Weaning from Night-time Bottles
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Weaning from Night-time Bottles
Sept 2005
Wondering if anyone has any tips on getting their child off the
bedtime milk bottle? I have a 2+ year old & only kept him on it
this long because he needed the calories(skinny) and I'm not
sure he can sooth himself to sleep any other way. Any tricks,
tips that have worked for people would be appreciated!!
thanks-
Mary
We were giving our 18-month-old a 4-oz bottle of milk before each of his two naps and before bed at night. He recently had stomach flu and couldn't have dairy. At first he was so sick that he didn't want the bottle. When he started getting better, I put soy milk in the bottle instead. He didn't like the taste, and pushed the bottle away (went to sleep normally). When I tried giving him regular milk again, he was still suspicious, thinking I'd give him the soy milk, so he refused the bottle. Just like that, problem solved.
So, try giving him soy milk, or otherwise change what you're offering (cold vs. warm, or fat-free vs. whole milk).
Whatever works!
June 2003
Our two year old just started sleeping through the night six
months ago. We usually give her a bottle to go to sleep. In
the last month or so, she has been waking frequently (three
or more times) during the night, crying out and asking for a
new bottle. All the crying and whining is killing me. She
seems like such a big girl during the day, she seems to
enjoy talking. I try to comfort her and ask her what's wrong in
the night, but the bottle seems to be the only thing that
consoles her. I want to wean her from the bottle, but I need
to find a new method of getting her back to sleep, making
the bottle less desirable. I have been trying for a few nights
to teach her to comfort her doll when she wakes up, but as
of yet she hasn't bought it.
We always give in and make her a new bottle because
we're so exhausted and we know it works. This also means
that we have to change her diaper in the middle of the night,
which is a milestone we thought we had already passed.
We are also trying to potty train during the day when we're at
home. I don't put any pressure on her to do it, but maybe it's
too much? My feeling is that her potty training progress will
speed up when the bottle goes away and she stays dryer at
night, thus getting used to feeling dry.
How have others weaned their children from the bottle in
bed?
Melissa
My baby is only 15-months old, so she may go back to the bottle,
but I've done that has worked so far is substitute her milk
bottle for a water bottle. That's not nearly as satisfying, so
she just goes back to sleep after sipping very little. Lately
she hasn't woken up at all.
anon
We started leaving a sippy cup full of water in my son's crib (he's two, but
still sleeps there). We told him that he could not have milk in the crib,
but that if he is thirsty he can have a drink of water. We explained this
during the day at naptime, and about an hour before he went to bed, as
well as pointing out to him at bedtime that the cup of water was there if
he needed it. It actually seems to have worked fairly well; we hear him
wake up and drink water once or twice at night, and then go back to
sleep.
Of course, we haven't even tried to keep him dry at night yet.
Karen
I suggest that you relax a bit! Potty training AND changing the
bedtime routine are a bit much for a two year old to deal with,
separately or together. Most kids are potty trained during the
day for a while before they are at night, and more kids are
trained at 3 than at 2.
As for the bottle, many 2yo's still need to suck. If she's not
nursing and she doesn't use a pacifier, it's reasonable for her
to continue to use the bottle as a comfort thing for sleep. But
you should fill it with water, which won't cause tooth decay.
You might also try substituting a sippy cup or sport bottle (my
son likes the ones with a built-in straw). In
any case, fill it and leave it within her reach on a nightstand
so that you don't have to get up and get her anything.
It's not necessary to change her diaper unless she poops. If
you're experiencing leaks, use an extra absorbent overnight type
if she's in disposables, or double them if she's in cloth.
Holly
I didn't read your message initially and only saw the responses.
I just wanted to say that I drank from a bottle until I was
five! Granted, my bottle drinking stemmed from feeling
comforted by it. Mom said I started going to school and I
didn't drink from a bottle there, but once I got home, I'd plop
myself on the couch and drink to my heart's content. I think it
was to ''de-stress''. Gradually, I realized that none of my
classmates were doing it and so I ''weaned'' myself. I'm glad my
mother didn't ''make'' me stop.
I didn't ask Mom about my potty training during the early years,
so I'm not sure how they dealt with that. I DO know though that
while I was definitely completely potty trained by the time I
went to school, I did not do the ''number 2'' while at school and
waited until I got home. I found out that my niece does the
same thing now. Maybe TMI? :-)
Good luck!
Nov 2003
My 2 year old daughter was breastfed until the age of one. She
now falls asleep with a bottle of milk and frequently wakes up
at night to have more. She is comforted by the sucking
sensation and will then fall back to sleep in seconds. However,
she very rarely just sleeps throught the night. I have recently
changed to skim milk because of the heavy nighttime digestion of
the whole milk (I want her digestive system to have a rest). I
have heard that sleeping with the bottle is bad for teeth, so I
have tried to give her just water which she doesn't like at
night. Any advice about weaning her off the nighttime bottle?
Or giving her something to drink that will not affect her teeth?
Or any other advice?
toddler mommy
My daughter used to fall to sleep with a bottle too. One day we
bit the bullet (at around 16 months) and told her that milk was
for before bed and she only gets water in bed. She was very
upset with us for several nights and woke often but finally she
gave in (less than a week). She is two now and still has a bottle
of water in bed with her. I guess the next step after that is to
give them a sippy cup of water in bed.
Good luck
anon
I would definitely wean from a milk bottle at night - both skim
and whole will wreak havoc on her teeth! I think, though, that
water is just fine. Try very gradually watering down the bed
bottle, starting with maybe just a tablespoon of water. Very
gradually put in more water and less milk each night, until
it's just water. Weak, unsweetened herbal tea (like peppermint)
may be acceptable to her, too. It could be the ''special
bedtime drink''
R.K.
Are you making sure she gets enough calories during the day?
Toddlers can get so busy during the day that they don't
eat/drink enough. Try feeding her in a quiet undistracting
place during the day to see if that helps.
Anon
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