Need Advice to Break the "Ba Ba"

Updated on August 02, 2010
K.M. asks from San Diego, CA
12 answers

My 3 year old has to have her "ba ba" in a soft tip sippy cup with milk when she wakes up in the morning and goes to sleep at night. She now has 4 cavities and I'm afraid it's because of the milk on her teeth at night. I need some advice or suggestions to break her of the "ba ba". Thanks!

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H.H.

answers from Los Angeles on

For reasons of desperation, I also kept mine on the bottle too long. It lulled her to sleep. At 2.5 she started wanting the bottle with her nap and night time stories (instead of in the crib). That really helped because she would often finish the bottle before bed. At first we weaned her by telling her only one bottle. (she often finished and wanted a refill). We didn't give in the requests and cries for more. Then we widdled away the amount in the bottle until she only got 4 oz. Then we talked for weeks about how there wouldn't be any bottles anymore. Then one day we simply told her no bottle. She cried. But it really wasn't bad at all. With in three days it was over. Now 2 months later she remembers her bottles and says "I don't get any bottles any more". She seems to be over it. But this is what really helped me when it was hard and she cried desperately for her bottle: I thought about how hard she'd cry and how heart breaking it would be for me to watch her get dental work done. That helped me get through it.

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K.B.

answers from Harrisburg on

Just say NO! 3 years old? She should be drinking out of an open cup long before 3. She should be eating and drinking like everyone else in the house, 3 meals with a couple snacks during the day. No morning "ba ba" or night time "ba ba". Nothing like that. She's a big girl and needs to be treated as such. The cavities are from not brushing her teeth properly. She needs her teeth brushed in the morning after breakfast. She needs her teeth brushed after dinner before bed. She gets nothing after that unless it's water. If she's having cavity problems then I'd throw in a 3rd brushing after lunch as well. Your dentist should be filling you in on this. If not, get a new dentist. Sweets should be limited and teeth brushed afterward. But if she's got cavity problems then no sweets and nothing chewy that will get stuck in the teeth.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

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D.D.

answers from New York on

Just throw them all out and be done with it. She's a big girl who is way past the age of needing a sippy cup. She'll be crappy and might throw a fit or two for a couple days but children are very adaptable and she'll get over it quickly. Just do it with no turning back.

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J.S.

answers from Chicago on

No more milk - give her water. Milk only in a cup at the table.

1 mom found this helpful

L.A.

answers from Austin on

There is no secret. Just tell her she can have a cup of milk and then brush her teeth or she can have a cup of water and then go to sleep.

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S.H.

answers from Las Vegas on

Tuff problem. Its gonna be harder now because shes had the bottle for 3 years now. What I did with my 2 was on their first birthdays, we went out and bought a special cup and I gave them their bottles and had THEM throw all of them in the trash. Then when the trash man came we watched out the window as he put the trash in his truck. Then I told them that was it, no more bottles, the trash man took them all away. Not only will sucking on a bottle ruin her teeth, she can also get thrush. Not pretty. Babies get it because the milk stays in their mouth at night. You just have to be tough and hang tight. She will cry and act like her life is over, but in a few days she should be alright. Good Luck!
S.

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M.B.

answers from New York on

I had the same exact issue except my daughter had 3 cavaties, so $632.00 and one traumatic experience in the dentist chair later, I went COLD TURKEY!!! Her dentist told me if she continues to drink milk from a baba she would need root canals! At 3 she can understand, she didn't like it but I told her she could have her milk in a cup or not at all. And I was terrified to do this bc she drank a half a gallon a day! She would have skipped all meals if I let her. So the first day she had a few fits but she got over it quick when she realized I wasn't giving in. I make sure she has a cup of milk before we go upstairs to brush her teeth. And brushing her teeth is still a struggle most nights but that is something that also can not be put off by tantrums! It's not easy but just think of the suffering she will have to deal with by being restrained in the dentist's chair and it will make it much easier for you to stick to your guns! Good luck, you can do it!!!

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D.M.

answers from San Diego on

Yes, it's called cold-turkey. She'll get over it. A three year old should not have 4 cavities. It's definitely from the milk. She should only have water when she goes to sleep.

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L.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

You can give her milk at nigh butt she should drink it then brush her teeth. Or switch her to water at night. You can explain to her that milk at night will hurt her teeth. Good luck!

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L.D.

answers from Las Vegas on

A friend of mine had the same problem and what she did was tell her daughter that the "ba ba fairy" needed to come get her bottle to take it to a baby that had just been born and really, really needed. My friend actually took the bottle away first and then gave her daughter this explanation, and her daughter accepted the explaination just fine. You can also talk to your daughter ahead of time about it ahead of time to prepare her for it and maybe show her a Baby Einstein video with a cooing baby (little girls love babies) so that she can get that emotional connection.

Hope this helps.

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S.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

yes, milk at bedtime is bad for the teeth.
my son, insisted on a cup at bedtime as well, but we gave him water - sometimes warmed.
try diluting the milk a little more each time til you get him on all water. 75%milk/25% water for a few days, 50/50 for a few days, 25%milk/75%water a few days, mostly water/a splash of milk a few days, etc etc

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J.L.

answers from San Diego on

Hi K M first I just want to give you advice on using the right words for things, "ba "ba is not a word, so it's not something you want to teach your child to say. The 17 month old in my dayacare was still on a soft tip sippy cup and she bit holes all in it so I told her parents to give her a hard tip cup, and that if she was thirsty she would use it. She should never been allowed to go down with a bottle or cup. You just stop giving it to her, you are the parent, you are the one supossed to be in charge. At 3 she should be using a regular cup anyway. I am not surprised she has cavities. Sorry if this sounds harsh, sweetie but giving a 3 year old something to drink at bed time, for me makes no sense, and please no ba ba fairy, are you kidding me? I don't know who invented that, why lie to get children to obey? that's crazy. Live and learn, just think with your next once you'll no better.J.

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