Ok so she doesnt.
But the title got your attention right?!
If my title had been my two year old still breastfeeds I think, half you would have been more pleased than to see it replaced with a bottle, correct?
Well I am here to tell you my two year old DID drink out of a bottle.
Put your pitchforks away.
We had full intention in taking away her bottle when she turned one.
I mean that what everyone says, so naturally; it would just come that easy that we would do that.
We got her some what weaned, but then I went thru all the preterm labor & was in & out of the hospital & she totally regressed; it was her "comfort".
It also helped her acid reflux a night, sucking on a bottle of milk always helped. She wouldnt fall asleep with the bottle in her mouth, she would actually drink the thing down then throw it across the room when she was done & was fast asleep. Which is the only time she would have it after she turned one with exception of a ocassional nap.
I know your gonna come at me with some orthodontic mo-bo-jum-bo but my girl looked at her bottle like a BF'd baby looks at nursing. She was doing it for comfort.
We dont {normally} force a BF baby to give up nursing the day after the babe turns 1. Yes, there is more benefits, but the baby is seeing it as one thing: comfort. Just like bottle was for my girl.
If I had a penny for every side look I got when saying Kennedy got a bottle at night, lordy; I would be rich. "really?" "still?" YES & YES.
The night before she turned two, we gave her a bottle to fall asleep & told her, this is your last "baba", after this you wont get one ever again. She said ok, baba go bye bye.
& our bottle relationship was over from that day forward.
Why am I posting this?
I recently saw a momma get the wrath for this, yall when your baby is ready taking away baba or paci will be easy. When you get past a certain age I do thing more intervention is needed. But for the most part? Trust your instincts my number one go to for all momma advice. I knew she was fine, her teeth werent rotting out of her head, she doesnt have a crazy over bite, my girl went thru a huge transition with a new baby in her life all the while still being a baby herself.
Don't fret, it will happen..
Don't let those evil looks & glares get ya.
When your babies ready, it'll happen :)
I want to stand up and applaud the heck out of you for this post! Thank you for it, honestly. My 18 month old is off his bottle 100%, except at nighttime -- he has to drink water to fall asleep. Just water. His teeth are fine. His speech is excellent. It's just...water, but he needs that bottle for comfort (he never had a paci, he just refused to take one). We plan on weaning him completely (ugh!) in the next couple of months, now that I've seen signs that he can fall asleep without it even if it takes a while. I'm glad I trusted my instincts to wait just a little bit until he no longer 100% needed that comfort...we're getting there but...I thought the same thing, how people will be judgey if they find out but people don't seem to mind extended nursing.
ReplyDeleteAMEN, to this! Let's all focus on being parents to OUR OWN children and not everyone else's child. Sheesh!
ReplyDeleteShe is beautiful, by the way.
Ali
Just wrote a blog about this because my 25 month old still drinks his bottle. He loves it and I'm not planning on taking it away any time soon. If other people don't like it, then don't look at him!
ReplyDelete