoghurt products