Help!! How can I wean my child off the bottle at night??

Question

Recently weaned my 14 month son off his pacifier and now at night he cries for his bottle just to have the nipple in his mouth even though he isn't drinking the milk or water out of it...he cries for dear life when I try to take it away from him....dunno what to do...first time mother....please mommas out there give me some advice...thanks...serious answers only....pls....thanks!!

Answer 1

Rooney, I'm with you 110% on this. Once our children began talking, we used that to show them they didn't need it any longer. I can remember my son running up to me in the evenings, with the pacifier in his mouth, trying to say daddy daddy. I'd pick him up and ask him, What did you say, and he'd take it out and say it again. That's when I would take it and say see you don't need this anymore. Eventually, he hardly used it, and "he" threw it in the garbage one day. What's the rush? It's a pacifier, and has a purpose. When your child can tell you what he or she wants or "my tummy hurts" then there's likely no need for it any longer. It's a comfort thing just like a teddy bear or blanket, we shouldn't remove it too soon. ;-)

Answer 2

I feel for you... Althou I weened my little guy from his pacifier at 6 months. I read somewhere that between 6-9 months is the perfect gap in age to ween them with little fuss from the pacifier... I don't know. It worked for me. BUT the bottle was a different story. I will tell you what I did (which is not probably by the book) but it worked. First of all... I went to Walmart. In the juice isle there will be these juice bottles with Pooh heads, Curious George, Buzz Lightyear. It will be a pack of 3 for like $6.00 or so... Buy them. After the juice is gone they are reusable. Start introducing this to him vs a bottle with his milk. This is actually a sippy cup nossle with a bottles shap and a character on top ;) He will like them...:) Start tossing or packing his bottles away a few a day until there is only one left in your cupboard (for your sanity) Give him his 'new' sippy bottle even when he sleeps. He will eventually over a week or two not want a nipple in his mouth do to the fact that this is a 'sippy' nipple and it requires more work that a bottle nipple to get his milk out... Like I said... Not by the book... But it worked like a charm...

Good luck!!

Answer 3

I took all of my children off the bottle by the time they were one by using a sippy cup. The pacifier was gone at about 10 months. Hide the bottles gradually until he doesn't miss it anymore. Good Luck Dear

Answer 4

Give him back the pacifier and take away the bottle. Some kids have the need to suck more than others, so let him have the comfort from sucking. It will make weaning him off the bottle easier, and when he gets tired of it, he will throw it away. Raised 5, and it worked for me.

Answer 5

go buy him a new teddy bear, let him pick it out to make it his favorite. Try to get it right before he goes to bed, so he is excited about it. He should want that more than the bottle. Thats how I did it with my son, just try different things. Also stop putting anything in the bottle.
good luck

Answer 6

Oh My! You shouldn't allow the baby to have milk or juice before bed because it sits on their teeth and rots them. This is going to sound mean to some, but think honestly - would it hurt him to cry until he falls asleep? Put on some quiet peaceful music and just let him play until he falls asleep. I sure don't want to sound nasty - but is the bottle really for him, or is it so that you can get on with other things without him crying?
set up a schedule for night time and follow it every night. The baby should have around 30 minutes of quiet time with you rocking or holding him, dim the lights and tv so that he becomes drowsey. After 30 minutes place him in his bed, give him a toy and leave. He may begin crying but you don't need to go check on him immediatly! Wait for 5 minutes. Go back to him, tuck him in again, give him his toy, do not say anything to him and leave. If he crys again, wait 10 minutes. tuck him in again and leave - do not talk to him. do not go back in until you know he's asleep. Don't give up. He will learn how to go to sleep without his bottle or pacifer. He'll learn to let the music sooth him.

Answer 7

You have to take it away and let him cry. Giving it back will only prolong the process. Try telling him bottles are for babies and he is a big boy now, see if you can get HIM to throw it away. If not, let him cry it out, it won't last for long.

Answer 8

its going to have to be cold turkey! that's the only way. i would try giving him only water at night if he absolutely has to have something. but you are gonna have to be strong about this because that is very damaging to his teeth and you dont want him to have to where those silver teeth a lot of toddlers are sportin today. let him know he is a big boy and give him a fun yet easy grip cup to use during the day.

Answer 9

i have learned that a little lemon juice in water or even milk is enough to deter any kid from wanting a bottle and have a sippy cup available with their favorite drink in it, and you will see that it may take sometime but your babe will start to prefer the cup because it tates like it should not sour it worked for my kids and my niece. Not so much lemon to make ill just enough to taint the flavor so he thinks twice about drinking it Good luck mama

Answer 10

why'd youtake the pacifier away already??!!! I don't understand why parents rush things. That pacifier comforts him and helps him sleep, many people (even adults) need something to help us sleep. The pacifier also helps many babies with teething pain! Poor baby.