How horrible is it to give the bottle (of formula) prior to putting the baby down for sleep? My dentist and pediatrician says absolutely not to do this b/c of fear of cavities down the line, but my 9 month knows no other way to fall asleep. We only leave him with about an ounce of formula to finish on his own... So that means he's obviously not getting his (four) teeth brushed before naptime and bedtime. I know you are supposed to feed about 30 minutes before putting them down and get them in the good habit of brushing teeth before the day is over.. And I've heard of substituting water instead of milk if need be in the bottle, but that does not work, and my son does not suck on a pacifier or his finger so it is hard w/out the bottle... Does anyone have experience with this? More specifically, does anyone have any warnings and/or true stories for me - like they did this and now regret it because of bad teeth / cavities. This was not my decision to start this (bottle in bed) and I firmly opposed it in the beginning, but now I feel forced to give the bottle because he is used to it.
I gave all my 3 kids a bottle before sleep. Only one developed cavities but I believe it was from too much apple juice not milk. If I had to do it over again I would avoid, apple juice, raisins & fruit snacks-these were the 3 things the pedodontist said should be outlawed. Raisins & fruit snacks stick to the teeth.
Pediatricians and dentists say absolutely not. But I know mothers who have and their kids have been fine. But you never know! So what do you do? I would recommend giving water instead. For a while, we put our kids down with a small bottle of milk before their naps. But as I learned, we switched it to water. And to this day, I only give my kids milk or water. Personally, I see little value in fruit juice. Ideally, to break them of having a bottle during nap/bed is most idea but start with water. He'll get used to it. :)
Hi C.,
I also have a baby now 15 months old. That was and still is the only way to get him to sleep. Try this, This will take a few days, maybe even a week or two, but it will work.
When you normally give him his bottle in his crib start dilluting it just a little at first, then more each night, eventually he will get used to it, and eventually water will be what's left. That's what I did. Just make sure that during the day you put all the formula in to make sure he gets all the vitamins, but you know that.
I hope it helps, and I swear sleeping issues are the most stressful things to deal with. Good luck!
Guess what when my baby was 4 months old I got pregnant again, so I would have loved to have an extra 5 months to not have to deal with another one! You'll do just fine. Just remember to give them all individual time and everything will work out!
I was a "bottle rot baby" as my mom called it. I remember having caps on baby teeth done at 4 years old, and cavities galore. Can't say I recommend it....
When my daughter would fall asleep with the bottle in our arms, we would go get the toothbrush and brush the teeth while she slept. We never, ever put the bottle in the crib. When she got older, we would give her a sippy of water in the crib, but one day we just stopped. It might make them mad for a day or two, but eventually, they move on. So do you. Even the most stubborn of them learn to adapt.
Just give him the ounce or so of water instead, and when he cries...let him cry. He is old enough to know how to manipulate you to get what he wants and he will do exactly that. Don't give in. It's better to be safe than sorry in my opinion. You don't want to be sorry in a couple years when he is at the dentist's office having them pulled...
