Bedtime Bottle - Dallas,TX

Both my children gave up the bedtime bottle right around age 2. We just "gave" all the bottles to a baby who "needed" them and never looked back. Both of them had a hard time for about 3 days and were sad about it. I had to read many extra bedtime stories but they got over it pretty quickly. My kids had a very hard time falling asleep on their own. I sat with them a lot longer and read stories and cuddled them. But everyone does it differently! I bet it is even easier at age 1.

Nope, we let ours have them until they were ready and done with them. My daughter got weaned way to early and found her fingers and ruined her facial bones. Nighttime bottles only hurt their teeth if they keep them in their mouth all night. The constant dripping of milk onto the teeth causes the tooth rot, not a nighttime bottle.

His saliva will rinse his mouth out during the night. If he needs to suck he needs to suck.

Otherwise just start laying him down and then pat his back, run his back, play quiet music, rock him for a while before bedtime and maybe he'll start falling asleep on his own without it.

At one year old, my son also was taking just the one bottle at bedtime. No, they do not need it at that age anymore. But, I allowed it for an additional 2 months just because I knew he wasn't reliant on it and I felt good him having a little extra nutrition I guess.

As far as a transition, we didn't really have one. One night just put him to bed without it and we never had a problem. But then again, he was never reliant on the bottle for sleeping or very attached to it. I'm not sure where your son is on this issue. If he struggles with just taking it away one day, you could try a sippy cup of milk at bedtime for awhile so he at least understands bottle has gone away but gives him some familiarity.

So, he had/has sippy of milk with dinner and then about 1.5 hours later, goes to bed with a sippy cup of water left in his crib. If he stays up a bit late or eats a bit early, just give him a snack and some milk if you'd like about an hour before bed.

By bedtime bottle do you mean you give him a bottle and put him to bed? I can't say I ever did THAT exactly, but my oldest son always needed a bottle before bed. It just got him relaxed and ready to go night night. Once he was on a sippy cup at a year though, he never did the bedtime bottle. He didn't seem as attached to his sippies. Maybe if you put your son to bed with his bottle, just start feeding it to him before he goes to bed. Then after a couple weeks of that, just put his milk in a sippy and feed that to him. Before too long I'll bet he'll forget all about it! Good luck!

We started brushing my sons teeth when he turned 1. We told him no milk after you brush your teeth and gave him water in a sippy. He takes it to bed with him.

we read a bedtime story with a sippy in the living room. we stop the reading/ sippy when he's finished the sippy, the book or both. Then I pick him up and walk him to his bedroom, sing a lullaby, turn on the mobile, and say goodnight.

our DS self weaned when he was 11.5/12 months. He prefered the fast flow of the sippy and couldn't be bothered with/ refused to drink from a bottle.

good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

My daughter was 3 when she gave up her bedtime bottle. If was very soothing to her. She drank milk in it until she was two and then only water until she gave it up one week after her 3rd birthday. She is completely normal and has great teeth. They are only babies for such a short time. Do what feels right for you. You let them have it until they give it up or take it away.

I do not give my son milk with dinner I give him water or diluted juice. Then before bedtime when Im ready to for him to wind down we give him his bath then I give him his sippy cup of milk, then we brush his teeth and put him to bed. I don't think its a good idea to give a child a bottle or cup and put them in their crib and leave them unattended. Nor is it good for their teeth if its milk. Just my opinion. I just think doing those things gets them used to that, and then its harder for you to transition them away from it later. And u know what to much liquid at bedtime means? Bed wetting later on when your ready to potty train!

We let our kids have a night bottle until they gave it up. Not going to sleep with it, but drink it and then go to sleep. My oldest gave it up around 2, but my youngest still wants it and he is 4. Doesn't matter to me how long he drinks it if it comforts him. It is only 4 oz. and doesn't cause him to wet the bed. He is completely potty trained. Also, he has been to the dentist and has perfect teeth. Just sharing our experience.