Hi All, my son 15mths loves his bottles, he eats a lot of food during the day and has water but will cry (especially at child care) for a bottle, he can shake his head no and yes to things he wants, when he is home with me he will have a bottle when he wakes up in the morning and one upon going to bed (never left with him) and maybe 1 or 2 during the day these usually aren't full bottles during the day time, hes a terrible day sleeper to so the bottles tend to help him get sleepy, he still has formula as he hated the taste of cows milk (I do believe he is slightly lactose intolerant which an allergy specialist agreed with me on, he will only drink a few small sips of lactose free milk before he doesn't want it) but he loves his toddler formula, the Dr said to keep him on formula until 18mths, but how many bottles per day should be actually be having? The morning and night ones are usually around 200mls, hes my first so I am not sure on the normal. (hes a tall kid hes been wearing size 2 for about a month now lol)
10 Replies
At his age, he shouldn't be on any. But if it works for you then I guess you do what you have to.
What about doing 1/2 formula and 1/2 lactose free milk? And slowly cutting back the amount of formula you are putting in there. Stop the bottle part too, offer it as a sippy cup and make him do it himself (holding it).
My boy is a big one too, been in size 2 since 10 months old - he has a lot more bottles than he should too lol!!!
I did try putting the lactose free milk in both a bottle and sippy cup but he still prefers the formula, i might try the half and half because honestly its expensive buying formula still lol he holds his bottle on his own most of the time and he walks around with a sippy cup of water and will drink most of it during the day to.
I think whatever is right for him. And what you feel comfortable giving him. My daughter is 3 and has a bottle in the morning and one of a night time before bed (cows milk). Sometimes she will drink them other times its just a comfort thing. I honestly dont think there is a right or wrong answer to this and its whatever you and he are comfortable with.
Just be aware of infant tooth decay, if they have a bottle before bed the milk sits on their teeth all night and can cause holes. I’ve know kids who have had to go under to get all decays filled due to this (at around age 5/6, parents didn’t even know they had any decay), but they were doing this more on the other side of two. Just something to think about for the future.
I usually didn’t follow guidelines strictly. I mean I had a rough idea, but then I also went with what made my babies happy.
If you feel like he needs to be cutting down, maybe try giving him more snacks and some water instead of those day bottles. And I’d focus on those days ones before the morning and night one. And then just giving him less each week.
I always found slowly weaning them off the best.
His night time one is probably the last I’d get rid of. Even my kids now like a warm milk before bed. Helps them relax.
Either way, I’d just take his lead. Maybe offer the milk in a soppy cup during the day... he might not guzzle as much and lose interest.
Formula should really only be supplementing his diet if he's not eating well now. Try doing cutting down the formula strength so it's more water than milk. It will help him get to sleep as he adjusts but reduce empty calories and sugar intake. A size 2 shirt on a child that young is too big... Regardless of how tall he is.
My nephew was in a size 2 shirt at that age. He is now 11 and almost as tall as his dad. He was a 10pd baby and has always been taĺler than other kids his age. And no he isnt fat.
Yes, I found that comment quite matter of fact, I don’t really understand. Common sense says if a kid is tall, unless he wants tops around his belly button, he needs to go up a few sizes. Can the commenter elaborate what she meant?
Every kid is different so i dont think that comment about his clothing size was really needed (not meaning that in a nasty way i just dont think we should making those sorts of comments when its not part of what i was asking and you dont know my child and I dont need advice on what clothing size my son should be wearing) just FYI his cousin was in size 2s at my sons age now at 3 hes in size 5, my sons dad is 6'3" his uncle 6'4" and my uncle is 6'7" so he defiantly needs size 2, i am not putting him in clothing that doesnt fit him, he also has a huge head and most size 1s dont fit over his head I am not going to make my child upset by trying to squeeze his large head through a shirt hole what is too small for him.
Try reducing the amount of formula powder and increasing the amount of water. My eldest used to take a drink bottle (not baby bottle) of milk to bed when he was a toddler. I started reducing the milk and increasing the water until he only had water in the bottle. He still takes a bottle of water to bed with him now, at 13. Start with the daytime bottles, leaving the nighttime bottle till last. May take awhile if he realises it tastes different, but he’ll get there.