Yes, its a bad habit. I didn't start it, but I have to live with it now. He's totally dependent on going to sleep with a bottle. I hate to just let him cry it out, it doesn't seem to work for him. He just cries and cries and won't settle until he has the bottle. When we go in, this just upsets him more. I also can't hold him while giving him his bedtime bottle, then lay him down, because he doesn't become drowsy while we are around. Our presence is just stimulation for him. I'm thinking about just substituting water, but he can easily chug 8 ounces or more and I worry about water intoxication. He won't accept a pacifier either, and I already put music on, keep it warm and dark, have a soft blanky in there, etc. Nothing soothes him to sleep but a bottle! Anyone else been in my place? I must sound like the worst mom...
If you're giving him a bottle at night-it should be water. Milk or juice is bad for their gums and teeth as it pools and little bits will stay in their mouth while they sleep. I wouldn't worry about water intoxication anymore than anything else. You're not the worst mom...lots of babies want a bottle. Just make it water and you'll be fine.
Good luck!
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B.B.
We lay our daughter down with a water bottle. I don't ever give her enough that she would become water intoxicated, I think that would be a LOT of water. 6 ounces should be good... how old is your son? Try to stay away from warm water... it moves bowels. But you don't want to give him cold water, that would wake him up! Just room temp water. Everything else sounds like you're doing great!! :) If he falls asleep better without you there, so be it... all the better in my opinion!! I love that my 1 year old does that too!! Our other daughter didn't... it was a battle of wills and she always won, still does!
Good luck!
V.
My son slept with a bottle of warm milk until he was 2, and a sippy until 4 or 5. He now goes to bed with a mug of hot chocolate.
His teeth are fantastic (bianual dentist appointments from 4 teeth to present), and he's a fast grower. Not giving him his bedtime snack (milk is protein & fats & carbs & vitamins & minerals... aka super-food), would guarantee a bad night's sleep because he'd be waking up hungry.
Our rather ancient dentist (in practice over 60 years) said he's never seen a case of tooth decay from milk sugars. Nursing babies, toddlers, or kids. As long as their teeth are brushed twice a day... as long as it's just lactose/galactose... we didn't need to worry, since he had good enamel (aka his baby teeth didn't have defects, some kid's do).
This makes me smile, I am sorry, BB,
because I AM THE ONE who had a bottle until I was 5 years old.
Nothing wrong with me, and you do not have to do it if you feel it's not right, because it is your kid and your decision, but my story started from the fact that when I was 7 DAYS old I was placed to orphanage.
At my 9 months old, my father's Godmother- myGodlyGrandmother saved me from that place, and I definitely was not breastfed.
I remember the bottle story because when I was 5 years old, my parents decided to take me bac into their family and they were the ones who took this warm cozy bottle away from me. I REMEMBER not sleeping most of the night crying through my misery of losing my Grannies (as there were 4 of them there, all sisters who I lived with), AND my warm bottle of sweet milk. By that time nobody had to get up when I woke in the middle of night to go 'podie', I knew to pull the night-pot out from under my bed on my own, and I could not understand why all this disaster needs to happen, at all.
When I raised my three kids, I did NOT give them a bottle, but I did not let them cry - we somehow sorted things out without disastrous feelings on both sides.
It is always a challenge, and a creative approach because the reason why kids are not born with a manual - every human being is totally unique, and needs a very special individual approach!
I'd pray for the right approach, and listen to what your heart will tell you to do! FEEL DEEP while thinking reason, too!
Many best wishes to both of you!
If you are the worst mom then I am completely unfit.! All three of my kids did the bottle thing well after 1 and two of them I transitioned to a sippy cup after with which they lingered with that until they were 3 or 4. I just make sure that as soon as they fall asleep I take the bottle or sippy cup so the milk doesn't just drip in their mouth. If you want to transition to water you really do not need to worry about water intoxication. This will not happen on 8 ozs.
Good luck.
I would just give him water in his bottle at bedtime, and give less and less everynight eventually he will not want it.
Have you started introducing a cup yet. Don't take the bottle away cold turkey yet. Maybe try introducing the cup and still give the bottle until you little one gets the hang of the cup. I also have an 11 month old and this is what I did. It is a whole lot easier to ween off a cup at night oppose to a bottle. Hope this helps some.
I just saw someone else said they had a bottle til they were 5!! I quit mine right after I turned 6. Thought I was the only one. :) And I turned out fine. He is only 11 mos. Lots of babies still nurse or have a bottle at bedtime. Why would you think it is such a big deal or you think you are the worst mom? Try water like the other moms suggested or trying slowly watering down the formula. He won't have it forever. It just feels that way. Good luck. and don't be so hard on yourself, Mama!
Start thinning the formula with water. Shortly after he turns a year, it should be nothing but water in the bottle. The biggest concern with babies using a bottle to go to sleep is that the milk pools in the mouth and the sugars can start encouraging cavities in the back of the teeth. Also, once it is water he may loose interest or find some other way to soothe himself.
Hi BB - you sound like a great mom! My second liked the bottle too except he refused to drink water. I wouldnt worry too much about giving him 8 ounces of water in his bottle at night - you have to drink a whole lot more H2O than that at one time to get water intoxication. If you're horribly worried about it, you could always add some flavorless Pedialyte to the water in his bottle.
