What to Do with My Bottle Babies!!

I think it's time to change the bedtime routine to include a snack, drink, brush teeth then bed. Only water is safe to put in the bottles at night but it is a habit that needs to GO. Maybe O. at a time. Older O. first? Good luck!

I think all of the answers you've received have been right on target, even if some seemed rather forthright. My "2 cents" is that you offer them a good, high protein, snack before bedtime, then only allow water in a sippy-cup to take with them to bed. Then, insert some earplugs and an ounce of determination, resolve, and patience. Even after you think this issue is over, be prepared for it to come up again after the new baby arrives. But, you are the leader, so carry on soldier, carry on!

Wellllllll this is 180 degrees from the previous answers, and your household may be different but I found myself in the same boat with my now-7-year-old. We had moved in with my in-laws while our house was being renovated, we were in a new city, lots of changes, and my son (2) was still on his bottle at night. I just didn't have the heart to wean him from it with all the changes in our lives at the time, plus I didn't want to drive the entire household crazy with the drama that stopping the bottle brings, so I didn't. It worked out JUST FINE, and he is a normal, respectful, well-adjusted child now. Remember, they only think they are calling the shots if there are shots to be called. If the bottle is not an issue for you, then they're not 'in charge'. I think I only gave him water at night (to prevent tooth decay, as you mentioned). When we got moved into our new house and settled in, I told him "they" (the mysterious "they") aren't going to let you start 'school' (preschool) in the fall if you are still using a bottle at night. I expected some tears and fretting, but there were none. He stopped even asking for it , and there was no trauma. Plus, he was old enough to understand why we were suddenly stopping something that had given him so much comfort. Do what works for your family.

I just hate it when my kids out smart me like that. My youngest is such a guilt tripper! There is six years between her and the next living blessing and that seems to be just enough time to forget all the important lessons. It took me awhile to remember that babies aren't as stubborn as I can be and they don't break or remember that they are angry with me. My youngest nursed until she was a year and she had me up at least three times in the night. I was so exhausted I couldn't think straight. Finally I gave her a bottle of water in the middle of the night. She cried and there were times none of us got a lot of sleep, but it had to come to an end. It took about three nights and it was done. Don't make my mistake and giving in a month down the road when she suddenly remembered she once had a bottle in the middle of the night. It will all start over again. The rule now is that she may lay down with a bottle and then she can have another at 5am. Sometimes she will wake in the night for a diaper change and I give her water then.

The most important thing to remember is that you have to stand firm. DON"T GIVE IN. It will pass and soon you will think "Now that wasn't so bad and why didn't I do this sooner."

S.,
your delimma is probably more common than you think,, I will first pray that the Lord wlll give you the wisdom and the STRENGTH and resolve to do what is best for you boys. First, I would ask why you are still feeding them in the middle of the night. Unless they are underweight or have other medical conditions that require that, as my pediatrician advised me, there is no need for it. If this has become a habit, which was the case for my son, and sounds similar for your sons, I will offer the same advice. Start training your boys on what is acceptable behavior at night, and nip it in the bud now when they are young, or you will be dealing with bigger behavior problems down the road. Most of this is going to depend on how dedicated you are and how important it is for you to take back your life (at night). There's going to be alot of crying and getting mad at the beginning, when you stop giving them that middle of the night bottle, but they WILL get the idea, and give up the fight. My doctor told me - comfort your sons, have a bedtime ritual, assure them of your love, and tell them they can and will sleep without milk at night. Then, (hard part), don't go back into their rooms, no matter how "mad" they get. If you have to go in to comfort them from time to time, (which probably won't work at first), at least they know you haven't ingnored them, your just not going to give the bottle. I know by personal experience, this is difficult, but believe me, it will get better if you tenaciously stand by your commitment to teaching your boys what is appropriate. I can't imagine being pregnant and tired and having no sleep at night still feeding two other children. You can stop the madness. You ultimately have to ask yourself, "who is in charge, you or your children? Your loving discipline is better than any bottle of milk at night!

Babies can survive w/o being fed at night by 6 months of age. You are feeding the problem....literally. Stop the bottle habit now. By the time a child is around a year old or a little later should be when you are taking them off the bottle completely. As a dental hygienist this is bad thing thing, unless it is straight water but could be given a sippy cup or something instead.....not a bottle!

No matter how you break the habit it is going to be tough but the tough part should only last a week or two and after that everyone will be much better off. I would start by setting up a no bottle in the bed rule. All milk/water is for drinking when we are away. When night time comes around both babies will be mad and protest and want there bottle. All you can really do is comfort them and say over and over again something like "shhh night night." They will eventually get it and give up but it may take several day of being up all night with them. This is a tough habit to break but all of you will really be much better off if you do.

My best answer for you is to just let them cry. I know it sounds harsh and you will feel guilty, but this is how I got my son to quit taking a bottle. He is 17 months now and he is drinking from an open cup along with sippy cups. It was a hard transition from bottle to sippy cup, but he simply knew that if he wanted a drink, it was going to have to be from a sippy. I quit giving bottles at night about the same time that I started him on the sippy. He was about 13 or 14 months by the time he was completely off his bottle.
I know that it is difficult with your younger one waking up the older baby, but if you do decide to let him cry, I know it took my son sometimes up to 30 minutes before he fell asleep. It breaks your heart, but my son falls asleep just fine now on his own.
Best of luck to you!!

I went through this with my son, who was 2 and treated his sippy cup as a bottle. He woke up every night wanting it. We had to cry it out. It was rough for about 2 nights. I laid down by him, and he begged over and over for hours for a bottle, and I just kept telling him, "no, time for night-night." I had to build myself up for it, because it was HARD, but totally worth it.
My girls were weaned from the night time bottle at about a year, and it was not nearly as hard. Just prepare yourself for what's ahead. It's best for them, you, and the new baby if you change this pattern and get your good rest!

I am not sure but I see myself headed in the same direction. My baby is almost 3months and won't accept anything but a full bottle. I have tried and tried to get her on a pacifier so we won't have this issue when she gets older. I'm anxious to read your answer posts and to know what you figure out.

I haven't read all your responses yet but I've been there done that! first of all switch them to water, and tell them before bed time that they can only have whats in the bottle, or no bottle after bed time. having "the talk" really made a big difference for my son, who now sleeps with a water bottle, and I'm going to have to break that habit now per the dentist. even with the 11 month old you need to break the habit, or you risk dental problems. which I'm now facing, with mine. but if you tuff it out now you will be the better for it later, most sleep habit changes take three days of difficulty then get significantly easier.

I found even with an 11mo if I talked to them and told them what to expect ahead of time... not right at bed time, it really helped! with the little one use short phrases, and keep using the same language in the middle of the night.

good luck and keep in mine it took us 11 months or 2 years to teach this sleep technique, it will take a while to un teach them.

I am sorry if this is rude, but why is your 2 year old still drinking a bottle? There is a reason doctors advise getting rid of the bottle at 1 years old and it is because it is much easier to do it at that age, when they can adjust easier, than at 2 years old, where you will inevitably have issues taking it away from them. You need to stop giving it to them and trust me, after a few nights of crying and no sleep, your kid will get the point and move on. If it is easier, start just putting water in their bottles and they will probably not want it so much.

You have already taught them that if they fuss long enough and loud enough, you will give in and they get what they want! NOT a good lesson. Do you really want to spend the next 20 years with them in charge? Make a stand! Take the bottles away from both---they don't need them, and they need to learn to sleep. You are not creating good sleep patterns for them, and that's your job. You'll have a couple of sleepless nights (get earplugs) and it'll be over. They won't hate you, and everyone will feel better.

Your 11 mo old is now in the window of opportunity to start weaning NOW. Substitute the bottle for a sippy cup, sit and read a book after a warm bath, then you will have to tough it out for a night or two. He will probably raise the roof and you will feel terrible, but keep in mind YOU are the momma and you know what's best for him.
As for the 2 year old, there's no physiological reason he should need middle-of the night feedings. Just be sure he's eating during the day and keeps a predictable daily schedule. He's old enough now that you can involve him in getting rid of the bottles. Tell him the bottle fairy really needs his bottles for the little babies, and if he will leave them out for her before he goes to bed, and if he stays in bed all night, he will get a special prize in the morning.
This is just one of the many issues you will face as a momma...keep a positive attitude, don't let them get you upset b/c they feed off of your emotions. You can do this!

It may be tough for a couple nights but STOP giving them bottles! Put them each to bed with a sippy cup of ice WATER. (We do that for our 5 and 3 year old.) I get thirsty at night so I'm totally FOR letting the kids have something to drink. But you need to break this habbit NOW before you have 3 kids doing it!

I would switch both boys to a sippy cup and let them have their milk before bed and then remove the cup. My kids have never been allowed to carry around a bottle or cup anytime of the day. They get a drink and then put the bottle or cup away. If a child really needs a sip of water before bed then fine, but letting them drink throughout the night isn't going to help with potty training which is just a short time away for your oldest. Let them sleep with the empty bottle if that makes the transition easier, but it's better to get this over with now rather than later. With your next baby, maybe you should consider taking away all bottles and cups before bed so you won't have to put yourself through this again and to protect little teeth from decay. Good luck!!

The two year old is old enough that you can explain about no more bottles. Prepare him for the big No More Bottle day. You could make a simple book with pictures of him as a baby with a bottle or simple line drawings (or look for a "real" one) and getting bigger and growing into a big boy and not needing the bottle any more and having mommy be so proud of him. Read it to him every day for at leas a week. Then when the big day comes (you can make it any day you want), show him that you are putting the bottle away and that now he's a big boy and doesn't need it any more. Be prepared to have a couple of long nights, but be firm. You can hold him and cuddle him while he cries. Eventually, he will go to sleep. You might even get lucky and find that he's so excited about being a big boy that he chooses not to need the bottle and there are no problems at all. I wouldn't try weaning both of them at once. Look at Elizabeth Pantley's "The No Cry Sleep Solution" for more ideas.

S., this is just one of many situations in which you, as the parent, are going to have to put your foot down. I understand that it is easier to just do want your child wants; however, you need to put what is best, not for your sleep, but for your children, into perspective. You said you are giving your children things that will not rot their teeth "bad". So you are giving them water? This is the only drink anyone needs after brushing their teeth. I don't know of anything else that when given at bedtime, will not either cause tooth decay, be unhealthy or both. Your 2 yr old should have been off the bottle 1 year ago. You have to stop that now. Does he have something else from which he finds comfort? Maybe you could give him a stuffed animal or special pillow as a reward for being a big boy who drinks from big boy cups only now. I don't know what kind of bedtime routine you have, but if you don't have one in place, start now...healthy snack, bath, tooth brushing, read a bedtime story, then off to bed. As for the 11 month old, you would be right on track to begin weaning him now. I know this is difficult, and I certainly don't mean to sound harsh, but you can do this. It will take several days to get a new routine down for everyone, but you're a great mom and will get it done. Good luck!

As hard as it will be for you, stop the bottles now before baby #3 gets here...for your sanity's sake.

If you think you're worn out now, think of how worn out you will be when new baby gets here demanding your attention and THEN have two others trying to get it too at midnight. And you DON"T want to try and do it when you have a wee one home cause then they WILL wake the whole house, etc.

Crying hurts your heart, I know this, but think of it as doing something for their own good...not to hurt them. It's to get them into a better sleep routine...like taking away the passy or breaking thumbsucking.

Good luck to you!