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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

19 mths and up for 3 bottles in the night!

21 replies

hayleyhew · 14/12/2006 11:58

My 19m old son is still up for 3 bottles in the night - any ideas how I can get him out of this habit? We are shattered!

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izzybiz · 14/12/2006 12:04

My Dd was just the same. All we could do was take her bottle away completely, be prepared for a couple of nights with no sleep and just do it.
Its never as bad as you think it will be!

hoochiemummy · 14/12/2006 12:41

I had a similar issue although it was me he wanted, not bottle. Controlled Crying I think is the only answer. It's really harsh, but it works every time. I can't tell you how quickly I got my life back after we did it. It only took us 3 days, but I hear you have to allow a week. Here is the instructions we used www.askbaby.com/topic/baby-sleep-training.htm as you HAVE to do it right or you might make things worse. Good luck.

helenhismadwife · 15/12/2006 19:04

I agree with what the others have said my dd2 16months started was doing this until recently we found that she wasnt eating much during the day but filling up on bottles of milk in the night so it became a bit of a vicious circle, we decided that it had to stop so we used a combination of comfort and controlled crying but no bottle, like hoochie said it worked in a few days to be honest doing it was no worse than getting disturbed frequently by her crying for the bottle

NannyL · 16/12/2006 10:53

just stop giving bottles full stop

at 19 months she definitely does not need any milk at night.... and wouldnt even need 3 bottles per 24 hours either!

maybe for a night or 2 offer water in bottle instead...

or just go cold turkey and she will soon get the message

you eat food and consume calories in the day time... and SLEEP at night!

Xuxu · 16/12/2006 13:57

Ok, my 7 month was fine up to 6 weeks ago, just woke once for a feed, but has now started waking every two hours and the only thing that puts him back to sleep is his bottle, won't take dummy, stroking of lullabys. I give the bottle with him still in the cot. I've been told to change it to water, but what if he won't go back to sleep?

Stockingsofdinosaurs · 16/12/2006 20:01

Xuxu, sounds horrid but he WILL go back to sleep eventually . If he screams so much you think he might have got thirsty, try a sip of water from an eggcup. Pick a night over the holidays when you have support to catch up on sleep yourself in the day.

Hayleyhew, if you can't face no bottles, how about just 2 or 3 oz of water and 1 scoop formula in each bottle. It's just the ritual that he's hooked on so the smaller and less satisfying the milk, the quicker he'll decide not to bother waking for it.

Nemoinapeartree · 16/12/2006 20:03

agree with others take the bottle away and maybe leave a cup of water in his cot/by bed incase he is thirsty.

hermykne · 16/12/2006 20:06

.
cold turkey and you'll be even more shattered but it ll be worth it in about 10days time!

do it before christmas and then you ll be able to chill

Sakura · 18/12/2006 01:15

Okay, I dont agree with controlled crying so heres my take on this. I asked my midwife why my breastfed baby (10 weeks) was up frequently in the early hours of the morning for a feed, when between 10pm and 2pm she would sleep soundly, so I <span class="italic">know</span> she can go for 4 hours without feeding. She told me that babys wake up when they are getting too cold, and feeding helps warm them up again because of the energy it uses. Thats why its difficult for them to get back to sleep even though we know they arent hungry. Its December now too, so it made sense. I dressed my baby more warmly (we co-sleep) and brought her closer to my body at night and it worked. But maybe its different fir bottlefed babies, I dont know. Is there a chance it could be this?

sandcastlesforanaussiexmas · 18/12/2006 03:34

Try offering water when he wakes, instead of milk. At the moment he knows he will get something for waking up.

I did this with dd. Almost makes the think it's not worth waking, just for water. Stopped her waing in 3 nights

LittleB · 18/12/2006 15:07

xuxu, do you think your baby could be teething, that often starts around that age and can unsettle their routines, my dd was like that with her teething. Found anbesol rubbed on her gums helped and calpol when she was really bad.

hana · 18/12/2006 15:23

but sakura he's 19 months, not a newborn!
I'd also go cold turkey - at his age it's a comfort thing
goodl uck

merrylissiemas · 18/12/2006 15:27

cc is all very well but we live in a 1st floor flat. our ds is 19m as well and he cries in the night for a cuddle, but he's also draining 2 9oz bottles before bed. maybe it's a growth spurt

twickersmum · 18/12/2006 16:08

hayleyhew - i could have written this myself 2 weeks ago (think i did a thread on it somewhere too!)

we have got an improvement by going cold turkey on the 3am milk ? I just decided to refuse it. She freaked out for about 2 nights, I kept going in to her saying ?shush shush, sleepy time?, rubbed her back until she stopped howling. She would start again after 30 mins or so, I just kept doing the same thing, not taking her out of her cot. It only took 2 nights, I wish I had done it months ago.

You need to do it yourself, stay consistent, don?t let dh do it (or let him do it totally) so that there is no variation in the routine.

twickersmum · 18/12/2006 16:09

oops, sent before i finished... i continue!

We now have her down to just the midnight milk and hoping she will stop that soon, she hasn't had it every night this week - watering it down seems to help. when i have the energy i will battle that one out too.

It is hard, i was knackered for 2 nights, but that is all it took.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

p.s. start it on a day when you know he is well and has eaten well.

gegs73 · 18/12/2006 16:15

I watered my ds bottle down at night when he was around 4 months, as he was taking all his milk in the night and hardly any in the day.

HV said water it down replacing 2oz water with formula every couple of nights. After it was 50/50 water and milk he stopped waking up and wanting it. From what I remember there was no CC doing this, he just stopped waking up for it and drunk more in the day. I know your ds is alot older, but I'm sure this would work.

merrylissiemas · 18/12/2006 16:26

i'd always thought that you should stick to measurements on tin for formula? a 19mo would be on cows milk tho

twickersmum · 18/12/2006 16:29

my dd is on special formula as she has a dairy intolerance.
yes you should stick to the formula guidelines if they are relying on it for nutrition... but by 19months, well they are just having it for having it's sake.

merrylissiemas · 18/12/2006 16:31

ah suppose (wasn't criticising, honest

twickersmum · 18/12/2006 16:32

not sensitive! just thought i better clarify

Azure · 18/12/2006 16:38

I also gradually watered down the formula before stopping the bottle and - crucially - not getting them out of the cot when going in. It worked for both my boys when they were around 8 months and no CC was involved. Fingers crossed you get a decent night's sleep soon.

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