Getting Rid of Night Bottle.

Hi A.,
I believe the docs recommend getting rid of the bottle by 12 months. This is probably because the older the babies get, the harder it is to ween them from a bottle to an actual cup. they say when you start the babies on regular milk, to put it in a sippy cup rather than a bottle. you will have to break her out of the bottle at some point, so maybe start sooner than later...? best of luck with this.

Hi A. B,

I am having the same problem with my 16 month old son. But, I am not as strong as you I can't let him cry my heart breaks when he really starts in on me for the bottle. I read the responses you get. :)

Sounds like you're trying to change too much. If all you want to do is not give her the bottle, that that's all you have to change. Changing the rest of the routine is just too much to expect her to adjust to. So go to her room, do lights off and lullabies, and maybe spend some quiet time talking to her about her day when she normally has her bottle, then say goodnight.

I had the same problem with my son at 16 months. His doctors wanted him off the bottle completely because he was so prone to ear infections and the night bottle was our last challenge. What seemed to work for us was to have the same routine but only with the sippy instead of the bottle. We would still sit and cuddle in the chair. It took about a week before he was used to it and accepted it. I all most gave up and gave in after the first three night of crying but then it seemed to get easier and by the end of the week he was just as happy with his cup as he had been with the bottle. I think the fact that he wasn't getting any bottles during the day also helped (all of his drinks were using his sippy cup during the day). It does get easier once they accept the change.

If the doctor says you need to get rid of the bottle I would listen to him. There is no reason why you can't have quiet time with your daughter with the sippy cup.
It is totally a hard transition. My son has an illicit affair with his bottle. If he sees an empty one he freaks out and chants "BaBa BaBa BaBa!". But I started giving him sippy cups only after his AM bottle and consistency has made the difference. But if you think this is hard at 16 months, we spent the weekend with some dear friends and she cannot break her almost 3 year old son of the bottle habit. So while my 14 month old took a sippy cup of milk, her son went into meltdown mode because he wanted a bottle. In time she will break the bottle habit, but the question is--do you want to have the fight today or later when she can say things that really make you feel like a bad mom (which you are not of course).
Good Luck.

Why do you feel like just because you started this that you have to stick with it? I started the CIO method with my oldest 8 years ago and stopped when I realized how cruel it was. Guess what? All the doctors and other CIO moms who freaked about how "they HAVE to put themselves to bed or they will always need you" just don't want to be bothered in my opinion or they just do whatever their doctors tell them. My older children put themselves to bed and sleep through the night just fine and have for a long time.

My almost 15 month old still nurses in the middle of the night. There is no way I am going to tell a 15 month old or even a 16 month old that they can't do that anymore. They are a baby! They aren't a big boy or girl.

Was there a problem with the bedtime before you tried doing w hat the doctor said to? If not, why mess with things?

My friends who have multiple children just like I do with three all say the same thing. When the doctor asks if they put themselves to sleep or sleep through the night, we just say, "Most times". We know they are going to tell us how they "have" to be doing these things while in our minds, they are only babies for so long. There will come a time soon enough when they don't need us as much, don't want to cuddle, etc.

I'm sorry. I know you are a first time mom and when I was, I thought everything my doctor and "experienced" moms told me was gold too but I have learned I have to trust my gut. Nobody knows your child like you. If this is tearing you apart, give your baby her bottle! She will stop wanting it soon enough. She's still a baby.

Well, I can tell you what the difference is, anyway...

a bottle lets milk steadily drip, meaning that she may end up with milk pooling in her mouth even after she has fallen asleep and stopped sucking. This is very bad for her teeth. A sippy cup, however, only works (generally) if the child is actively drinking.

Finally, 16 months really does seem quite old to still be using a bottle, unless there is some reason why she cannot handle a cup on her own. And good sleeping habits depend on your daughter being able to go to sleep without any kind of "crutch". You will be VERY grateful later on if you teach her to fall asleep without her bottle.

It's been my experience that the sooner you get off the bottle the better. It's better for speech and teeth too. You are very creative and found a great way to handle it. give her time she'll come around!

Children of any age should never never go to sleep drinking milk or formula. The milk sits in the back of their throats and ferments and causes ear infections. Give her a bottle of water, sweeten it at first and gradually reduce the sugar to none.

From Ask Dr Sears. Drinking formula or juice while lying down can increase the risk of ear infections. This is because the liquid can enter the eustacian tube and introduce bacteria or viruses into the middle ear. The many germ-fighting ingredients in human milk keep harmful bacteria from bothering baby, so that stuffed-up noses and ears are less likely to become infected middle ears. Because breastfed babies are fed in a more upright position, they're less likely to experience milk backing up through the eustachian tube into their ears; if this does happen during a breastfeeding session, human milk is less irritating to the tissues of the middle ear than infant formula.

Hi A.,

My daughter is 16 months also. Here is a little trick that I did with her. I use Born Free bottles only. So when it came time to switch her to the sippy cup, I started using the Born Free sippy cup for water only. When she got used to it, I switched the Born Free nipples to the Born Free sippy cup nipples (they fit the bottles as well). She now drinks milk out of her bottle with a sippy cup top. Worked out fine. Also, does she like water? My daughter's last bottle is at around 3pm (my doctor says only 16 ounces now). She drinks water with her dinner and doesn't fuss for milk in the evening.

My son got his bottle up until he was 2 years and 1 month old. He loved his bottle. He just finally gave it up.. and I didn't want to rush him. He loved his bottle.. and he only got it at night time and nap time otherwise he drank from a cup with a straw that he loved too. Don't rush it.. they grow up so quickly now a days. My son is going to be 13 soon.. where does the time go? If she loves it.. it soothes her.. it makes your life happier.. go with it... My daughter gave up her bottle when she was 9 months old.. because her brother was 2 1/2 and she saw him using a cup.. so she started... She never had a blanket either and my son had to sleep with his until he was 7 1/2. Go figure. Enjoy it while you can.. they really grow... A.

Absolutely not!! What is the point of this battle? You are right, your doctor is wrong. ALWAYS trust your own instincts. Children should never be PUSHED to grow up. They do it too quickly all by themselves, if you let them. Sippy cup or bottle? No difference. Bed time should be a calm, happy relaxing time. Read her a story and give her some peace in her little life. If you want to be conscientous, then brush her teeth afterwards, but it really isn't necessary.

I have a 15 month old daughter. She gets one AM bottle 8oz. and one 6:15 PM 8 oz bottle. With milk offered numerous times a day. She goes to sleep after bottle and bath. We brush our teeth after bath. Is there really a difference between bottle an dsippy cup if she brushes her teeth and goes to sleep a half hour later? I don't think so. There fore I say keep the bottle.

Let her have her bottle or at least the sippy cup. And let her have it for as long as she wants it. Doctors always advize getting rid of the bottle, but they never explain the what horrors will befall the 2 year old ro 3 year old or --mercy on us all-- 4 or even 5 year old who still sips milk from a sippy at night. My children did it well into 1st grade each: no rotten teeth, no insatiable cravings, no tantrums. All in all I can't see a difference between my lovely adjusted children and everyone else who had to foreswear the bottle prematurely (OK, it's too early to tell that they will never have the backbone, discipline and fortitude to climb Everest, er, I mean, go to Harvard). Nearly 50 years ago on my pediatrician's advice, my Mother took my bottle away before I was ready. I had such a long and difficult adjustment that for years later, my Mother expressed her regret for listening to the doctor. I became a smoker and to this day still chew a pencil. I wonder . . .

A.,

It is going to be a hard transition. My doctor had told me to cut the bottle by the time she was two. I started nov of 2007 but it didn't go well so I let her have it back. She turned two and we started making sippy cups the full time during the morning. I used the transition nubby cups and they worked. I found that all the nuby products have worked. For a very long time I was giving the nubby at night but she eventually didn't want the sippy at night. Very long restless nights but she handled it very well when she was ready she gave it up. She is now going to be three in jan.
Good luck it wasn't easy

I am a mom to 3 children ages 5 1/2 2 1/2 and 15mths old my first son we got rid of the bottle at 2 my 2nd son at 18mths and my dtr i am not planning on taking away from her until at least another 3mths because she is difficult to begin with with crying as her usual behavior and not sleeping too well so i dont want to take this away yet although she loves drinking from cups and taking her brothers cups too she is still a baby i feel i would do whats best for u not what the md says so what if u wait a few more months dont torture yourself and make it harder for u i would wait

good luck

Hi A.!

Stop making your and your daughter's life harder. Parenting is hard enough as it is. there is nothing wrong in giving a child a bottle at bedtime. My daughter had it untill she was 4 yo. Then one day she just didn't need it anymore. And I don't see anything that could be wrong with her because I let her drink her milk from a bottle.
Sucking from a bottle is enjoyable process for a child, besides it calms their nervous system down, so they can fall asleep easier.

Good luck,
D.

I think you need to make up your own mind and go with whatever plan you are comfortable and confident about. My son is 2.5 and still has his bedtime and naptime bottle. It never even occurred to me to take it away from him until he was 2 because my mom nursed us past 2 (though only at bedtime by the end). He likes it for comfort and I don't feel like I need to take it away right now (we are expecting another baby in December so I am planning to leave it alone until he is used to the baby). However, he does not fall asleep with it in his mouth or anything either. He drinks from a sippy cup during the day (sometimes even a regular cup now). He gets the bottle during stories and then goes to bed (at bedtime he brushes teeth after). Also, he has only had 1 ear infection and the doctor saw him with the bottle after he was 2 and said nothing about it. Hope that helps you decide what you want to do.

How about water instead of milk?

My daughters wouldn't go to bed without their bottle. Try giving her a sippy with milk and the bottle with water. The dr. probably doesn't want the milk sitting on her teeth all night. My girls needed the sucking motion to go to bed. After a few days, start a new routine. Tell her after teeth brushing there is no more milk. Give her the sippy with milk during down time and only water in bed. You should be able to tell if it is the milk or the bottle she wants by how much she drinks. Eventually she will give up the bottle. When my oldest was in prek, half the class still went to bed with the bottle. I'm not one who likes the crying approach. She is still young. Who is going to know if she has a bottle at night? I don't see people stopping the pacifier that early. Do what your gut tells you. Good luck.

To me having a bottle at 16 months is no big deal. Good
gracious, it makes her happy. IMO not worth the battle.
She is a baby. Everyone wants these babies to grow up so
fast. Babies have bottles taken away and replaced with
sippy cups. And the difference is?

I say let her have her bottle.

I know that a lot of doctors and dentists now recommend being off the bottle at age 1. My daughter (now 13) was more like 1 3/4 years - at that time, 2 was the "magic age."
My suggestion is if the cup makes her scream, see if you can have your stories and bedtime routine without the milk at all. You do have to ditch this bottle sometime and if she loves it so much, it's likely not going to get easier in 3 or 6 months. See if the screaming happens or not by just eliminating the bedtime milk altogether
If you do continue with the bottle, I'd suggest that you need to insist on teeth brushing after the bottle. She shouldn't go to sleep with milk coating her teeth.
Good luck!

Every child is different - my dgtr was weaned from her bottle at bed by 1 yr pretty much - and completely by 18 mos - other kids still have it for the duration and still turn out fine. Having said that - I agree with you - milk is milk no matter what form the container is. She probably shouldn't have milk before bed. I had switched my dgtr to water (mainly b/c she would have downed WAY TOO MUCH formula if I didn't) when she was 7 months old (at bedtime I mean). Try getting her milk in during the day with the last of it around dinner time. Then start brushing her teeth before bed to get rid of the residue in her mouth and give her a water bottle if she won't take the sippy. If you want to change her routine to incorporate a 'big girl routine' - switch the lights down/lullaby for the stories and keep the bottle but make it water. I always feel one switch at a time is better than everything - right now she just doesn't know what to expect.

My suggestion is decide on the routine you want - and stick with it. It will be easier for you! If you are changing something - change that thing - then incorporate the others as slowly or quickly as you need. You know her best - follow your instincts while paying attention to the recommendations of MD's and what is 'typical' for the age - but there is no standard set of rules - no matter what anyone says!! Good luck!

Hi,You may not want to hear this, but I would just give her the bottle. It's not hurting her and she loves it. She will give it up on her own and she's getting the nutritional value which to me was the more important of the two. I have found that doctors are not always right. Good luck.
MS

well what do you mean by night bottle? if you mean you let her lay down with it and she falls asleep, yes youshould stop that for her teeth. the worst regret you would have is watching her get a root canal at 3.

now if you just mean she driks a bottle awake, then brushes her teeth, i dont see it being a prob. imo, 2 is the age where children no longer need a bottle(ETA BUT THATS JUST ME AND IF THEY BRUSH THEIR TEETH IT SHOULDNT HURT ANYTHING). its more of an issue, asleep or awake if your baby sips the bottle for an hour. if she drinks it quickly, its not an issue.

anyway, the easiest thing is just to tell her she can have the sippy of milk or the bottle of water. it will be rough no matter what but eventually she will decide which is more important. its actually helps to to put a tiny bit of milk with the rest water in the bottle and reg milk in the sippy. she will see the white so she wont be as mad as seeing water. but if you can get her up to brush the teeth, i wouldnt worry and wait until 2+ when the choice can be explained better. good luck, my daughter was over 2, 16 months is still a baby ya know.

ETA AGAIN, make sure your doc had a reason, like if its teeth, then brushing after should solve the issue. but if it just "because" i would def do what my parenting beliefs lean toward. remember doctors are humans. parents ask alot of questions, and many expect the doctor to have the answer. over time, they end up giving you their personal opinion vs medical advice. remember to separate parenting ideas and techniques with medical consensus. the two are often mixed.

Is this the only bottle she takes? Does she use a bottle during the day? This will make a big difference. If she still takes a bottle during the day try taking away a different bottle and giving her the sippy cup then. Let her get used to the sippy cup a little at a time.

Yes, she should be off the bottle by now but since she isn't don't make it harder for her or yourself by taking away the one she loves the most. Doctors always say a child should be off the bottle by one year old. But doctors aren't home with their kids all day so they don't know how hard it is to do with some kids. Ask a doctors wife. I've talked to my doctors wife about this in the past! And my best friend is a doctors wife. Both have told me their doctor husbands don't know all there is to raising kids because they are never around to help!

Give her the bedtime bottle but give her less and less milk each day. Eventually she won't need it (or even the sippy cup) before bed anymore. She really shouldn't need anything to drink before bed anyway.

A.,

We had to take my daughter off the bottle at about that age because she had fluid in her ears. She loved her bottle and missed it. She cried for it for a couple of days, but a refused milk at all for about a week. We tried a variety of different cups. After about a week of the milk strike, she finally started drinking her milk and is doing great with it still. She loves the Born Free cup (which is much better for her ears) just as much as she ever loved her bottle. Ultimately, what you do is your decision. Trust your instincts. There are a lot of strong opinions here but only you, as her mother will know what's best for her and you. There is no right answer. Good luck!!

My daughters were easy to get off the bottles but I remember we introduced the sippy cup for the daytime and we still kept the bottle for bedtime. My youngest was off the bottle thing at about 14 months. she got so used to her sippy cups during the day that one night I just put her milk in a cup and she went with it. She also has a big sister who she sees drinking from the sippy cup and wants to do everything like her, so that was probably why it was so easy for me.

My advice... keep the nighttime bottle for now, make her use only sippy cups during the day in a week or two just try putting her nighttime milk in a cup and see what happens. Your goal is ween her off the bottle but she is only 16 months and like someone else said, still a baby. The bottle might be a comfort thing for her. I do remember that we never changed our bedtime routine the only thing I changed was the bottle to a cup. Keep your routine the same, children need thaty structure. You take the advice of everyone (including what the doc. said) but you do it the way it works for you and your child. You understand the docs point, you will get her off the night bottle but it may take sometime. Some kids are ok with stopping it cold turkey while others aren't. Just remember you make and break habits... the longer the child has the habit the longer it takes to break. Good luck and go with the flow, let her have her bottle and gradually ween her off.

Our youngest too loved his bottle. We took bottle away from our oldest when he turned 1 and I wanted to do the same with our youngest. Oh boy, it was the hardest 2 days ever, he screamed at nap time and it took him up to an hour to go to bed at night. But after 2 days.....it was all well again:).Our boys (almost 2 and almost 4 ) still want a cup before they go to bed however.
You will have to take bottle away from her some day, the earlier the better.Our God daughter is 4 years old and she is still on the bottle, parents tried many times to take it away and she just is not giving up(her top teeth are also rotten to the bone).The older they are the harder to break the habit(we waited till our oldest was 3 y old to take away paci and it was soooooo hard , so with our youngest we took it away at 6 months and had no problems)
I am not sure if you were talking about taking just the night bottle but letting her have it other times.....we never tried that since we felt it was too confusing for the kids.

Dear A.,

I know you are feeling bad however this is the tough part of parenting. When my kids were little ( now 24 & 19 ) doctors had us get rid of the bottle entirely as soon as they turned one. I am sure it is for dental reasons so the milk is not sitting in her mouth all night. I know it seems hard but she is growing up now and the doctor feels she doesn't need the night bottle any longer. Your going to hate me for this but I would just take the bottle away all together at this point or just let her have it until your both ready to let go. I think its worse and probably confusing to her as to why she can have it at certain times and not at bed. I would just use the sippy cup and continue your new bedtime ritual. Reading a story to your child at bedtime can also be wonderful quiet time in her room. I remember when I had to take the pacifier away from my second I was so upset it was harder on me then her. She only asked for it for one day and it was over. Trust me mom your are not being mean she is just growing up and you are doing the right thing. You have not stolen anything from her that you have not replaced with something else wonderful story time with mommy. Just be prepared for a fight with the sippy cup and milk. Some kids in the beginning are so used to their milk in a bottle they refuse to drink it in a sippy cup. So make sure she is getting her calcium through yogurt etc. Good luck!!!

Hi A.,
My son is 16 months and still takes an a.m and p.m. bottle. I just don't see the rush in taking them away just yet. He's happy, healthy, and just like you- I enjoy that bottle time with him. I think as long as they're off the bottles altogether by the age of 2, then it's okay. I know people tell us that it's so much easier to do away with the bottles NOW rather than later, but I'm choosing to follow my own path on this one. I just don't see the need in causing him to be upset over something he loves!
That being said, since you want to stick with the plan of no bottle, you do need to be consistent and just make bedtime as happy and as comforting to her as possible. I think you're doing a great job so far- bedtime sounds very nice at your house! :)
Hope this helps, and good luck!
Lynsey

Hi A.,

I think you will still be able to transition your daughter from the bottle to the sippy cup without completely changing your routine and losing your quiet time with her. At night, give her the sippy cup instead of a bottle in her room, turn off the lights, rock and sing to her while she drinks from the sippy cup. She may not take a lot at first but keep offering it to her each night. Eventually she will make the full transition without you losing your alone time with her. When I transitioned my son from nursing to using the sippy cup, I did it gradually and for one feeding at a time. This way he slowly got used to it. Now he only nurses early in the morning. Good luck!

What is the doctor's reason for taking away the night bottle? Is it because her teeth are being affected? You didn't mention that in the post. I weened my daughter off of the bottle at 12 months and thank God she adjusted well.

When I weened her off of the bottle, I rotated the sippy cup and bottle for a few days. Eventually she forgot about the bottle and loved to hold the sippy cup. It was a new thing for her & gave her some kind of independence. My suggestion for you would be to ween her off gradually, if you can. It looks like her bottle is a comfort to her, which would be for any baby. She eventually has to come off of the bottle and it looks like at any point you are going to have difficulty. Good luck!

Hi A.,
I am not sure if this will help, but I hope so. My son is 17 months old and he still gets a bottle of milk before bed. It is the only time he gets milk in a bottle, in the am and during the day he drinks it out of a sippy cup. Our night time routine is bedtime stories while he drinks his milk, then we brush his teeth, give kisses then off to bed. Our pediatrician said the main problem with the bottle is that milk tends to pool in the mouth causing tooth decay, but since we brush his teeth before bed (and again in the am after breakfast) it is not so much of a concern. I understand the weaning issue, but I think that most kids tend to self wean after a while (mine did from nursing and the day time bottles.) Don't worry too much about the pediatrician, you know your daughter best and as long as her teeth are healthy I think that you should do what you are both comfortable with.

I am going through the same thing with the pacifier. I regretted taking it but now I have gotten to the point where it is a little better I think I am past the point of going back. I was going to let her "find" one somewhere.

I know the doctors don't like the bottle before bed because it rots the teeth. I too still give my daughter a bottle before bed. But I brush her teeth after. You could try giving her water in the bottle instead of milk. Or you can stick with it and it will get better. I wish I hadn't done it just yet with the pacifier I wish I had taken the bottle first. My daughter is 18 months old and I think it's the worst time. Next time I would do it when she's younger or more likely older. She only had the pacifier at naptime and bedtime. I don't like when kids are older and they walk around with it but she only had it at sleep times so big deal. People I spoke to all said it was easier when they were two or two and 1/2. It seems late but if it would be that much easier it would be worth who cares? Good luck to you. I hope this is helpful if not at least comforting that you are not alone.

A. go with your heart and your motherly instinct. Doctors arent there with you at night during your special quiet time with your daughter are they? my son is 16 months and he gets a bottle of milk at night, well, he sips it here and there while im reading him books before bed. the bottle doesnt go into the crib with him...i dont listen to everything the doctors say...i go with what we like and what works for us! good luck! D.

There is no 'law' saying that you have to listen to what your doc. or anyone else says you have to do. You are your daughter's parent. You do what your heart tells you to do. You know your daughter. Who knows her better than her own Momma? Listen to your own instinct. Let her have her night time bottle. It is a form of security and love to her. Do not take it away yet. There will be so many 'rules' that she will have to follow in life, so don't make this be one at this tender time in her life. My niece is two years old and even though her doc. told her the same thing your doc. is telling you, my sister went with her own heart and gives her daughter a night time bottle. My niece will be three in Jan. and that is when my sister will have her daughter "be a big girl" throw her bottle away. It works for her family and she doesn't care what others say. I am proud that she is raising her daughter how she wants to and not how the world wants her to. My older sister had four babies and on each of their 3rd. birthdays, she had them throw away their bottles. And by the way, they all have naturally beautiful teeth! We all have something that comforts us at night to get our bodies ready for sleep. Let your daughter keep her night time bottle to calm her each night. It is very important to her.
D.

Are you serious? At 16 months? I'm sorry but that's crazy. My Dr. never told me that. My first child loved her night time bottle. She gave up all her other bottles and went to sippy cups w/ no problem except for that one right before bed. No way no how would she give it up. Her last night time bottle was the night before her 3rd birthday. About a month or so before her birthday we told her that 3 year olds do not drink from bottles and we all agreed that she could keep it until her birthday. Worked out perfectly.
I don't see the harm in giving your 16 month old a bottle before bed. What's the rush? She's still a baby.
Good luck w/ what you decide to do.

A.,

My daughter is also 16 months, and we just stopped the bottle last month. We introduced books in her room, brushing her teeth, and singing a song as part of the routine at bedtime (we love the cuddle time in her room too) where we made the bottle optional. She wanted it less and less. Then we transitioned from the bottle to the sippy. She liked that for awhile, but now doesn't even need it. I was worried about not giving milk at night, but she now drinks more milk in the morning. Good luck, I know it is hard at first, but it is much nicer now not having the bottle.

A., my sister went through that when her girls were little and the pediatrician said for her to get the youngest off the bottle and she wished she didn't do it so early. That was her comfort. This is the way I see it: you don't let them sleep with bottles. Yes, brushing teeth before going to bed is great. a sign that bed time is coming up soon. I like morning and night teeth brushing. Also, you could wean her off the bottle later on or do now and it might take a while to get her completely weaned off. I see some kids drinking from bottle at 4 years of age and I am no, that is getting too old and sucking pacifier at 5 and 6 years of age...uh, no. But, 16 month old, she is still young yet. See if you can sean her off gradually and then she won't notice that she is off bottle and on sippy. The bottle is her security. Let us know what happens and what decision you made. I'll pray that Jesus will give you His Wisdom in dealing with this. I'll pray for you and your family.

A. tell your doctor that she has to take it and if he doesnt agree teach your daughter not to beacause doctors no what they doing

I can't see why you need to stop giving a bottle at bedtime if it is the only one and you would be giving her milk anyway in a cup. What is the difference? She is still very little.
Both of mine kept a bedtime bottle (having long since stopped the others) until about 2 and a half, and at that age they gave them up really easily. My eldest just stopped taking it at all at 2 1/2, and with the younger one at about the same age we explained that bottles were for babies and she was going to to stop having one. It was no bother at all at that age, but a 16 month old can't understand.