Need Help Getting My 13Month Old off Her Nighttime Bottle

I allowed my son to have anighttime bottle until he was 2 1/2. if this is the only time she wants the bottle and isn't falling asleep with it in her mouth she should be fine with a little milk in it. My son is fine and he has had no teeth issues or anything. at about 2 1/2 we told him the the bottle was given away to a baby that needed it more than he did and he was fine with it. now he drinks froma sippy cup but still needs his bedtime milk.
I think it is more of a comfort.

I used this method with both my boys, as did some of my friends. We all loved it.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_the-ferber-method-demystified...

Try the "Gerber Nuk Learner Cup". It has a soft spout and is much more like a bottle than the others. I tried so many different types of sippy cups when I was weaning my son off the bottle at 10 months. This is the ONLY one he will use and I swear it's because it has the soft spout and handles. Good luck!

I say let her have the bottle. My now 4 year old had a night time bottle until she was 2 1/2. There is no harm to it. I believe that Dr's know a lot about medicine but NO ONE knows your child like you. When my daughter was 2 1/2 we gave her bottles to Santa Clause so that he could give them to another little girls who needed them! It worked. Go with what works for you. Dr's give suggestions in cases like this. They don't live in your house trying to get sleep with your 13 month screaming! Good Luck!!!!! Bottles are not bad, if it soothes her than let her have it, and get some sleep!

Your daughter is still a baby. She should be allowed to have a bottle especially if she is showing signs of distress when not giving it to her. I understand pediatricians concerns about children having a bottle while they sleep, but if she is taking the bottle before bed and drinking it before getting into bed,then there should be no problem. I think we as a society want our children to grow up so fast these days, that we forget that they are still babies at 13 months. My son didn't get off his bedtime bottle until he was 2 and was able to understand that he didn't need it anymore. It was a lot easier on us and him when he could say goodbye to it and understand where it went. I had him say bye bye to the bottle and had him throw it away in the trash. He has never had a problem since and never asked for it. Don't be too h*** o* yourself. You know what is best for your baby and if she isn't ready, she isn't ready. Dr's have a lot of good advice, but don't take everything to heart. They don't really "know" your child. Good luck.

HI R.,

I feel your pain - I had a difficult time getting my daughter off her night time feeding as well, up until 18 months or so. Anyway, theres a great book called the "Toddler Whisperer" by Tracy Hoggs and in this book she suggests each night or every other night tapering off the amount of milk a child gets in her bottle. For example, if she's typically getting 8 oz, each night or every other night going down 1 oz until there's nothing left. Or you can keep the bottle full with 8 oz each night but adding an oz. of water instead of milk and increasing the amount of water each night. Anyway, the book has other great advice on sleep, discipline, etc. I highly recommend it - its a gentler approach to various issues. Good luck!

while it is acceptable to give a bottle until about 18 months they should never go to sleep with one. the milk will rot the teeth. if you give a night bottle you should then brush teeth after. when you drink from a cup the milk goes down the throat more and bathes the teeth less. ths is why peds suggest getting off the bottle at 12 months. breast milk has the same effect. i have a friend who breast feed her son all night long, he would literally sleep with the breast in his mouth until he was almost 4 years old. he had to have many of his teeth pulled because they were rotten. don't mean to scare anyone or sound negative but many parents do not understand the bad effects bed time and night feedings have on the teeth.

Hi R.,
Gosh, I don't see why you should be forced to take her bottle away right now. Make life easier for everyone, and just let her have it a while longer. It sounds so stressful trying to make her stop right now. She won't have it forever. In the meantime, you can try out other options to see if one works, but it might be easier without the pressure of "having to" take it. When you find things that she's willing to take, then you work on the transition.
The thing with babies is that they are all different. Some things will work, and other things just won't work with your child. As moms, part of our job to balance out the recommendations with what works with our families.
Relax, it'll all work out in due time!
M.

Hi R.,
If it makes you feel any better, my daughter didn't give up her bottle until she was over three and her pediatrician didn't scold me for it. If you'd like his name let me know. I admit as she got older I'd give her the bottle and then brush her teeth but your baby is still a baby. No child ever went to kindergarten with a bottle. I'm sure she's fine:) Good luck to you and your precious little one.

My daughter is 21 months old and just went off the bottle last month. She was 20 months, but at that point, she could understand what it meant when I said "bottes are for babies and you're a big girl, right? so we're going to start using the big girl cup for your milk". I brought home a special nuby sippy and that became her new bottle for milk. She now refers to it as "big girl ba ba" and has never thrown a tantrum or asked about it once. I limited bottles to once a day (at night just like you) from the time she was 12 months until 20 months. I am a firm believer that when she is ready, she'll give it up....it was easy for me because at 20 months, my daughter completely understood that she didn't need a bottle anymore because she was a big girl now. For me talking about it in advance and then coming home with a new special cup was the trick....my daughter doesn't drink nearly as much milk as she once did, but she gets servings in things like yogurt, cheese, etc. Good luck!

Hi R., My name is K. Smith and I am a Parenting Coach and Sleep Consultant in the Los Angeles area. I have to disagree with your doctor on one level. There is a natural decrease in interest in the breast and bottle at around one year and it is good to take advantage of this to try and wean your daughter, but because she was premature you have to allow for the extra three months. In three months I would gradually start diluting her milk with water so that eventually she will be having mostly water in her bottle. You have to do it slowly or she will notice. With that said, make sure she is getting enough calories and milk during the day to compensate. Keep offering her the Nuby cup with the milk in it, she may choose it on her own because it will taste better to her. When the bottle is mostly water you can then switch completly to water and offer her whole milk from a cup. This way she can have a choice, water from a bottle or milk in a cup. She will most likely choose milk. I hope this helps. Check out my website if you'd like at www.theindependentchild.com
K.

Doctors think they know everything. Take her off the bottle when she is ready. She is not ready yet. You are her mother and you know better. For everyone's sake let her have the bottle and change pediatricians. Get one that will listen to your problems and not CAUSE you to have problems. SHow the replies on this site to your doctor and ask him why in the world does she had to be off the bottle by a certain age. Did he give you a reason? Sometimes mothers know better than doctors. Follow your gut on this one.

I agree with the other mothers - don't stress and take your time. Let her have her nighttime bottle and slowly try to eliminate it and get her on a sippy at night. You can't expect a baby to give up something that is comforting cold turkey. If it takes a few more months will be fine.

Hi R.,

Ok..so I am a softy...My son still drinks from a bottle before he goes to sleep and he is 2 years old. He takes the sippy cups and even other non-sippy cups just fine during the day, but wants his bottle at night.

His pediatrician also recommended that he stop using a bottle after age 1, however, when we had to travel by airplane at 15 months, the nurses suggested having him drink from a bottle during landing and take-off to ease the pressure on his ears.

Also, I realize one of the reasons they suggest not using the bottle is tooth decay. We don't let our son go to sleep with the bottle in his mouth; he finishes before we leave the room.

I hope this helps. I haven't read any other responses so maybe you have received some suggestions that will actually get her off the bottle, but I guess I'm saying, don't be too h*** o* yourself or your daughter.

Good luck and best wishes, R.

Unfortunately it may take some more of your time (I know you are exhausted already....sorry....)like rubbing her back, telling or reading her a story...singing a lullaby....I like reading because they can take it over when they get older.

Calms Forte from Hyland's also works to calm with no side effects because it is homeopathic. But taking pills to sleep may cause other problems later....Warm camomille tea?

Remember...this too shall pass...
You are a loving mom.

Thanks.

Deb

Dear R.,

Have you considered that letting your baby daughter cry for hours is more damaging to her than just letting her have a bottle at this young age? Just a thought I hope you will consider.

All the best,
S.

Don't stress about what your doctor is telling you. Take your time, there is no need to rush on these things. How many oz does she drink before falling asleep? My daughter is almost 16 months, we still have a bottle at bedtime. But she is down to 2 oz only. I slowly weaned it down from about 8 oz when she was 12 months old. I probably could take it away completely pretty soon. Just take your time doing it, she'll probably want less and less as her belly will be more full from dinner (I found that as my daughter began to eat more "grown-up" food before bed, she would actually not drink all the bottle, she would sometimes push it away when she got too full- that's how we are down to 2 oz now, she has no need for it other than routine). Do you use a pacifier, that also can help the transition I think. Sounds like it's not time yet for your daughter so take it slow or even put it off for awhile.
Good luck.

Im in the same boat with my 13 month old son. He will not go to sleep at naps or bedtime without a bottle...my daughter who is 5 now was the same way. But, luckily with her she liked pacifiers and took that instead of a bottle at around 15 months to help comfort her to sleep. Needless to say, she is no worse for the wear and her teeth are in great shape. My son refuses a pacifier so I have made the choice to just let him have the bottle of milk when he goes to sleep then I brush his teeth when he gets up. The main reason ped's advise against a bottle after 12months is to avoid bottle rot. But, I never had trouble with that with my daughter's teeth. I never gave her juice in a bottle and eventually around 15 months she would take water in the bottle instead of milk. I would just keep giving your daughter a bottle at nighttime but try to wipe her teeth with a piece of gauze afterwards if she is still awake, if not then wipe them in the morning. Also, you can start by slowly watering down the milk with water until it is just water in the bottle. There really is no harm done by a toddler drinking water from a bottle once a day and eventually she will grow out of it or you can break her of the habit later when you have a few days to allow crying to take place. The trick is going to be giving her a source of comfort to replace the bottle. Easier said than done. My personal choice is to deal with it later and give the bottle now and keep the teeth clean. I know it is not what the doc wants but he is not the one at my house losing sleep so in the end, I have to make the best choice for our entire family.
Good Luck and I hope you are able to find a way to make it work out.
S.

Are you serious, their is no pediatrician law that says your child must be off a bottle at 12 months. There is nothing wrong with giving her a soothing bottle before bed. Every child is different. Many pediatricians tell their patients to take kids off the bottle at 12 months becasue as my pediatrician put it there are many lazy parents who would give their kids a bottle instead of food because it is easier. As long as she is getting the solids she needs and you are not substituting milk for food, why make your life any harder than it already is. I love the bedtime relaxing with my daughter after a bath, book and bottle it is wonderful and we really connect. We brush her teeth all the time and she does not sleep with the bottle, I get it from her when she is done. And all the people out their who transition to a sippy cup, that is the same thing as a bottle just a different name. K.

Darn those pediatricians...if only they were the ones to get baby to bed everynight! :-) If I were you, I would pick my battles carefully, your daughters age is adjusted at nine mos...so she may not be ready yet to lose that last feeding, by the way it's the hardest to get rid of. She won't be on the bottle forever. As long as you are giving it, and she's not sucking on it all night long in her crib, I would wait a little longer to stop it. Don't feel bad, you've done a great job weaning off the others...you are leaps and bounds beyond many! Give yourself a break, and your little one too, keep that last night feeding until you see more readiness signs.

Oh R....She is only 13 months old!!!!!!
I have a 16 1/2 month old and I JUST took her off the bottle before she goes to bed. I give her a sippy cup of milk (she is on my lap in an easy chair drinking before I put her in her crib)
I would have NEVER even thought of taking that last bottle away from my daughter at 13 months old. Screw what the ped. says. They don't know everything.
Do what is in your heart.
M.

Why are you taking away her bottle? What reasons did your dr. give? I had kids you nursed for years. They are now older and are doing just great. Other than worring about her teeth - which you can help by wiping her teeth with a soft, wet washcloth after - I don't see why you would take away a baby's source of nourishment and comfort. Does your dr have kids? I would trust your inner mommie voice in most matters over a dr. who only sees your child for a few hours a year! I have four kids - one who just turned 20, lives on her own, has a great job and is a wonderful person - and I never let any of my kids "cry it out", go in there and pick up your baby and love her. Feed her and rock her and sing to her - I don't think you will ever regret cherinshing this special time. It ends all too soon:) Good luck

Hi R., the night time bottle is the worse one you can give them, due to ear inffections and baby bottle tooth rot. They do have non spill sippy cups, I started myn kids on sipopy cups at 6 nonths old, so when i took them off the bottle they were aready used to the cup. I only gave my babies one bottle a day from 9 months to one year and that was in the morning while I was preparing their cereal.m I understand your bf gerts up early, but if you give her the bottle cause she is pitching a fit, what are you teaching her?

I think you have already gotten a lot of good advice, but here's my experience. My pedi told me to wean my son from the bottle at 13 months - but he took one every night before bed (same routine as you) and he and I both just couldn't give it up. He was about 17 months old (well past the age when my pedi told me to wean him, I just didn't mention it when we went in for check-ups) and one night I 'tried' to not give him the bottle. Instead, I held him like usual, and rocked him and sang him a song. He didn't even make a fuss about not having the bottle. the next night he made a fuss and I gave it to him. But the night after that, he didn't make a fuss and the night after that the same. After a few nights of no bottle, we were done. Crazy how easy it was and I stressed for so long over it. But I really believe it was the timing and his readiness. It will work out for you too, just be patient and make sure your child is ready.

I agree with the other responses - if that's the only bottle she's getting, don't stress about keeping it a little longer. My 15 month old JUST got off bottles, and honestly I wouldn't have cared if she'd kept it longer. I managed to convince her that milk out of a Nuby was just as good. The biggest difference is that she drinks it faster, so I have to rock her a little longer to make up the difference in snuggle time.

Putting a little less milk in every night might work, or giving her the last milk of the day in a room other than her bedroom then rocking (or whatever your routine is) in her room.

Good luck, and go with what feels right to you - your pediatrician isn't the one putting her to bed!

I would say to just keep her on the bottle for a few more months. She doesn't seem to be ready and if it is going to make your life easier I say go for it. Your pediatrician doesn't have to live with you and you ultimately know your baby better. I did that with my first 2 babies (well 14 months for my 2nd) and they were fine. My 3rd and 4th needed to have that bonding time and snuggle time with my husband or me before bed and the bottle provided this for them. And when we decided the bottle was done,(about 18-19 months) because they were older and understood what we were saying(explaining to them that they were big kids now and they didn't have to have the bottle anymore), it was so easy to just let the bottle go away. I actually started giving them a sippy cup with some water in it for the transition and pretty soon they didn't even care to have that. They had no issues and I enjoyed to extra time of them being babies--because it goes by so fast. As long as it is only at night and they were not walking around with a bottle hanging out of their mouth I was fine with it. Again, you know your baby better than your Dr. and you don't have to follow everythning he says to the T. Good luck--I hope this helps. D.

You could always try the 'bottle fairy'. Explain to your daughter that there are babies in the world that need her bottles more than she does because she's a big girl now. Then you have her gather up all the bottles in a basket or nice gift bag and then you hang it from a tree or some other spot (they magically disappear during the night). Then you write a nice note or leave her a nice gift from the 'bottle fairy' as a thank you for helping other babies in the world. It works; I've seen it.

i have the same problem where my 14 month old daughter will only drink her milk from a bottle. i've tried every brand including nuby and the playtex as well as some others. i just can't seem to get her interested in other bottles however i never let her walk around with the bottle. i always feed her the milk. she's been drinking her water from a sippy cup for a long time now, it's just the milk that i can't get her to transition to the cup....

if you come up with something, let me know.....