Bottle before bedtime?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2004
Bottle before bedtime?
10
Wed, 05-19-2004 - 7:27pm
Hi. I hope some experienced moms can help me. I am a first time mom receiving conflicting information about feedings. My son is 9 months old and I just started giving him table food and giving him one less bottle feeding now. I feed him dinner around 4pm and a bottle at 7pm before he goes to bed, but I was wondering if I should give him a snack and hold off dinner until 5-6pm and that would be the last meal and bottle for the night. Many people tell me that babies need the bottle before bedtime and some tell me to get off that habit. Any suggestions for me? Thanks so much, Elyssa
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-12-2003
Wed, 05-19-2004 - 7:55pm
depends on if he has teeth, and on whether or not you brush them after that last bottle. if that last bottle is immediately before bedtime and you don't brush his teeth afterwards then i'd say it's a very very bad idea. at least 4 kids in my daughters preschool class have already had fillings or extractions specifically because of that. i know alot of people give their kids bottles before bed and their kids are fine, but personally i wouldn't risk it. if that bottle becomes a part of the bedtime routine and he has it before bed for a year or two, and that sweet milk sits on his teeth all night (slobber production virtually stops in sleep) that can do some serious damage to his teeth. however, if you brush his teeth after that bottle i can't imagine what the problem would be, except that he might get attached to it and really miss it when you wean him off the bottle. it's a long time from dinner at 5 or 6 till morning, and i could never make them wait that long until they were a year or so.

just my thoughts,

clarity

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2000
Wed, 05-19-2004 - 8:12pm
Hmmmm..... I suppose if you decided that the bottle at bedtime wasn't a good idea, you could revamp the meal schedule but still offer a bottle of water at bedtime. We didn't bottle feed, so I can't help much with this one. But I would think that some babies like the comfort of a bottle before bedtime. If you decide that formula isn't a good thing to give at night, it couldn't hurt to try water and see if he'll take it. Good luck - Suzanne
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-17-2004
Wed, 05-19-2004 - 9:12pm
I feed my baby whenever he is hungry.I think you should give him a bottle before bed if he wants one,and brush his teeth if he has some.I look at it this way-I wouldn't want to go to bed hungry so why should I expect my son to?So there is my two cents!LOL
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 05-20-2004 - 12:36am
If your baby wants a bottle before bedtime...let him have it. This is my 4th pg and all my kids weaned themselves off the bottle and the last bottle to be weaned from was the bedtime bottle. I never took it from them but that is just me...my kids don't have any teeth problems and they are 15, 11 and 19 mo. I would just give them the bottle and than put them in the crib...I wouldn't put them in bed with a bottle. This is just my opinion...hope this helps

Kim

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2004
Thu, 05-20-2004 - 8:46am
Clarity: Thanks for your advice. When did your kids stop the bottle before bedtime?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2004
Thu, 05-20-2004 - 8:47am
Suzanne: Thanks. This is so confusing!



iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2004
Thu, 05-20-2004 - 8:48am
Thanks for your response. Enjoy your day.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2004
Thu, 05-20-2004 - 8:50am
Kim: Thanks. I think you are right about the kids weaning themselves off if I don't do it. It sounds right. Enjoy your day!
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-12-2003
Thu, 05-20-2004 - 11:53am
i'm no help there, both of mine were breastfed and they weaned between 11 and 12 mos, so it wasn't something we dealt with. i have two friends who bottle fed though and they kept that nighttime bottle for a long time, i think they got rid of it around 16 or 18 months. that help any?

clarity

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2004
Thu, 05-20-2004 - 3:14pm
Yes, thanks so much for all of your advice. I really do appreciate it. I hope you are having an uneventful day. Enjoy your evening!