Helllp.....How do you get baby off night time bottle?

Question

Yes, I'm a first time mommy and think I made a horrible mistake, since my son was born he has had a nighttime bottle....He is 9 months now and our routine at night is dinner at 7:oopm(baby food) bath, massage, book...nightime bottle and sleep...I prop the bottle rub him a little and he eventurally falls alseep usually drinking the entire 8ozbottle....he has started sleeping much longer but he still wakes up in the night...I give him a little water and he doses off, an hour or so he's up again and then I give him 6oz of milk and then he asleep again until the morning...in all that time I change his diaper twice while he's sleeping....how do I get him out of of this habit...I read nightitme bottles are bad for teeth, but thats's the only way he will fall back asleep, also it's tiring waking up to three times at night for me.

Answer 1

make sure he is really full up after his dinner because he will want less milk. i know people say this is bad but i melted half a farleys rusk into the bottles before bed and that filled my girls right up so thay slept all the way through the night. it only bad for there teeth so i dont see why people say it is so bad. it isnt a great idea to rub him to sleep because you are not teaching him to be able to fall asleep on his own. he needs some kind of comfort and that is either you or the bottle so try to put him down then leave him, it will be hard to listen to him cry but so long as you know he is ok leave him to learn to settle himself. if he can do this he wont cry when he wakes up at night so much because he will feel confident enough not to need a bottle or you to sooth him back to sleep

Answer 2

How about you stand there with a pacifier for awhile holding it in his mouth since the sucking is probably what he needs anyway.

I weaned by babies off night bottles with pacifiers.

One of them still wakes up hungry every so often and I feed her but it's not out of habit, it's out of hunger.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I got thumbs down last time I suggested this - but it worked for both of our children.  I replaced the midnight feedings with water, and left a bottle of water for them in the crib in case they wake in the night.  You also have to be willing to let them cry it out a bit too.  Your son will not like that you are not comming for a visit at night anymore, and probably will protest - be paitent.  It will take a little will power and strength, but before long, he will be sleeping straight through.

Answer 4

I am in the process of eliminating a nighttime bottle for my 3-month old, as he moves from 5 bottles to 4.  He was drinking 5 oz at 10:30 every night, but I have been dropping the amount I let him eat by about an ounce a week.  (And he in turn progressively increases the amount he eats during the day.) he is down to 2-ounce bottles this week, so hopefully by september I can eliminate it altogether.  Just slowly reduce the amount you give him in that bottle, and eventually replace with a pacifier if he still feels the need to suck, until he falls asleep again.

Answer 5

I let my kids have their night bottle till one year. At that time, I gave them the choice: passy or sippy cup. I would fill the sippy cup with water. If they chose the passy, I would take it when they fell asleep. If you do choose sippy cups, make sure they do not leak. At about two years old (we just hit this with my daughter and it was not as easy as it was with my son) we put them in toddler beds. When you hit that stage, then you do not put them to bed with the sippy cup or passy. Do not give them the passy passed 2 years old!!! Just put a sippy cup next to the bed. But for now, Give your son a special toy and maybe that will help him sleep. My son won't go to bed without his "Puppers" and my daughter won't sleep without her blankie.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

You should get the book "Sleeping Through the Night" by Mindell,  It is a great resource, you'll use it for years.  

Answer 7

never prop his bottle, he could choke, or fall asleep and have it leak in his mouth and technically drown. it's ok to give him a bottle before bed, but let him finish it and then lay him down. or let him drink it lying down, and take it from him before you leave the room. It's bad for their teeth if they have it while they're going to sleep, as they can fall asleep with the bottle in their mouth and have the fluid sitting on their teeth, causing poor dental hygiene