Bottle in bed - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

andilyn · 03-16-2006, 08:03 AM

My DS will be 9 months old in a week, and we've been having sleeping issues with him for the past few months. Prior to that, he slept the night through. But he's got a ton of teeth coming in all at the same time, so we think that might be part of the reason he wakes up at night. Anyway, when he does wake, he cries and cries and cries, so usually we'll give him a bottle in his crib cause once he get's the bottle, he goes right back to sleep. We've tried giving him a pacfier, but he doesn't want anything to do with it, which I am not surprised, since he only used one briefly when he was a newborn. But if we get him up when he cries, he wakes up completely, and doesn't want to go back to sleep. Plus I don't want him to think that everytime he cries, he get's to get up. Is giving him a bottle in his crib that bad? We never had to with my DD, she slept really well at night. We give him about 2 ounces...and of course when I get him up in the morning, his crib sheet is sometimes a little wet, from the formula, which in that case we just have him at the opposite end of the crib for that night, and then wash the sheet in the morning. We live in an apt and have to pay for laundry, so it's not easy for us to do laundry everyday. So a little dried formula in his crib isn't terrible for him is it? Of course if he has a pee accident, or spits up, we change his sheet right away and wash it. Please tell me that I am not the only one who isn't "the model mommy" when it comes to this stuff! And by the way, I don't need the "lecture" about how bottles in bed aren't good because of teeth rot, cause I already know the info, and we're doing what's best for us at the time, and what works for us...

Altson · 03-16-2006, 08:32 AM

You aren't a bad Mom at all, in fact, I think you're great for going with what works best for you.

Some of my kids have gotten bottles in bed, some haven't, depends on their preference. I've never had one that did get a bottle still need a bottle by the time they switched to their big beds.

As far as bottle rot goes, I think more attention is given to that than necessary. My kids all take the bottle, then toss it to the side and go to sleep or back to sleep. I think bottle rot is more in kids that have been propped with the bottle when they are too small to move it out of the way on their own. That's my opinion, I'm sure others would find it apalling and never let their kids have a bottle in bed, that's fine for them.

As far as the sheet thing goes, I do have the ability to wash every day, every minute, if I want to and I don't. If it's not pee, poop, snot or barf, then it doesn't need changed if it gets a little drop of something on it.

Hang in there on the night wakings. It's a phase that will pass.

Gayle0000 · 03-16-2006, 09:36 AM

I think you are doing great. I guess I have a "bad mom" confession....I've never told this to anyone...

DD is 6 months old. She slept in a bassinet the first 2 months. Crib the last 4 months.

I've only washed her crib sheets twice in 4 months. YIKES! Really, I've only washed them that often because I felt I should be doing it. Her pants have never leaked in bed yet, and she's never spit up in bed yet...so there's been no urgency yet.

To take off the crib sheet, I have to untie and completely remove the crib bumper and I have to completely remove the mattress from the crib to get the sheet off and on. Complete PITA. I've got extra crib sheets, but I still have to do complete crib disassembly whether or not I have extra sheets around.

I'll be doing the deed again pretty soon. I think it will go better now that DD is getting a little older and doesn't have to be watched every single second. I can put her in her exersaucer & let her play while I do a few things around the house. The task of sheet-changing is so big, even DH won't do it to "help out". Ugh.

Kiera1595 · 03-16-2006, 10:45 AM

I don't think it's that big of a deal, BUT, you do know that you may have a fun battle ahead of you when it comes time to wean off the bottle at 12 mnoths. Just to let you know. But yes, I completely understand doing what it takes to get some rest. I have been tempted many times to give the bottle in bed, but just held out. Lately I've also wanted to bring DD into bed cause she's having teething issues, but i jut know that with her it will lead to a habit quickly.

Best of luck. Don't worry about the laundy. I too don't let a little stain warrant a sheet change.

Kiedy · 03-16-2006, 11:06 AM

If this only lasts while he is teething, then that will be not too bad. But as you know once he develops a habit of sleeping only w/ the bottle, you may have a hard time changing that. While my son was teething, I breastfed him every couple hours b/c that was the only thing that would make him fall asleep, but once I thought the worst was over, I had to cut him off cold turkey.

Can you give him water in the bottle? As you know formula has sugar in it, and bacteria in his mouth will eat it and then rot teeth. This is especially bad at night, b/c our mouths are very dry and the formula is not washed away by saliva.

Again if you can break the habit soon after the teeth come in, your son should be just fine. I just know kids that not only sleep w/ the bottle when they're 1 or 2 but I often see them w/ a bottle strapped around their neck in day care.