bottles/regression?

[Honey693]

DD1 was a very reluctant bottle taker as a baby so she had maybe 10-15 bottles in her first year. After that when I'd leave her I'd just leave solids and she'd be fine on waiting to nurse until I came home. I weaned her at 17 months when I was 2 months pregnant and now I have a 2y/o and a 2 week old. DD1 has started to freak out over the bottles when I pump. She wants to drink my pumped milk which I'm fine with except for the fact she wants it out of a bottle. DH also discovered she'll drink cow milk out of a bottle too. She has never had more than half an ounce of cow milk until now so this is a huge huge thing for her. I'm just not really ok with her taking a bottle now though. I'm worried it's going to mess up her teeth and to be honest it just really really bugs me that my 2 y/o will walk around with a bottle. Has anyone had any experience with this?

[baglady]

I'm sure it's because the baby is nursing and she associates bottles with being baby like. It's probably just a phase that will pass. I'll be in the same boat soon with a new baby, and everything I've read so far says to allow the regressions. It's the older child's way of making sure you are still her mommy too.

For what it's worth I remember reading in The Baby Book (Dr. Sears) that bottles bother adults more than they hurt children. His feeling was if a toddler needs a bottle for comfort, let her have it.

I would not give her a bottle to walk around with though. That can be a bad habit. I would only give her a bottle when I was holding her like a baby. That in an of itself may put a stop to it.

Good luck and congratulations on the new little one.