Weaning off bottle

mauraf

Hi

My 2 year old loves his bottle! He just gets it at night - although does ask for it during the day at times! He never took a soother for me - and now, the bottle has become his comforter at night. Dont mind too much the initial bottle going to bed - but if he wakes up during the night (and he does about 3-4 times )- the bottle is the only thing that settles him back. I often end up changing him 2-3 times during the night.
Have tried watering down the bottle to 90% water - no luck - still wants the bottle. Would love to get him off the bottle - so anyone who has been here before and has the issue sorted - would love to hear what worked!

Thanks!

Maura

Synyster Shadow

I'm curious of this too. My cousin has a 3 year old with the same comfort. Happens she preaches to me that her daughter sleeps all night (so has my son since 7 months old) and told me that I should give my little guy a bottle to have I in his cot. I thought no because he sleeps just fine goes down at 7 and up at 7.30. My Dad told me since that she's up and down to her all night and she doesn't know how what to do to break this habbit. Some suggested letting her cry. Don't know how a 2 or 3 year old would handle this though

lazygal

We went cold turkey, told her she was a big girl and no more bottles. After a few days she didn't even notice.

Vel

lazygal wrote: »

We went cold turkey, told her she was a big girl and no more bottles. After a few days she didn't even notice.

We did the same.

You have to be tough for a few mights, expect them to be a bit upset but after a few nights she stopped looking for it completely

ceadaoin.

My daughter is 2 and was using the bottle as a sleep aid. She didn't want more milk during the night but she wanted to hold the bottle to get back to sleep when she woke. I just told her no bottles allowed in bed anymore and she was fine with that. Now she has her bottle before going up to bed and brushes her teeth after. I alternate between that and a cup so will phase the bottle out totally soon

addob

We dropped the bottle a few weeks ago, the only one left was the bedtime bottle and we swapped it for cuddles on the couch, the same spot he used to get his bottle.

He would come out of his room dressed for bed as normal but instead of being met with me and his bottle on the couch he found me with his lovey. When he asked for his bottle we said no bottle, cuddles - let's talk about your day.

The cuddles provided a nice response to him asking for his bottle and we have kept up this part of the new bedtime routine. Now he comes out of the room looking for his lovely. I think that removing something from the routine cold turkey is more difficult than finding something to replace it.

If they are using the bottle for comfort why not switch it for something else that provides comfort? Just my two cents! Know that it worked for me but not everyone or every child

Rose35

So at what age do ye recommend weaning off the bottle? Seems they have to have a clear understanding first from reading the above posts ???

lazygal

I did it at 20 months but for the next one I'll be doing it sooner. They really shouldn't be on bottles past a year or so.

Rose35

My little boy is 19 months old and can't imagine weaning him off it at night just yet, should have done it when he was 12 months old, I will have a fight on my hands now if I were to take away his "bobbie" at bedtime. He doesn't even drink more than an ounce most nights out of it but likes to hold it when he is getting off to sleep.

Mink

My fella gave up his sort of by accident. He had vomiting bug when he was 19mths so couldn't give him any milk or dairy for several days. When went back on milk, I put it in a sippy cup and he didn't seem to care either way.

He wasn't going to sleep with bottle though, he has his dodie and blankie.

If he's old enough to understand, tell him the bottle fairies/elves are coming to take all the bottles away and get him to put them all into a special bag - hanging on his door etc. Then throw the bottles away (into the wheelie bin outside so you are not tempted to use them again) and put a little present in the bag in their place. Maybe that will help the transition? He'll prob still be looking for it the next night and the next but then will stop looking for it.

Moonbeam

My current baby is the 1st to get a bottle going to bed but the now 3 year old was very attached to her soother at bed time and it was coming up to her 2nd birthday and it needed to go so we made a big deal of being a big girl and she left it out for the tooth fairy who brought her a bag of buttons and she never looked for it again.

Mink

Moonbeam wrote: »

My current baby is the 1st to get a bottle going to bed but the now 3 year old was very attached to her soother at bed time and it was coming up to her 2nd birthday and it needed to go so we made a big deal of being a big girl and she left it out for the tooth fairy who brought her a bag of buttons and she never looked for it again.

I'm going to try that with my fella in a few months. Did you tell her this earlier in the day and then get her to leave it somewhere before going to bed - so that was the first night she went to bed without the dodie?

He's 20 mths and I normally only give him dodie for naps, bedtime and when in car. Other family members seems to be sticking it in his gob a lot more!

Moonbeam

Yes we had it all planned.
We were going to leave it on the mantelpiece and ask the tooth fairy to take it,the only thing I did bite my lip about was letting her eat the chocolate buttons when she found them.
Normally chocolate is not breakfast!! she was so delighted she shared them with her sister and told everybody about it .

siobod

lazygal wrote: »

We went cold turkey, told her she was a big girl and no more bottles. After a few days she didn't even notice.

I did the same, if your little one is 2 years old then maybe you might even be able to reason with them.

I spoke with a sleep expert about a year ago when I was having trouble getting my one year old to sleep through and she said kids get into a routine and wake up purposefully to get their bottle. Hopefully the sleeping will improve if you break the bottle habit.

HTH!

pwurple

We dropped the bedtime bottle at about 18 months. Swapped it out. gave her a sippy cup and brushed teeth afterwards. A bottle of milk in bed can't be good for their teeth. All those sugars on their teeth overnight.

Hannibal Smith

siobod wrote: »

I did the same, if your little one is 2 years old then maybe you might even be able to reason with them.

I spoke with a sleep expert about a year ago when I was having trouble getting my one year old to sleep through and she said kids get into a routine and wake up purposefully to get their bottle. Hopefully the sleeping will improve if you break the bottle habit.

HTH!

We're living proof of this. We gave in to the second lad more than we ever would have with the first. Mainly because he's so stubborn and we were afraid his shouting would keep the eldest awake who had to be up for school.

So we only twigged last week...we're giving him a flippin bottle at 4am!!! He's 2 and a half!!! We were just trundling on so much we never copped how silly we were being. The last couple of nights hes been waking at 12 looking for a bottle. ..that would be 2 nighttime feeds at 2 and a half!!! Little monkey suckered us in goodo!

Tonight im gonna try the sippy cup. There's no excuses. ..its the easter break...we're all off...so im going to try it....god help us all