What is the best way to wean my daughter from her middle of the night milk bottle?

Question

She is 17 months old and very used to waking up in the middle of the night for a nice, warm milk bottle. She only drinks a bottle at naptime (water) and for bed (water) and milk in the middle of the night. I think she wakes up hungry, even though she always has a snack right before bed.

Answer 1

just don't give her one. she doesn't need it, she's old enough to go all night without it.

Answer 2

She's not hungry, she conditioned to the fact that you will give her a nice warm bottle if she wakes up in the middle of the night just as you have done since she was born. She is smart and know that you will provide that soothing bottle if she has the slightest cry for it. By 17 months my son slept through the night without upset unless he wasn't feeling well and if he woke up feeling fine he never let us know he was up...but we used the cry it off technique when he was 12 months old and after 2 weeks he went to bed on his own and slept through the night. If they have had dinner and a bottle or cup of milk before bed they are fine until breakfast. Most likely, she just wants the comfort of what she has grown up with so far. Sometimes you have to ignore the unimportant cry and only go into her room if she has an important cry and you can tell what's a cry and a true cry. They wake up in the middle of the night just like we do from time to time, but going to her every time will only wear you out and let's face it you need your sleep to take care of them during the waking hours. It's all about letting her know you will be there if she really needs you but ultimately she needs to go back to sleep on her own. Could you imagine doing this when she is 2 or 3? It won't stop until you stop. Take care and good luck.

Answer 3

My opinion is that she is comforted by her bottle when she's sleepy. Possibly give her milk with a little bit of cereal to fill her belly some before she goes down for the night. It sounds like she could be waking because she's hungry. Water is great, but it's only filling if you drink a lot of it. Their stomachs are very small and maybe giving her a little to digest as she sleeps, it will keep her asleep till morning. I would suggest a sippy cup even at nap time and nite nite time. If she fights you about, just stay firm and tell her that she's getting to be a big girl. If she's thirsty, she'll drink it. You will probably have to with stand some heavy crying but it will be worth it.

The bottle wasn't difficult for me, but the nuk nuk's (pacifiers) were awful. Good Luck to you and your little one. It might even be a good idea to include her in throwing away the bottle. This will help her. For my daughter 4yrs and son 3yrs, we had the good bye nuk nuk, you've been a good friend ceremony in front of the garbage. Then when the kids weren't around, I would get one out of the garbage and save it for sentimental reasons. LOL

Good Luck!

Answer 4

She needs to eat something heavier before sleep time then , so that she doesnt wake up hungry in the middle of the night.

At 17 months, she should have long given up the bottle. Think cavities!
Wean her fast by simply withdrawing the bottles completely or slowly by

1. Giving her a glass of milk before she goes to bed, and

2. Making the midnight bottle into a small (4 oz) size. This bottle or the content should keep on getting smaller and eventually may be replaced by water.

Answer 5

I solved this problem by giving my daughter extra milk before she went to bed. And then when she still wanted the bottle during the night, I'd go in and comfort her, but gave her no bottle. This worked after 2 days. Everyone is telling you to stop the bottle, but my girl is 2 and she's still getting a bedtime bottle. I don't see what the big deal is. You're the mom, do what's right for you.

Answer 6

Make it one fourth water next couple times then, half water, then three fourths...you get the idea. Until all she is getting is water. You need to do it though. Milk at night is really bad for her teeth at this age. After a while she won't bother to wake up for water. Warm water isn't exactly good anytime much less in the middle of the night.
Good luck

Answer 7

My daughter is 18 months old and she was still waking up for the middle of the night feed until i started giving her just water instead, she cried of course because she was used to having her milk, after a couple of weeks of her realising she wasnt going to get any milk she stopped waking up. It will take time and you need patience of course (as you do with any child)

Answer 8

Wow.... 17 months of midnight feedings? I'm glad I'm not you.

17 months is plenty old enough for her to not need a bottle in the middle of the night.

When she wakes up, she's probably at least one of three things, and none of those things is "hungry". Habit, comfort, and just because she likes it. None of those are a good reason to keep it going. Just something to keep in mind when she's really ticked off that her late-night wakenings don't result in a nice warm bottle. She likes it, but most likely doesn't need it.

Make sure she's eating enough during the day (talk to her pediatrician if you aren't positive). Your first goal is to determine if she's waking out of hunger or out of habit.

Allow her a snack before bedtime (not even a bottle... something like cheerios or goldfish or something else of substance). I never noticed enough of a difference in how hungry my kids seemed, just by putting cereal in the bottle.

Depending on when her bedtime is, consider adjusting it a little, so that her bedtime snack is maybe at 9 instead of 7:30 or 8:00. Also consider adjusting her naps. If you put her down while she's not really tired due to a late and/or long nap, she's going to be more likely to wake up. Since it's quite possible she's waking up out of habit and not out of hunger, you'll need to break the waking up habit altogether.

Early on, if you usually go to bed a few hours after she does, think about ignoring the advice to never wake a sleeping baby. Right before you go to bed, get her up for her bottle then immediately put her down for good for the night. Just don't do this for long.

No matter how you do it, it's probably going to be a messy process, and heart-wrenching as it is, you're doing her a favor. Bad sleep habits are hard to break, and the longer you wait, the less chance there is that she'll develop good ones. Keep that in mind when you're listening to her cry when she doesn't get what she wants (and probably thinks she needs). It'll be painful for you, so just remember that you're doing the right thing and try to tune it out.

My childrens' doctor once told me that almost all kids aren't in danger when they're crying like that. It's normal for us to try to fix it and make them happy, but to give in will only prove to her that if she throws a fit, she'll get what she wants. My nephew has an ugly little habit of holding his breath until he passes out (he's three and done this, I think, three times). It freaks us out, but even if they do that, it's not really dangerous (assuming a fall doesn't hurt them). After a child passes out by holding his/her breath, the body's natural instincts kick in and breathing resumes.

I'm rambling, so here's the Reader's Digest version: have a late night snack of solid food. Make sure she's really tired when she goes to bed. Let her cry. If you really can't deal with the crying, make other attempts to stop it (go in her room and rub her back for a few minutes (with the light off) or sing her a lullaby. Don't use a bottle as a security blanket.

Good luck!

Answer 9

Just take it away, try replacing it with a sippy cup that she can reach in the middle of the night if she gets thirsty. At her age it is most likely that it is just a habit rather then a necessity.

Answer 10

they make sippy cups now that look like bottles with tips that look like nipples but arent, u can try that!...try sippy cups, or putting something on the bottle that ur child doesnt like that might stop ur kid from wanting a bottle anymore! ..or if u find that that isnt ur idea then just leave ur child,, he/she will get off the bottle sooner or later!
Its kind of not good to choice when ur child gets off bottles u really should just let that be ur childs choice! that s just like someone telling u, that u can't do the thing that u like doing most!! would u like that??..no i dont think so because i know i wouldn't!! just leave ur child..but i gave u ideas if u think u need to it..its all up to u but just think about what i said!

Answer 11

She wakes up n the night not b coz she is hungry, just b coz she got use to it.
u can change it by lettting her cry for it , and understand that its not coming anymore.
i m sure she ll be sleeping peacefuly throughout night in 3 days time. Just cuddle her to calm her when she cries.
Its my personal experience!!