Wean your toddler off his bedtime bottle

Most babies love their bottle, especially when it comes to sleep time. A bottle can help your baby fall asleep quickly and give your baby comfort in the middle of the night. But did you know that between the ages of six and nine months, the bedtime bottle moves from being a necessity to a comfort? There are plenty of reasons why bottles are not good for your baby beyond their first year.  

Cons of drinking a bottle:

• The longer you offer a bottle, the more your toddler becomes attached – he soon won’t be able to fall asleep without it.
• Your toddler’s milk intake could affect his eating habits, as toddlers can be picky creatures when it comes to eating. Removing this bottle can help. As long as he is reaching his milestones, he will be fine.
• Once your baby’s teeth start to come through, falling asleep with a bottle can lead to tooth issues later on. The milk tends to pool in your baby’s mouth while he is sleeping and the natural sugars will target your baby’s new teeth.
• Research shows that toddlers who continue to bottle feed past 15 months take in more than the recommended amount of milk required on a daily basis, which can increase your child’s risk of obesity, constipation, and iron deficiency. In fact, the recommended intake for toddlers aged two to three is two cups, or around 500ml, of milk per day. The American Academy of Pediatrics further recommends that you should ideally aim to wean your baby off his night-time bottle by 12 months.

Tips to get your little one to leave his bottle:  

Praise your child

Provide loads of encouragement. Your toddler may find this to be a traumatic time as he identifies his bottle with being able to fall asleep. Words of encouragement and praise and lauding him being a “big boy” will be helpful.  

Water it down

Watering down his milk over several nights may encourage him to decide that night-time drink isn’t as desirable as he thought. This can be done in conjunction with introducing the sippy cup.

Choose the right time

If your toddler is going through a stressful time, like getting to know a new caregiver, starting daycare or school, or any other major changes it’s probably not the best time to wean.  

Shuffle your toddler’s bed-time routine

This may seem counterproductive − especially as you have just gotten him into a good sleep routine, but this will be of benefit in the long run. Firstly, start by introducing a sippy cup with a smaller amount of milk and offer this to your toddler after his dinner. This can be followed by brushing of teeth and a bedtime ritual, like reading a story.  

Switch to a cup

If he is slightly older, have him help choose his new cup. Alternatively, have two cups on offer and let him choose which one he would prefer to have that night.  

Turn to a teddy or soft blankie

Offer another comfort object, like a favourite stuffed toy or soft blanket at bedtime instead of his bottle.