[sarabeary]

Hello, I have a 12 month old son (birthday was May 7) and for the past few months he has been going to sleep with his bottle. I know it's bad but it makes him happy. He can fall asleep on his own and puts himself back to sleep without the bottle but his milk is starting to spill(because he doesn't finish it) and is going to start ruining his mattress, any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[Alty]

At a year of age it's time for a sippy cup. Throw the bottles out, and offer a sippy cup instead.

Drinking milk at night at this age is not necessary, he's drinking it, or asking for it, because that's what he's used to, it's for comfort, not necessity. I'd be more concerned about his teeth than his mattress.

Instead of letting him have milk, offer water in a sippy cup. Do this for a few weeks, and then slowly wean him off the water at night. Or go cold turkey. It will cause a few sleepless nights, but really, at this age it's a matter of wanting the milk, not needing it.

[Wondergirl]

I agree about stopping the bedtime bottle because of the potential to mess up his teeth. I pow-wowed with my son, and he agreed to throw his bottle away into the kitchen wastebasket himself, which made it more real for him that he was a "big boy" now. He did rely on a pacifier for a while for getting to sleep, but then we did the wastebasket thing again with that eventually.

He and I developed a bedtime routine that allowed him to wind down from his day and know that bedtime was at the end of the routine.

[Alty]

I agree about stopping the bedtime bottle because of the potential to mess up his teeth. I pow-wowed with my son, and he agreed to throw his bottle away into the kitchen wastebasket himself, which made it more real for him that he was a "big boy" now. He did rely on a pacifier for a while for getting to sleep, but then we did the wastebasket thing again with that eventually.

He and I developed a bedtime routine that allowed him to wind down from his day and know that bedtime was at the end of the routine.

For my son it was the doctor that told me to throw out the bottles. It was the day after his first birthday, he had his one year checkup. The doctor asked if he was still using a bottle, I said yes, and my doctor gave me a lecture to the point where I was terrified of continuing with the bottle. I went right home from the doctors office and tossed all the bottles. My son never missed them. But, he had been sleeping through the night since the age of 2 months.

Now, the pacifier was a different story altogether. He had a pacifier until he was passed the age of 3. I finally took a suggestion from a show I saw. I got my son to help collect all the pacifiers, we put them in a bag. I told him that pacifiers were for babies, and we needed to give them to the babies because he didn't need them anymore. We put the bag of pacifiers in a tree for the baby fairy to pick up.

The next morning we both went to check on the bag of pacifiers, in it's place there was a brand new toy for Jared, and a note from the baby fairy. A few months later he did find a pacifier that we had missed under the couch. But Indy, our dog, helped out with that, he chewed it up. At that point my son asked if he could have just one new one. I told him that that pacifier wasn't made any more, and that was the absolute end of the pacifiers. :)

With my daughter bottles were never an issue, she was strictly breast fed, and when she was old enough for juice or water, she got it in a sippy cup from the very beginning. But, sleeping through the night without milk took some doing. We went cold turkey when she turned 1. It wasn't easy, I won't lie. We had a few days of screaming, and sleepless nights, but I stuck to my guns, and within a week she no longer asked for milk during the night.

It's not easy, but it is important, and it's really worth it.

[Alty]

One suggestion that really helped. Take your son to the store and let him pick out a sippy cup, and a small toy for big boys. If he drinks out of the sippy cup, he gets to play with the toy. If he doesn't, he can't play with the toy, the toy is only for big boys that don't drink out of a bottle.

Don't assume that he doesn't understand because he's little. They understand far more than we think they do.

[sarabeary]

One suggestion that really helped. Take your son to the store and let him pick out a sippy cup, and a small toy for big boys. If he drinks out of the sippy cup, he gets to play with the toy. If he doesn't, he can't play with the toy, the toy is only for big boys that don't drink out of a bottle.

Don't assume that he doesn't understand because he's little. They understand far more than we think they do.

That sounds like a great idea!! Thank you!! I will have to give it a try!!

[Alty]

That sounds like a great idea!!! Thank you!!!! I will have to give it a try!!!

You're welcome. Above all, when you decide to do this, stick to it. No matter how hard it gets, do not back down, do not give in. If you do, you're setting yourself up for a whole other list of issues. As moms we always have to know when to pick our battles. When you choose to battle, you have to win, there is no other option. Losing would hurt your child. I hope that makes sense.

I know you can win this battle, like many moms before you. It may be a few sleepless nights, screaming, frustration, but trust me, if you don't give in your child will soon give up on the bottle, and that's a good thing. A very good thing.

Wait until the big boy bed issue comes up. I have some very funny stories about that, and some sleepless nights after the deed was done. But, we found a method that worked, and it worked a bit too well. My son is now 14, getting him out of his bed is next to impossible. ;)

There are many moms on this site, and the one thing we all have in common is dealing with every day child issues. The bottle, the pacifier, a big kid bed, potty training, school, and the list goes on. It's never ending. But talking to other moms that have been where you are now, is how you're going to get through this. We're here for any support or suggestions you need. But, always realize that each child is different. What worked for me might not work for you. You know your child, you'll find a way that works. :)

Happy birthday to the little man. One is a huge milestone.