At Little Sister’s 18-month checkup today, her pediatrician decreed that it is time to get rid of the bottle and get her sleeping through the night. While I’m excited about the idea of having her off the bottle and sleeping through the night, the prospect of getting her off the bottle is a bit daunting.
Truthfully, the bedtime/middle-of-the-night bottle is a pretty recent habit. LS always liked to nurse right before bed, but the time change really messed her up. She was tired at her regular bedtime – and ready for sleep – but it was so light out that she wouldn’t settle down and nurse. So we started letting her have a bottle at bedtime. And since she pretty much stopped nursing then, her middle-of-the-night nursing turned into a middle-of-the-night bottle.
So, the doctor has said that LS’s bedtime routine should be dinner, play, drink if she wants one, jammies/brush teeth, book, quiet music, and bed. If she wakes at night and insists on something to drink, she can have water in a sippy cup.
Now, it’s not as though the doctor said that LS’s health depends on cutting out the bottle immediately. But hubby and I know it’s high time and, while it’s somewhat tempting to try to ease her off the bottle instead, this will certainly be faster.
So far, so good, I guess. We did her new bedtime routine (not really THAT different from the usual), and when I put her to bed she cried for about 15 minutes. Not crying hysterically – she hadn’t passed that “line” yet. (All parents know there’s a line and once your kid crosses it, they can’t settle down.) She seems to be asleep now. We’ll see how the rest of the night goes.
Wish me luck! (I’m really, really looking forward to having her sleep through the night.)
Book Mama 