I have a 2 year old and she still wants a bottle of milk when she goes to bed. she only gets it about twice a day and so I am not worried about the milk hurtung her teeth or anything like that because she doesn't suck on it all night. She just drinks it then goes to sleep. But it is so embarrassing for people to know and I don't know how to break it.

She was my first so I got up with her all the time and at the time when she was a year I found it got her quiet and so I went with it and now she doesn't want to stop. But in turn she wakes up at night with a diaper to be changed because she drank milk a she went to bed. It is annoying and if anyone has any good ideas as to how to make her stop then let me know. I prefer them to be easy and quick, but I'm afraid that won't be possible.

By Clair~moderator on Saturday, August 30, 2003 - 10:14 am:

I would give her WATER only in the bottle - which she is not going to like so she won't be a happy camper for a few days. I would then after about three days switch the bottle to a sippy cup and gradually phase that out as well.

She won't be happy for a few days but she *will* get over it.

By Bobbie on Saturday, August 30, 2003 - 10:20 am:

The best cure is stopping period. She won't be happy. You might loose a bit of sleep. But this is an all or nothing deal. You either let her have it or you don't. There is no happy middle ground. She will be mad and she will raise cain. But she is not hurting and you aren't a bad mom. It is just the way it has to be done. BTDT times 4...

*and as far as what others think forget them. She is your DD and she won't be taking it at 20.*

By Juli4 on Saturday, August 30, 2003 - 11:11 am:

what does BDDT mean?
Thanks gals

By Karen~moderator on Saturday, August 30, 2003 - 11:17 am:

BTDT = Been there, done that..

By Amy~moderator on Saturday, August 30, 2003 - 12:25 pm:

As a slight alternative to what Claire suggested, you could start diluting the milk with water, a little more each night. Until it is just water. That worked for another member here.

Good Luck, and it will probably be a little difficult, but you can do it.

By Eve on Saturday, August 30, 2003 - 02:45 pm:

Oh, I can relate. First question though, is she taking the bottle just at night to fall asleep? How does nap time go?

Sydney was the SAME! I tried diluting it and so on. I just totally packed up all the bottles and never took them out again. Soon she realized that she could lay down with a sippy of milk and she was happy again. Next problem...milk at night! (That went diaper at night is the worst. LOL!)

So, I went cold turkey for that too. (We still do this off and on, sometimes we lapse back into milk at night when she is sick.) Our routine: Bath, pajamas, She brushes her teeth. I get "Yummy water" for myself and for her. Then, we climb into bed and read. When she cries for milk, I just say "We don't have milk at night, just yummy water." There were many nights of crying and waking up, but it got better. I think it's a rough week and then it's smooth sailing. Then, every now and again, they will try again to get the milk from you and sometimes you may cave, but just start again! Now, Syd happily drinks water at night. (She will wake up at 6am for milk though and I give it to her then. LOL!)

Good luck! It will be rough, but worth it!

By Susan10 on Saturday, August 30, 2003 - 03:21 pm:

I agree with Bobbie's cold turkey idea. I know with the first one you think your child is made of china and is so fragile. But they're not. You're right, there's no quick and easy way, but I'll bet you a dollar it will go much better than you think. The first day or too will be bad, and then you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner. Let us know how it goes.

By Insaneusmcwife on Sunday, August 31, 2003 - 01:51 pm:

I just recently did the cold turkey thing with the boppie (sippy cup) at night. Dd still uses one during the day, not as often as a regular cup though. Dd will be 2 in Nov and I will be taking the boppy away for good. There were about 3 nights when she woke up and asked for a drink...I got up gave her a drink of water from a regular cup and she went back to bed...I did the same with my Ds.. We had a little celebration when the kids turned one...the bottles went in the trash and they graduated to sippy cups...On 2nd birthday it will be good bye sippy cups. And being the meanie that I am shortly after that the store will run out of diapers and we will potty train.
I had a friend in Okinawa that took her dd to the doctors and he told her dd that she was 2 and it was time to throw the bottles away. Her mom took her home let her throw them away and she never asked for them again. It works with some kids.

By Jtw on Sunday, August 31, 2003 - 04:00 pm:

I agree! As a mom of a stubborn kid who did not want to go to bed let me tell you: a few sleepless nights is better than months worth. Our problem was a little different - he had to be rocked to sleep - but it was still a comfort thing. Any doc will tell you that a two year old definitley doesn't need a bottle at night so you won't be hurting her if you take it away. Actually you will be helping her because you will be helping her learn how to fall asleep on her own, which is a skill that she will always need. I know I probably sound like a mean mom, but believe me it will be better for everybody's health and your relationship with dd. I started resenting my ds because he should have been way past that stage, and we had another baby to get up with. When we had to get up with him too it made me so crabby. Now that he has learned to comfort himself we are all much happier! Hope this helps.

By Dawnk777 on Sunday, August 31, 2003 - 05:57 pm:

jtw, I never got into the habit of rocking my baby to sleep because when older dd was a baby, she would be restless in my arms and settle down better when I laid her down.

I felt a little put out, since I wanted to rock her to sleep, but I guess it is better than still having to rock a 2 yo to sleep before they will sleep.

Sometimes she wouldn't go to sleep right away, and would lay there and babble. It was fun listening to her on the nursery monitor.

Good luck with the bottle issue, Juli.

By Juli4 on Sunday, August 31, 2003 - 08:04 pm:

Maybee I will just make a big deal about bottles and have her throw them away and stuff. That may help her. She drinks from a regular cup all the time. I don't think we have a sippy cup in the house. She is potty training really well so she is not behind in those things. I will try to have a bottle throwing away party for her. I will let you know how things go.

By Mommyathome on Wednesday, September 3, 2003 - 10:42 pm:

Have you had that party yet? How did it go?

By Mommymindy on Friday, October 3, 2003 - 01:55 pm:

Hey Juli4!
I am new to the boards, so I couldn't reply when you poted, but I have a simple solution. Don't give it to her. Put her to bed without it. She WILL cry & fuss for a couple days, even maybe a week, but she can and will go to sleep without it. It's harder for you than for her. She's old enough, I think. It's for somfort now, not because she's hungry or thirsty! My daughter will be 1 in a couple of weeks (my 3rd), and the week after her birthday the bottle will be bye-bye! aaah! No more bottles to clean! yay!! Just my opinion.

By Juli4 on Saturday, October 4, 2003 - 12:37 pm:

The funny thing is is that I breastfed for the first 14 months. I was surprised that she took to it. She did cry and whine and all, but she is not taking the bottle now. I keep a cup of water by her bed and if she wakes up as she sometimes does she will occasionally ask for a bottle and I will have her sit up and take a drink and she usually goes back to sleep. Thanks

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, October 4, 2003 - 02:39 pm:

That's good that the glass of water is working. Maybe it won't be such a bad transition after all.

By Mommymindy on Monday, October 6, 2003 - 11:14 pm:

yay! I was SO scared that my daughter was going to be hard to break from the bottle (she's almost 3 now). My thing is "OK, you are a year old, bye bye bottle" So the week after her 1st birthday I just took it away & she hardly cried. I gave her a sippy cup with water & she was fine. I couldn't believe it because she was the crabby one-always sick and always cranky!! Good for you!

By Oliviasmom on Tuesday, October 7, 2003 - 09:46 am:

I missed out on the beginning of this discussion but I thought I'd add -

my sister had her son give a bag full of bottles to the Mall Santa to "give to other younger children" because my nephew was "a big boy now". Worked!!

We had a nephew born at the perfect time. My son gave all his bottles to his cousin cause "babies need bottles, not big boys".

By Mommymindy on Tuesday, October 7, 2003 - 10:45 am:

That is SUCH a good idea Oliviasmom! My daughter will be 3 this November, maybe we can do that with her DIAPERS!! LOL