I NEED HELP!!! Baby sleeping with bottle.......?

Question

My 7 month old REFUSES to stay asleep without a bottle of milk in his mouth. I know that this is unhealthy for his gums and teeth, and I want to break the habit NOW! I have tried so many different things....none of them have worked. I have tried going cold turkey (no bottle--just rocking him, laying him down, or patting him on the back to fall asleep) He will fall asleep for about an hour, then wake up wailing for the bottle. I've tried using a pacifier that is shaped exactly like the bottle nipples-- he will suck on it for a few minutes, then cry for the bottle. I've tried letting him drink the bottle until he's in a kind of deep sleep, and then takng it away. He wakes up crying after about an hour for the bottle again. It's a VICIOUS cycle. I'm very concerned. The pediatrician says she can't come up with any creative ideas. He is a perfectly healthy 7 month old, other than his obsession with his night-time bottle feedings. ***I'm running out of characters--will continue

He eats/drinks the proper amount during the day so he's not drinking out of thirst or hunger, it's pure habit. He will NOT stay asleep longer than an hour or two without his bottle. My husband and I can't come up with anymore ideas. PLEASE HELP!!! I am a third-grade teacher. I work full-time, I love my job, but some days I'm so DRAINED from making bottles every two hours at night. I've even tried giving him "comfort" items like his favorite soft toys or blankets to sooth him back to sleep---NO LUCK! We still co-sleep, because I'm afraid that if we don't I won't get ANY sleep at all if I have to run to his crib every 1-2 hours.

******P.S. Don't think I'm being obnoxious, but if I don't get enough responses I'll have to re-post my questions. Somebody PLEASE give me some creative ideas. Thanx!

Answer 1

Maybe put just a little water in the bottle .. just enough to put him to sleep?
Your right, a baby falling asleep with milk in their mouth can cause damage to their teeth.
good luck! God bless!

Answer 2

It sounds like you have tried all the tricks and techniques. The honest truth is you will just have to take the bottle away and let him cry it out for a few nights. Don't let him fall asleep in bed with the bottle. Let him eat and then continue with the regular bedtime routine. Since you co-sleep you are right there to make sure his needs are being met. Any major change like that is going to take some time for him to get used to and he'll probably be fussy for several nights, maybe longer. But in the long run he will get over it and you will have a healthier baby that sleeps just fine without the bottle.

I know it's heartbreaking to hear your child cry and KNOW that you could stop it. But it's better for him to cry for a few nights rather than continue with a bad habit. The longer it goes, the harder it will be to break later on.

Answer 3

If your a teacher wait until you can get sometime off from work maybe when your school is on break where you can be at home for more then 3 days ....then go cold turkey just be consist ant don't give in it will hard but i think it would be easier on you if your not having to get up an go to work the next day... hang in there u can do this.....you could also offer him the passy will your taking the bottle an if he doesn't pick up on that then that will be a good thing later on down the road .....

Answer 4

Try putting water in with the milk, and start adjusting the milk off a little at a time, so that he is finally down to just water. It will take a bit of time, a couple of weeks.
Other than that, you will have to do it cold turkey...and that will be difficult for a couple of days.
The first two nights will be the hardest, then it will ease off when he realizes that he's not winning.
It will come down to whether or not you can stand your ground.
It will be the same when you wean him from most things...bottle, pacifier, etc.
Good luck and have patience!

Answer 5

Try slowly switching the milk to water. I did this with my son and it worked to the point he no longer need's a bottle. Make it 3/4 milk, then 1/2, then 1/4, till it is all warm water. If he is doing it for comfort he will slowly lose interest in the water and hopefully be able to sleep without it. I would try to put him down with a routine, bath, book, teeth, snuggle.. or what ever you like so he knows what to expect every night. Babies like routine. And I would also try to lay him down in his own bed when you have good routine established. Babies need to learn to put themselves back to sleep, my son wakes a couple of times in the night sometimes but he has learned to go back to sleep. Sometimes he just need's a tucking in and that's it.
Hope this helps.

Answer 6

Try putting water that is the same temperature as the formula in the bottle, this way he can have the bottle and you don't have to worry about his teeth. And you can let him have the bottle as long as he wants. It is the same with my son. I'm pretty sure that it is more of a security thing that a lack of food.

Answer 7

Definitely put water in the bottle - you dont want rotten teeth. See if that works and allows you to get some sleep. Also, pray to his guardian angel - ask God to help you out with this - to soothe him when he gets up for that bottle. Prayers always have helped me regarding the sleep issues. Try them both. Good Luck.

Answer 8

Try a sippy cup with water. My sister did this with my niece. The bottle was just for comfort so after about a week of only getting a sippy cup at night she stopped waking up.

Answer 9

You didnt try cold turkey, you just went a long time without giving him his bottle. If it was really cold turkey you'd let him cry it out until he got over it.

Its the easiest and best way to get him over it. He'll wake up a bunch, but soon enough he will learn a new way of falling asleep. Until that happens he'll cry. Its part of having babies, part of their development.

Been there done that. If you want him to not use a bottle take it away at night and dont give it to him. He WILL work it out. It might take a few hours, and a few nights, but eventually he will realize its okay to fall asleep without it.

Answer 10

At their age, it's really natural for a baby to want to put any suckable object in their mouth. Can't really break the habit just yet, as your baby hasn't reached two years old yet. Let him sleep with the bottle of milk in his mouth for a few more months if that helps him sleep.