How do I get my 11mth old off her bottle? Help!

[izzysmum10]

Help! My DD is 11 months old and has never slept through. She used to co-sleep until she was 4 months at which point I wanted to try her in her own cot but found the only way I could get her to fall asleep was to give her a bottle. Unfortunately, like others, this has continued and she still needs a bottle to get to sleep, be it nap or bedtime. She is so random in her sleeping with her nap lengths and times. Also, she is an enormous fidget. She doesnt seem to wake for a bottle but she fidgets so much (and she is very long for her age) she gets wedged in her cot so I have to go in to move her back at which point I have to sit next to her cot with my arm through the bars giving her a bottle! I dont really know where to start with this. I have read so many books I am just confused! Do I start with the naps first, or bedtime? Do I make her go cold turkey or do I gradually withdraw? I would just like to hear some techniques that people have used that actually work. I did start to try cc but am not sure I am strong enough to see it through on such little sleep!

I don't have any advice, but I am in the same boat with my near 13 month old. I give her a bottle before bed at night and each nap. I don't quite know how to get out of this habit I have created!

Hi to both of you, thought I would post to say feel for you both. Firstly I think it is very normal for lots of babies (and toddlers) to have a bottle just before bed or a nap. My DS still has a bottle of warm milk before bed time, as well as a good bedtime routine which is the same every night - bath, book, bottle, bed to the same music he had when he was tiny (now 17m). I pretty much followed the baby whisperer EASY pattern, changing from 3 hourly feeds to 4hourly to 3bottles when weaned and now just 2 bottles one after breakfast and one before bed. I think it would be useful for you to both read the baby whisper sections on naps and routine as it may be that your little ones are sleeping too long or too late on in the day. How many naps do they have and for how long? I think at 11 m my ds had 2 naps. I did do the pupd sleep method which worked quite well and also tried 2 sleeps of cc but DS was sick both times and regressed massively in terms of sleep so it was not for him. If you think your DD has enough food in the day and milk at other times then you could offer her water instead at night and go through the pain of a few nights trying to wean her off a night feed. She will probably still need some settling in which case you could try pick up put down or just lay your hand on her until she nods off. Lastly we stopped our little one watching telly at night. It seemed to improve his fitful sleeping and also meant he was sleepier when I gave him his bottle and then bed. I will stop ranting now. Good luck and let me know how you get on.

Thanks Woody31. My DD usually has two naps but sometimes only one as she doesnt get tired in the afternoon until about 4 by which time it seems a bit late to put her down for a nap. She goes down for anything between 30 mins and an hour and a half in the morning. The afternoon naps (if there is one) is anyones guess how long she will stay down, usually about 30mins, if that. She is starting nursery next Tuesday and I am hoping this may help regiment her routine that bit more. I have started the pupd technique but perhaps need to start watering down the milk. She really isnt fussed about her food, I try to feed her but she doesn't really eat much. She is average weight so she is obviously eating enough but I have also started giving her a supper to "top her up" before bed. Think I will just have to be strong and carry on with pupd and rubbing her back. As you know though, it's easier said than done at 3am when you've had hardly any sleep!

Hi izzysmum, sounds like you have a great routine. I am sure nursery will help a bit in giving her a stricter nap time, although I tend to go a little off piste on my days off work with DS any way. Just thinking may be your little one is having too much milk throughout the day and night and not enough solids? I know at a year they are meant to have about a pint of milk, but this can include cheese, yogurt etc. I don't think your DD should be having much more than 3 bottles a day, unless there are reasons for a higher intake or medical guidance. You may find offering her water at night and less milk in the day will help her eat more and get through the night a bit better. I know when my little one is ill or teething and off food I give him milk in the night but then straight back to no night feeds when he is well, although he is older than your daughter. Good luck with it and fingers crossed for lovely sleeps.

hi izzys mum with my 3yod i made her go cold turkey but also stopped giving milk at night and had half a bottle of juice that I would put in her bed when I was going to bed that way she wasn't using the bottle to go to sleep with but still had some juice should she of woken for a drink. I found doing it that way also helped me in the following year or two when it came to potty training and dry nights etc. good luck.x