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kate2 · Nov 1, 2007, 11:18 AM

My two year old boy is desperately attached to his "baba" His development is all on track and I breastfed him for his first year but once the bottle was his replacement for me he became very much in love with the compfort. He is now just over two and uses it to sooth himself, and please forgive me... go to sleep at night (I know the worst thing you can do!)
Anyway does anyone have tips on stopping bottle use for good. He does drink fine from a cup during meals and snack times.
Any advice appreciated
kate2

J_9 · Nov 1, 2007, 12:02 PM

Simple... throw it away.

I know it sounds simple doesn't it? But there are tricks you can do, and here's just one...

Buy some new cups in funky colors...

Now, when he is asleep, take all of the baba's away... hang the new funky fun cups outside on a tree... or place them around the house for him to find (kinda like an easter egg hunt :p ).

Sure, it's going to be rough for a few nights, but remember you created this by letting him have the bottle at bed. Bad Mommy, just kidding. But it will all get better. In all honesty, he should have been off the bottle/breast at 1 year.

Another is to make a game out of it. I did this with one of my 4 kids...

Talk to him about it for a few days, let him pick out some new fancy Big Boy cups that he can use when the baba is all gone. Give him a time limit... say a week... When that day comes, HE throws the baba away. It really gives them a sense of independence and helps them learn to be little grown ups by helping them learn the decision making process.

KBC · Nov 1, 2007, 02:15 PM

And you need to think of the long term bottle, and the front teeth, this has been an issue with more than a few of my friends.

Letting the child have a bottle at night, long term, has rotted the front teeth, and given 'buck' teeth to the child till some action was taken by the parent.

J-9's advice is very worthy and should be taken seriously.

Hope this helps,

Ken

J_9 · Nov 1, 2007, 03:11 PM

Ken, it not only rots the front teeth but the back as well. Especially if there is anything in it besides water.

There are other dangers too. Chronic ear infections as well as respiratory infections are also associated with a bottle in bed.

It's better suffer through a few nights of torture just to keep baby healthy.

vlee · Nov 1, 2007, 10:10 PM

Truly, your son should never have had a bottle if you breast fed him to a year old. You have made this harder on the both of you. But what's done is done. So, the best thing to do is throw away ALL the bottles at once. Have him help you. If he refuses, have hive him watch. Make sure you take the trash bag outside to the cans so he doesn't dig through your kitchen trash in desperation. If he feels he needs something to take to bed, give him a sippy cup with WATER, and only water. If he is really thirsty, he has something to drink. I know the horrible feeling that cramps in your stomach as you hear him scream out and cry for his baba, but you must not give in. After a couple of days, he will settle into the new routine. Then you slowly eliminate the overnight sippy cup... filling it less and less. After all, soon you'll be on to potty training and a child with endless liquids makes one wet bed! I know it will tear you up to hear him cry, but remember, that kind of crying is his way of communicating frustration and anger... he is not hurting and you are not harming him. It will hurt you far more than him, but in reality, that's a big part of being a mom. Best of luck and I hope you have strength and resolve.

Wondergirl · Nov 1, 2007, 10:40 PM

Be strong! Get that bottle away from him.

My older son ended up with a mouthful of chrome crowns at 18 months to save the spaces for his permanent teeth. His baby teeth were rotting from bottle milk sitting in his mouth.

He had trouble learning to talk. Turned out he had hearing problems. The doctor who tested his hearing said my son's experience in hearing was like he was underwater. His Eustacian tubes were always full of liquid.

His first years in school were awful--because of the chrome crowns, he looked scary to the other kids, and half the time he had trouble hearing what was going on.

Now at 35 he has to constantly be careful of his teeth, since the permanent ones were also damaged, even though they had been under the gums during the "nursing bottle mouth" period. At least, giving up the bottle plus meds had helped his hearing problem.

I wish I had suffered a few sleepless nights over what ended up happening.