we are making progress with the training but she doesnt cry at all if i leave her with a bottle. and she still wakes up for a bottle at night. im not willing to ignore that she's hungry in the middle of the night. anyone have suggestions to avoid this bad bottle in bed habit?
I left a bottle in bed with my oldest when she was 9 months old I guess. But it was just water. Mine breastfed and took bottles but when she had milk it had to be almost hot not the normal wrist temp. And milk can go bad if it's left out.
My experience is that if you let her fall asleep with a bottle, she will keep waking up in the middle of the night. I have a friend whose 2 1/2 yo had NEVER slept through the night. He would wake up at least once or twice for a bottle. When they finally took the step of getting rid of the bottle in bed, three days later he slept through the night for the first time. And let me tell you, getting rid of the bottle to fall asleep was extremely difficult. He was up for hours crying for the bottle.
I'm not saying you shouldn't do it. I know all the books say that you shouldn't but lots of people do and their kids turn out fine. (maybe you'd get unlucky and get teeth problems and ear infections but probably you wouldn't). I'm just saying your life will probably be a lot easier if you find another way to get your child to sleep now rather than waiting until she is two. Trust me, it is easier. If she cries a little, its ok. Get some ear plugs if you need it or turn on the tv or music. Anything to distract yourself. I used to read a book, so I wouldn't go in there and check.
Good luck!
of course you shouldn't ignore a hungry baby who needs a feeding in the middle of the night. that doesn't mean you should leave her with a bottle. get a good regular ritual going and stick with it. babies need consistency. don't make the bottle part of the bedtime ritual.
this in no way suggests you should ignore her hunger.
khairete
S.
I know I broke all the rules but all three of my kids who were all nursed for various length of times, eventually were put to bed with a bottle (2% milk, gasp!). None of them have had dental problems or ear infection problems....Just saying....maybe I'm just lucky....but a Mamma's gotta do what a Mamma's gotta do to get through the night!
I'm not sure I completely understand your question. The way to avoid the bottle in the bed is not to give her one. Ever. Make sure you have a bedtime routine that you follow EVERY night (my son has a bath, then we read him stories, say prayers, and sing songs) so that she can start winding herself down for bed. This actually really works - do the exact same thing every night, and you'll notice that the baby gets tired half-way through the routine! If she is young enough to NEED to be fed right before bed (I would say under 6-8 months old? That's a generalization, of course, some babies stop with a bedtime feeding earlier, others a little later), then feed her, but don't give her the bottle to feed herself. Use that time for bonding. If she is older than 6 months old, you should never let her fall asleep while taking the bottle, so if she falls completely asleep in your arms, make sure you gently wake her before putting her in bed. If she wakes up in the middle of the night, as hard as it is, you get up and you feed her and when she's done, you both go back to bed. Letting her have the bottle may get you more sleep now, but it will get you a lot less sleep later on. Good luck!
We had the same issue with water in a SIGG bottle. Our toddler wanted to take one to bed. We finally set a rule that bottles simply aren't allowed in the crib or bed. We let him take it to his room and take sips up until he went to bed, then we took it away and reminded him of the "rule". He cried the first few times but after a few days he got used to abiding by the rule, and we haven't had any trouble again. Consistencey is key!
Cold turkey, take it away. She's not hungry, it's just habit, period.
K. B
mom to 5 including triplets
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Absolutely agree with Julie. You do not say how old your daughter is. However, you can leave music, a little blanket or something else you think it can help her to fall sleep. Nonetheless, you can feed her at night time when she wakes up.
Very BAD habit if it is milk or juice in that bottle!!! You don't say how old she is - young babies can not go through the night without eating - but should NEVER be put to bed with a bottle! Tooth decay and ear infections are just 2 problems that can occur.
Milk or juice in the bottle is a bad idea. Water is fine.
