bedtime bottles

Lisa - posted on 02/13/2010

I have twins a boy and a girl.. they get up through the night .. but i just cuddle them and they go back off to sleep.. they havent got a nighttime bottle since 6 months old.. we are completely on sippy cups.. i started just with there breakfast and worked on it from there.. they didnt like them much either.. but hey if they are thirsty they know the only way they are going to get something is in there cups and they are great now.. you just need to have paitence.

Jess - posted on 02/13/2010

He is only waking in the night because it is a habit, not because he is hungry. My daughter was breast feeding up to 5 times a night until 9 months (I went back to work full time when she was 6 months so this wasn't easy). She was underweight so I was afraid to refuse milk. At nine months I had enough. We had tried controlled crying but I couldn't do it and would always feed her. My husband sent me to sleep at a friends for two nights. She cried for hours and my husband said it was hell. However, she has slept from 7pm until 6am every night since. Once the habit is broken, they won't need the milk. She eats dramatically more during the day now and her weight started to climb as soon as I stopped the night feeds. I still breast feed last thing at night but that is because we enjoy it, not because she needs the extra food.

Emily - posted on 02/10/2010

Thank you all for your help.

Tammy - posted on 02/09/2010

My son will not use a cup either. I have two daughters and they both used sippy cups but he refuses to hold one. So, good luck with that. I am not sure about the weight because I have/had fat babies. My son weighs 30lbs at 15 months. It is hard to get them to stop wanting a bottle at night. I just kind of let my kids tell me. If I made them a bottle and they didn't drink it all or pushed it away, then I stopped giving them bottles at night. It is different for each kid. My first one was done at six months, second at ten months and my last one at twelve months.

Rachel - posted on 02/09/2010

My son still gets up at once for milk and he eats plenty all day long. He drinks from a cup, the NUBY which you may want to try. Its similair to a bottle, the spout is soft - its a good transition cup. My son drinks from sippy cups throughout the day but not regular cups yet.
I thought my son was the oly one waking for milk still....

good luck!

Carrie - posted on 02/08/2010

personally i have some night's with alisha where she does do this, and as a mother i know that it horrifies me to think she's scared . But of what? And i wish i had a answer for you but not being able to fully know the depth's of a infant-toddler's thought processes. But could be because they are going through the seperation phase right about now, maybe she just need's a smidge of reasurance. But im not sure and am simply guessing. Good luck and hope this might help.

Siobhan - posted on 02/08/2010

My little one is 14 and a half months now and from a week old slept right through the night provided she had a bath at 7pm then her feed and then straight down and this has always been her routine bath, bottle then bedtime but recently she has started whimpering and crying in her sleep and when she's waking up she's shaking like she's scared and the only thing that comforts her is a bottle of warm milk, she doesn't have a bottle during the day now as i have finally after much searching found a sippy cup she likes but any ideas on why my daughter keeps waking up like this? after sleeping through for over a year?

Flugel - posted on 02/05/2010

try offering him a 300ml bottle of milk when he goes down at night, warm it up a little, it helps then to fall asleep. When he wakes up in the night only fill the bottle half way, he is obviously only wanting it for comfort and not cos he is thirsty. Also you can try diluting the middle of the night bottles with water (50/50 water/milk) once he gets used to that dilute it more until he is only drinking water. This is what worked for my oldest when I weaned him off. My youngest only has 1 bottle a night that is 1/2 filled with a water.milk mixture. And the last 2 night he has not even woken up at all.

Carrie - posted on 02/04/2010

cold turkey is how i went, and alisha has been sleeping through the night took three nights total for us. the hardest part was letting her fuss, she wasnt crying persay just gripeing, set how long you are willing to allow them to fuss, you can go in and reasure them no verbal, can rock and cuddle and wrap them in there blanket but once there calm again be sure to tuck them back in. or so we did with ali. Only thing that has changed is she now get's up a hour earlier everyday which i will willing take over getting up a ton at night. She still will wake up at night but she now puts herself back tosleep and it normally only takes her 5 minutes to do so. So good luck be strong and you will get through this.

Emily - posted on 02/04/2010

We tried water for three nights. He would not have it the first night he did ok. But night two and three he would get so upset then it took an hour just to calm him back down. We had to let him sleep with us for an hour just to get him to sleep. I hate letting him sleep with us at all. But that is something ales. Going to try going cold turkey in a week or two. Happy I could help some other mom's out there.

Denise - posted on 02/01/2010

At about a year old, my little girl wouldn't give up the bottle but she would copy her 3 year old brother and drink her water from a cup with a straw so I tried that with her milk at night and it worked...and I'm still on that method now

Carrie - posted on 02/01/2010

well as you can see your very much not alone :) . I felt the same way untill i stumbled across this thread. And it has helped a ton just to know it was not just my husband and i. Ali i think is doing well. She slept all night again last night. So the three night thing has worked so far, best to you in getting back on the horse sorta speak each day with any child can prove to be a hurdle. The key is to makeing it to the other side. heh.

Louise - posted on 02/01/2010

my little girl is the same, shes 14mths and still wakes in the night 4 a bottle. she goes to bed at 7pm and has a 80z bottle, she will then wake again abot 10.30pm and wont settle until she gets that milk and sometimes wakes again but varys quite often about 3.30am and other times she will go through until 6.30am. i have tried leaving her to scream and give her water but she wont have any of it. my HV said to leave her to cry for at least half an hr before going in and either offer her water and if she doesnt take it just comfort her, lay her back down and leave her until she eventually falls asleep. we did once crack it but then after a couple of days she was ill and we went back to square one and finding it hard to get her out the habit this time. im glad im not the only one though as most babies around where i live sleep through the night so u think something is wrong with your child

Carrie - posted on 01/31/2010

the third night was the night she slept all night, heh gonna see how tonight goes keeping my fingers crossed.

Michelle - posted on 01/31/2010

I was taught it takes three nights to change a habit! Stick to your guns though. I understand the percent thing myself! Mine was in the 25% after I stopped nightime feedings he dropped to 10% peditrition said that's normal, it will go back up! To stop the nighttime feedings I filled the bottle with room temp plain old water. He eventually threw it down rolled over and went to sleep. Catchem while there just rousing around not fully awake and crying.

Carrie - posted on 01/31/2010

Ali slept from the time i put her down last night untill this morning without so much as a peep, so for me the no bottle at night worked , i just couldnt see substituteing water for milk tradeing one for the other, she comfort sucks but always has, i woke up this more rested and she was rested and it was amazeeeeeing. I havent been frustrated over it more or less just trying to figure out a simple way to correct a error on my part for makeing her get into a bad habit. I just didnt wanna be one of those parents you see on supernanny with a three year old still takeing a bottle and being up four times a night, and haveing a major temper tantrum on your hands when you have no choice but break that habit then. As for the teeth issue thats 100 percent dead on. After her last drink for the night, and we start her bedtime routine we have bathtime and that entails teeth brushing as well. She has 10 teeth and even tho there just baby teeth i don't want them to decay.
For me it's pertnat to get her to sleep through the night, i have alot of major surgrey's to endure this year, and my mother is gonna be the main care giver for ali seeing how it's going to be a long recovery time involeing a halo for me and backbrace. and my husband can't take that much time off work, My mother is almost in her 60's so for ali to sleep through the night, this will make thing's much easier for her. So isn't im overly trying to be obsessed with this it's a nessessity at this. Thanks everyone for the great tip's it is nice to see im not aloen.

Emily - posted on 01/30/2010

I just found this on one of the web sites I have used for some time now.
Expert Answers
Penelope Leach, child psychologist

This sounds like an unhappy situation for everyone, and I can't help wondering whether getting your toddler off the bottle is worth what it's costing. Many toddlers continue to nurse or have a bottle at bedtime well past their first birthday (and some continue well past their second), so there's nothing unusual about your son's attachment to his bottle. What's more, most toddlers who give up sucking milk still suck something. Children who use pacifiers, or suck their fingers or thumbs, often keep it up through early childhood and are often especially reliant on it at bedtime. One way or another, "comfort sucking" is a central part of peaceful bedtimes for most small children. When a child gives up this habit has nothing to do with how "advanced" or "behind" he is.

The important no-no of bedtime bottles is putting sweet drinks such as juice or milk in a bottle and letting your toddler take it into bed, where he'll sip it slowly. This will be disastrous for his teeth as well as making him expect to have a bottle at hand whenever he half-wakes in the night. But a bottle of milk on your lap as a comforting snuggly end to the day, followed by cleaning his teeth, isn't necessarily something it's worth fighting over.

If you're really eager to wean your toddler from the bottle, just avoiding the worst may seem too gentle. But right now, all three of you are getting the worst of both worlds: You and your husband are angry and frustrated, and your toddler is miserable, though he's still getting his beloved bottle. It's better for everyone if you either refuse his requests and stick to your decision no matter how much he screams, or willingly give him the bottle and put off weaning until later.

Emily - posted on 01/30/2010

Thank you all and good luck. I love my little guy and just hate to think he is not getting a good nights sleep. Do to always needing a bottle 2-3 times a night. I am going to try the water. I hope it works it would be nice to get a couple of mouths good sleep. We are having our next little one due in September. So sleep is one thing I like a lot right now.

Carrie - posted on 01/30/2010

exactly, it's the same here, im alway's the one to run first and thing about why after , and my husband is the exact oppisite of that. We stop all tv being on noise play everything a hour before bed, and her's is also around 8:30 we normally do bath time right before as our routine to help her expend that little bit of energy she has left and help relax her muscles from all day playing . Grats on him going to bed on his own. Ali has done that for awhile now it's just been the getting up at night that has been our struggle . And it's always going to be hit and miss. We just have to make sure there happy, there loved and there healthy. And it sounds like we are doing just that. So kudo's to us!

Alicia - posted on 01/30/2010

Aww that's awesome Nicholas is my first..lol and its so hard knowing if your doing the right thing...I'm always ready to jump up when I hear him cry but my husband is the one always telling me to let him go for a little and tonight he fell asleep on his own without any help but an hour into his sleep he awoke and started crying and refused to open his eyes I wanted to go to him but my husband asked me to just wait and after a few min. I heard him tossing and turning and he was out again...I did also have a strict 8:30 bed time and I finally listened to my mom who suggested 8:30 make that quite time and between 8:30 and nine its time to get into bed mode and suggest bed time and make a time where I won't take no for an answer.. I wasn't sure about it but like my mom said when he starts school push bed time back to 8:30 and let me tell u that also has helped.. he goes to bed between 8:30 and 9:30 but more like 9 most of the time! I'm pleased with the progress and the parent my husband and I had become..I just have to relax a little more and have come to realize that its not always by the book but its working and just because he may once and a while have an off day and want his sippy cup and he may not want to fall asleep exactly at nine or eight thirty like I want but the basic foundation. Is there and I have a healthy happy baby and that's the most important thing...I'm my worst critic and need to lighten up a little lol..

Carrie - posted on 01/30/2010

yea i always reasure her, i wont let her fuss for long i go in rock her, shes a thumb sucker but only when she's sleepy so im hopeing that won't become yet one more thing to tackle later on heh. And she has blankey too so that has been a huge help also. She is learning its ok to wake up and go back tosleep without help last night she woke up started to fuss i started to get up and she got quiet i stood at her door waiting to rush in of coarse and she had gone back to sleep after just a couple minutes of fussing . I agree it's definately a learning experiance my oldest is 16 and my middle one is almost 12 so ali is my refresher coarse, the other two never had a problem sleeping through the night heh.

Alicia - posted on 01/30/2010

You know what ur doing a great job...ur routines and schedule sounds like ours..I talked to my sons doc and he said that its a comfort thing and I to breastfed... my doc also had said that because my son is so active and has a higher matabalism that too would play a factor...I stressed to and sometimes still do but it does seem to get better..I just wanted to do the best I could and got frustrated too because I thought this was my fault but its not...every baby is diffrent and like my doc said set boundaries and follow his lead..I started setting boundaries for him and comfort him at first when he wakes up then give him his sippy cup and take it away and sit by his crib and let him know I'm there hand him his fav. Blanket and he wimpers back to sleep...comfort seemss to work...they want reassurance to know if they need you at a momments notice your there.. my sons bottle was def. A comfort and I refused a pacifier from the begining cause I didn't want to go through that hassle.. parenting is tough but u learn as u go..every baby is diffrent and soon you will see what works for u.. I def. Recomend the transition method I'm glad my husband and I did our research...that's worked the best..but it doesn't mean its right for u...best of luck..and god bless

Carrie - posted on 01/30/2010

ali normally gets a small non sugar snack about a hour before bed, and her nap cur off time is also 4:30 her and daddy normally have about two hours of heavy play in the floor time in the evening, we really limit her tv time daily maybe 2 and a half hours a day because she plays less with anything more then that, she gets three full meals a day and about four to five snacks, juice , milk and water duriing the day, we had tryed everything with the getting her to sleep through the night has just been a night mare, up untill she was 11 months she was breastfeed so it was somewhat understandable? but after a few months of being a bottle feed baby it became more of a routine issue rather then im a hungrey issue, her poor bellie would be so swollen with being full she wouldnt even finish the nighttime bottle she was getting up for heh. So far this is helping at least for us, just keeping my fingers crossed it continues. Thanks for the tip. Durning the day she is totally bottle free she get's one bottle about half hour before bed tho.

Alicia - posted on 01/30/2010

I had the same problem...I thought I was the only one with this problem....what my husband and I did was buy a nuby. Transition bottle...and it wasn't that big of a diffrence from a regular bottle...then we gave my son juice in a sippy cup and also fed him 1 hour before bed...we started noticing he woke up less and less for a bottle then we switched to sippy cup if he woke up and stuck with that...every once and a while if he gets startled he wakes up and wants a bottle for comfort... he sleeps really well now..thank god..we also try and keep him active durning the day which helps knock him out..also try and not let them sleep after a certain time our cut off is 4:30 and at seven he gets a nice big cup of sippy milk ..works like a charm.....best of luck ur doing great

Carrie - posted on 01/30/2010

all i know is, i removed hear reason for getting up, its hard to hear them fuss, which is what she did, she had a clean bottom, and she wasnt in pain, she was just upset because she wasn't getting her way first night was the hardest, after 10 minutes i would go in and reasure her rock her a few minutes but kiss her tell her night night and put her back in bed, second night she only got up once, i changed her, rocked her a second or two she did fuss untill she saw i had no bottle, then i kissed her told her night night and tucked her in, last night, she got up around five, fussed for 5 minutes and put herself back to sleep, was super nice. Im hopeing this was a good answer, Hard like i said to let them fuss it kills me, but untill you show them they need to sleep through the night, they won't. good luck and i hope something usefull outta this help's :)

Carrie - posted on 01/30/2010

i did have sucess on night three ali slept ALL night for the first time in her entire life span, :)

Raelene - posted on 01/29/2010

Giving so much milk through the night would worry me as milk can cause teeth to rot- especially if your little boy falls asleep on his bottle and the milk is left in his mouth. My son used to wake numerous times through the night and the advise from my health nurse was to offer only water. I tried it and although he wasnt happy that I only offered water, he stopped waking. If he wakes now I just comfort him with a cuddle and he will go back to sleep. If your son will settle if he can find a bottle, ensure the bottle is only filled with water. Good luck.

Brittanie - posted on 01/29/2010

Also with the sippy cup issue I am going through the same issue. Wesley is starting to take a cup now as when he wants a bottle it is water ONLY! When he gets a sippy cup its milk or juice. Hope this also helps =)

Brittanie - posted on 01/29/2010

Try giving him water at night instead of milk. My son was the EXACT same way and he is 14 months. Babies who get milk during the night are bound to get up because milk tastes good, babies who get milk dont usually get up in the night as water is tasteless.
If they get something they like they will wake up for it, but with water they dont really like it so they wont have a reason to get up!!!! Hope this helps =) GOOD LUCK!!!

Carrie - posted on 01/29/2010

ali still want's a bottle at night, but it's more a habit now then a need for food, monitor how much he takes in during the day if his food intake is good then don' t feel bad on takeing his bottle at bedtime or in the middle of the night, you just have to be patient and retrain him to sleep im haveing to do that with ali, ive found that not haveing any bottles in the room helps a ton, because i get up now change her, and wrap her in her blanket rock her a few mintues she does start to throw a fit untill she she's theres no bottle where there is normally one waiting for her, then she suck's her thumb grab's her blanket, i pick her up kiss her head and tell her night night ali, tuck her in and go back to bed myself, she seems to fuss for about a half hour then goes to sleep, last night she slept almost all night the first time ever it was awsome. good luck and keep the faith,

Shannon - posted on 01/29/2010

To start the switch to cup, I gave my daughter juice in a cup and milk in a bottle. And then I made the switch to milk in a cup shortly after. That way there wasn't much room for missing the bottle. However, she loves her paci and if your son doesn't take one then I would stick with the bottle till you can break him and it will be nice when you don't have to break him off a paci. Although my daughter doesn't wake at night because of her paci. My daughter is also attached to blankets and stuffed animals. Have you tried giving him a stuffed animal to sleep with? Maybe a fav one...All babies and toddlers do there own thing and you just have to go with the flow. Good Luck :)

Amy - posted on 01/29/2010

They say by 6 mos. a baby should be able to sleep thru the night without eating. Asuming they eat enough durring the day and they aren't sick or anything. I broke my son of the waking up and eating habit at 9 mos. Its more a dependency to fall asleep after eating than a need for food, so don't feel like you're starving him if you don't feed him in the night. You're only condoning what he is doing and depriving yourself of much needed sleep in the process.
What I did:
Get a routine before bed. like bath, play, brush teeth, story, bed. When he wakes up, let him cry for a bit. If he persists, go in pick him up n say "its ok, you're fine, its bed time" or something comforting. Once he's calm again put him back down, give him whatever is comforting to him (with my son its his stuffed pooh, paci, and we turn on a musical sea horse in his crib) then say good night and go back to bed. He will cry. It will suck for a few nights at least. But he has to learn bed time is bed time, for both your sakes. It will hurt you more than him, just keep that in mind.
Isaac goes to bed around 9:00 pm and wakes around 8:00 am most days. wakes up on rare occasion in the night.
Good luck!

Kelly - posted on 01/29/2010

We still do 1 feeding in the middle of the night. If it makes you feel better, just remind yourself that you're only feeding 1 baby. You could be doing 2 nighttime feedings if you had twins-like me!! :)

Jody - posted on 01/29/2010

I wouldnt say my 14month is an exception. I cant imagine getting up to feed him 2-3 times a night till hes two. we worked very hard to get him no longer eating through the night and to sleep through the night. He gets up in the night every now and then but i havent fed him in the night for a while now. Emily id say now that you have our opinions Id call a health nurse, ask them then take what you want from everything you learned. They know the statistics and have lots of tricks up their sleeves. You do have to do whats best for your baby and family but doing it with little habbits to break and sometimes having to work on things is worth it. Good luck Emily

Bethany - posted on 01/29/2010

I am so glad to know that I'm not the only mom worried about this. I guess I just figure that she'll give it up when she's ready, but I always give her a cup when she shows interest!

Arlene - posted on 01/29/2010

I put liquid yougart with milk in the bedtime bottle it seems to help my babies sleep through the night

Vicky - posted on 01/29/2010

My don does the same, he is breastfed and wakes for feeds 2-3 times a night still but this is completely normal hun til they're at least 2. The babies/toddlers who sleep thru are the exception not the ones who wake at night contrary to popular belief. I would just carry on giving your LO the bottles if he wakes for them. Just remember it doesn't last forever even tho sometimes it feels like it lol Its funny cos now my son has started nursery i really love those nightime cuddles and feeds cos i haven't had the chance to get them durin the day cos i've been stuck at work.



And please don't add anything to the bottles you're giving him this is very dangerous as its a choking hazard. I know it was the norm years ago but if you ask any healthcare professional like your HV they will tell you to never put anything in your babys bottle other than milk. You could try giving him something before bedtime like porridge or something similar. Might be worth a try?



Hang in there. Alfie took a while to use his cup but he loves it now. He uses it all the time durin the day but refuses at night haha He knows what he wants and it isn't the cup. He's a monkey

Emily - posted on 01/28/2010

I was answering some things other people had asked me. I am not that censured about his weight. His DR. is the one that told me to keep him on toddler formula. He does get milk 3 times a day with his meals. He eats a lot in the day three good meals and a snakes. We have tried to not feed him at night he will cry and cry for hours. I guess we are going to have to try something ales. He has never been big on pacifiers could never get him to take them. But he loves his bottle. He will put him self back to sleep if there is a empty bottle in bed with him and he can get it. So I think it may be more the bottle not that he wont's the milk.

Jody - posted on 01/28/2010

Im sort of confused if its the feeding you are unsure what to do with, the wieght of your child or the sleeping through the night, or maybe its all 3.Does he have milk issues? I was just curious as to why you dont have him on homo milk. I think if you really want the night feeds to change you have to get a bit tough and not feed him at night. My son is still low on the charts but is eating during the day and now that he's so active he doesnt gain as much. my health nurse told me if he's gaining about a 1/2a lb a month now thats good, after the 1st year its normal if they arent gaining a lb a month anymore.

Becky - posted on 01/28/2010

i had this problem with my daughter chloe for ages i tryed everythink a bottle an hour before bed and then again when she got in to bed, i tryed just leaving her to cry when she woke then she would just cry for hours i was up till three one night she wouldnt go bk too sleep beacause she didnt have milk....Now i get her ready for bed cuddle up on the sofa with her and her milky bottle of bed time horlicks and i also put her to bed an hour later at 7oclock make sure shes still awake when i put her in her bed now she sleeps through. x

Emily - posted on 01/28/2010

Thank you all. He will sleep fore 5 - 6 hours at a time. So no my sleep is not that bad. I give him cereal in his bottles at night. It has helped his weight some. He drinks toddler formula. He gets 6 to 8 oz each time he gets up. he will go to bed at 9-930pm. He will get up at 2 or 3 am, then about every 2 to 3 hours after that till he gets up for good at 10am. He would sleep till 12pm if I keep giving him bottles LOL. It is nice to know others are still doing night feedings. Thanks

Jody - posted on 01/26/2010

How much in each bottle is he taking? What kind of milk is he drinking???

My son is 14 months and is also in the 25% for wieght. I still feed him a few tablespoons of cereal before bed then he gets a 9oz bottle of homo milk and is now sleeping through the night. We had to let him cry when he would wake up because after doing some research and talking with our health nurses we were told at 8 months he really didnt need to be getting bottles every 3 hours.It wasnt an easy thing to do but after a good month we had it working. He would get up in the night and cry but we would just go in and sooth him and that was that. For us it was that my son knew he could get it and once we worked with him he adjusted. He eats and drinks lots of water in the day so its not like he is starving. But I do find when he doesnt have his rice cereal before bed he sometimes is up during the night or up really early in the morning so if we give him that it seems to do the trick. But we did work with him and it did take some time, but so worth it for everyone involved. Good luck

Susanne - posted on 01/26/2010

Have you tried to put some baby rice into the milk to thicken it up? It will fill his little tummy more and he might sleep better.And he will drink from a cup when he is ready, thats what happened with my little man,and now he want to drink from our cups and there is no stopping him lol. Good luck x

Maggie - posted on 01/25/2010

I am in the same boat. Becky still gets up for 2 bottles a night (sometimes more if she is sick or teething). She is well below the curve so I, too, do not like to keep food from her (she is only 15 1/2 lbs at 14 1/2 months). I figure that this is a great oprtunity for me to get some cuddle time in. I know that it is disrupting my sleep (and I do truely love my sleep) but I know that she won't always need me this way. So, I put a smile on my face at 12 am and 4 am and heat up her bottle and go get my cuddles from her. It is best to just keep a positive attitude about it because he will outgrown it at some point (at least this is what everyone keeps telling me).

Natalie - posted on 01/25/2010

My daughter still has 1-2 (sometimes 3 bottles-very rare though) a night...every couple of months she'll have a night where she'll sleep right through. - she usually gets 12 hours sleep, including her night time feeds..just give him his bottle..he may need it and if it makes him happy and u are getting enough sleep then there shouldn't be a problem!! Give him a cup during the day...he'll accept it sooner or late :)