Saying Goodbye to the Baba....

Updated on November 28, 2009
H.J. asks from Redwood City, CA
16 answers

Hi Moms,
My little is 15 months old. We just had her 15 month doctor appointment and the doctor told me I need to put her down with clean teeth, so that means that no more right before bed baba. I think it is time to give it up, she is a great eater and really doesn't need it anymore, with that said I think it is going to be hard for her to not have it right before going into her crib.... Any advice on how to get rid of that night time bottle?

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C.S.

answers from San Francisco on

I think its not such a great idea to nix the baba if miss baby girl isnt ready just yet. My kids (6) did it at different times. I totally get the clean teeth before bed so with my last daughter, miss spoiled, i would give her the baba and then use a clean baby wash rag to reach in and kinda clean her teeth after she passed out. You may not like the idea and I get that.......Good luck, and know that whatever you choose...it will be right. I have a 19 year old and hes great...first one, and I did it wrong/right and otherwise....it all works out with love.

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S.T.

answers from San Francisco on

Can you give it to her then brush her teeth?

Or I mean.. transition to a sippy cup, let her have her night routine..and then brush her teeth. I have thought of this myself, since when we eventually potty train, an 8 oz cup of milk probably isn't good for the blatter.

Anyway, we took my son off the baba at 15 months also, and we got him a BIG BOY thermal cup. He loves it and there was no problem switching over..

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A.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Swich to straw cup -and or give bottle a little earlier so that u have time to brush teeth. We were brushing my daughters teeth after night time nursing starting at 5 months old

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T.V.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi H.,

How about a sippy cup transition with WAWA and not milk? Show her the sippy cup and the baba and say "bye bye BABA" and hand her the sippy cup.

Blessings...

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E.B.

answers from Sacramento on

Have her drink her bottle and then brush her teeth just before you put her to bed. At 15 months you should be brushing her teeth/gums every day and doing it just before bed is a great routine. Our routine is now dinner, play, bath, books, teeth and then bed. Good luck.

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G.B.

answers from San Francisco on

I've found with my kids that trying to do it slowly just extended the 'pain'. I found it was best to just go cold turkey.

G.M.

answers from Modesto on

Just put water in the night time bottle, she'll soon lose interest.

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P.C.

answers from San Francisco on

I was told that mother's milk would not hurt my baby's teeth. I nursed both my children for two years and they had no dental problems.
P..

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T.H.

answers from Sacramento on

The first thing I'd do is switch to a sippy. She doesn't need a bottle any more. I like the nuby sippy because the silicone spout has a similar feel to the bottle. Then, I would start by inserting something relaxing between bottle and bed--like a story or singing. After ~3 days, you can insert tooth brushing and a story before bed. She can have her bedtime milk from a sippy and still go to bed with clean teeth. The whole transition should take about a week.

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J.R.

answers from San Francisco on

Water in the bottle is a great idea. You could also switch up the bedtime routine a bit so that she's not having a drink right before bed - like give her a drink from a sippy cup and then do bath, book and then night night.

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C.M.

answers from San Francisco on

our daughter gets water in a sippy before bed. good luck!

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D.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Hello H., As the mother of 5 let me promise you that it will be harder on you than it will ever be for your child.
I would suggest you could do it like we did with one of ours and wait til your driving sown the freeway and have your husband toss it out the window---- Oh so not a good idea for the next 100 miles!!
Try just putting water in the bottle and believe me that will get old. If you can't stand that & trust me it will be you and not the child that has the trials add a splash of juice so its like adding lemon to a glass of water. This way its not plain. That is for your benifit. Just sit and rock and talk to your little one and reassure the child, then take 2 asprins and let it pass in about 3-5 days. It has never taken more than 3 nights for our children but they also were happy with a sippy cup. Nana Glenda

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C.A.

answers from San Francisco on

We switched to yogurt as a night time snack and then our daughter would have a sip of water before we brushed her teeth and then a sippy cup of water while I read her the night time story.
Keep a positive attitude and don't make it a huge deal. I know my friends and I tend to underestimate our children. They really are quite resilient!
Best of luck,
C.

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A.C.

answers from Sacramento on

we give our kids a sippy cup of milk before bed to fill their tummies. then, we just brush their teeth afterwards and read a story. the nuby sippys work well because the nipple is soft like a bottle.

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F.S.

answers from San Francisco on

In the old days it was give the bottle up at age 2 years. On his birthday, I sat with him and he drank a cup of milk instead of his bottle. In the even older days, my Mom said when I broke the last bottle, I would have no more bottles. One night I threw my bottle out of my crib and that was it. Can you imagine cleaning up broken glass bottles all the time? Now we are told 1 year. What works is if baby really nees a bedtime bottle because he/she is used to it is to give a bottle of water. Water can not hurt their teeth. Better yet is to never put a bottle in bed with a baby and feed them a bottle before bedtime in your arms. Each generation we are told new recommendations.
Milk can hurt their little teeth, esp. if they have the nipple with milk in it in their mouths. Start a tippee cup before it is time to say bye bye to the bottle.
F.

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N.K.

answers from San Francisco on

My doctor suggested getting rid of the naptime bottle first. My son hated giving up his bottle and this transition made it easier. Then we started adding water to his milk at night.

We found that one night he just did not want it anymore.

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