LovieDove24 Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 I have an eight month old daughter and every time she drinks a bottle--day or night--her eyes get droopy and she gets sleepy. When it is close to bedtime it is like instant knockout juice. Everywhere I read it says not to do this because it is creating and unhealthy habit...babies should be able to fall asleep on their own. But if she falls asleep mid-bottle every time what am I supposed to do about it? Wake up a sleeping baby? That sounds very unpleasant to me. Any tips? Suggestions?
donnamaybe Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 As long as your baby isn't falling asleep drinking juice or milk or formula, I wouldn't worry about it. The unhealthy part is when all the teeth decay because the juice or milk pools by their teeth and sits there all night long.
blind_otter Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 I have an eight month old daughter and every time she drinks a bottle--day or night--her eyes get droopy and she gets sleepy. When it is close to bedtime it is like instant knockout juice. Everywhere I read it says not to do this because it is creating and unhealthy habit...babies should be able to fall asleep on their own. But if she falls asleep mid-bottle every time what am I supposed to do about it? Wake up a sleeping baby? That sounds very unpleasant to me. Any tips? Suggestions? donnamaybe is right - the problem is that formula, milk, or juice will promote tooth decay. Breast milk is different because it has antibacterial properties that can actually kill bacteria related to cavities. When my son was tiny and he would fall asleep with breast feeding I would switch sides, or change his diaper to get him to wake up and finish eating. I don't know if that would work with a bottle, though. Maybe you should ask your pediatrician? As for babies falling asleep on their own at that age....well that really depends on what books you're reading.
sb129 Posted January 24, 2009 Posted January 24, 2009 Formula milk and normal, unsweetened, non flavoured cows milk don't promote tooth decay- cows milk has the same antibacterial properties that breast milk has.
Trialbyfire Posted January 24, 2009 Posted January 24, 2009 Formula milk and normal, unsweetened, non flavoured cows milk don't promote tooth decay- cows milk has the same antibacterial properties that breast milk has. The perfect person to answer this question which is applicable to the opening post. Wouldn't you recommend against bottles, for the same reason as soothers/pacifiers, due to the affect on the shape of the jaw/mouth/alignment?
sb129 Posted January 24, 2009 Posted January 24, 2009 The perfect person to answer this question which is applicable to the opening post. Wouldn't you recommend against bottles, for the same reason as soothers/pacifiers, due to the affect on the shape of the jaw/mouth/alignment? NO! Of course not! Babys gotta eat! In many circumstances a bottle is a mothers best friend. Bottle teats mimic the shape of a breast nipple in most cases, and there is no research or evidence to suggest that bottle fed babies have more chance of developing problems with their jaw/mouth/tooth alignment. I am even OK with pacifiers/ dummies as most on sale now are orthodontic, and again, they can be a new mothers saviour. I know a few kids whose mother insisted on no pacifier, and the kids just ended up sucking their thumb, which is a harder habit to break and definitely can contribute to tooth malalignment. Most babies are off the breast and on occasional bottles by the time they are 2 years old by 3 they should be completely on normal food. Their permanent teeth don't start erupting until they are 6, so unless they are still sucking on their thumb/pacifier/bottle at the age of 5, they shouldn't have too many problems if there are no other reasons for tooth crowding (genetics etc)
Trialbyfire Posted January 24, 2009 Posted January 24, 2009 NO! Of course not! Babys gotta eat! In many circumstances a bottle is a mothers best friend. Bottle teats mimic the shape of a breast nipple in most cases, and there is no research or evidence to suggest that bottle fed babies have more chance of developing problems with their jaw/mouth/tooth alignment. I am even OK with pacifiers/ dummies as most on sale now are orthodontic, and again, they can be a new mothers saviour. I know a few kids whose mother insisted on no pacifier, and the kids just ended up sucking their thumb, which is a harder habit to break and definitely can contribute to tooth malalignment. Most babies are off the breast and on occasional bottles by the time they are 2 years old by 3 they should be completely on normal food. Their permanent teeth don't start erupting until they are 6, so unless they are still sucking on their thumb/pacifier/bottle at the age of 5, they shouldn't have too many problems if there are no other reasons for tooth crowding (genetics etc) I should have clarified. I'm talking about falling asleep with the bottle, using it like a pacifier.
sb129 Posted January 24, 2009 Posted January 24, 2009 Here and here are a couple of articles that support my post, although they say you should wean your baby off a dummy by about age 2, which I would agree with.
sb129 Posted January 24, 2009 Posted January 24, 2009 I don't know, I am not a parent, but getting their baby to fall asleep is something that so many mothers struggle with I am not sure I would complain! The bottle teat is similar to a pacifier and should be orthodontically developed too. Again, if the baby is younger than 1, then I don't see a problem in that respect.
porter218 Posted January 25, 2009 Posted January 25, 2009 My daughter falls asleep with her bottle or my breast in her mouth often as well. The funny thing is she still continues to feed in her sleep..lol, a skill only babies have. I wouldn't stress too much about it if I were you.
Shygirl15 Posted January 25, 2009 Posted January 25, 2009 I know a few kids whose mother insisted on no pacifier, and the kids just ended up sucking their thumb, which is a harder habit to break and definitely can contribute to tooth malalignment. Thanks. But a little too late for me
Author LovieDove24 Posted January 25, 2009 Author Posted January 25, 2009 Thanks for all the replies! Yes I am very grateful that my daughter sleeps through the night...no matter HOW it is achieved You all made me feel better about it. I spose I should just be happy to have a system at all! But yeah I've heard that too about not letting the bottle stay in their mouth for long periods of time because of tooth decay. I certainlly dont do that. I just feed her till she falls asleep then take the bottle out of her mouth.
SierraRose Posted March 13, 2009 Posted March 13, 2009 Formula milk and normal, unsweetened, non flavoured cows milk don't promote tooth decay- cows milk has the same antibacterial properties that breast milk has. My ex b/f daughter repeatedly fell asleep with a milk bottle. The child is now 7 and her teeth are a mess. Her front teeth were so weak, they were both knocked out (2 separate occasions) and was without front teeth for almost 2 1/2 years. One tooth was able to be replaced with a venear type (tooth was knocked half out) and that rotted out and had to be pulled. This kid has a mouth full of silver fillings and according to the dentist a long dental road ahead of her.
IfWishesWereHorses Posted March 13, 2009 Posted March 13, 2009 My daughters pediatrician recommended we allow her to have a bottle in bed as long as it was only water. She soon out grew it on her own.
sb129 Posted March 13, 2009 Posted March 13, 2009 My ex b/f daughter repeatedly fell asleep with a milk bottle. The child is now 7 and her teeth are a mess. Her front teeth were so weak, they were both knocked out (2 separate occasions) and was without front teeth for almost 2 1/2 years. One tooth was able to be replaced with a venear type (tooth was knocked half out) and that rotted out and had to be pulled. This kid has a mouth full of silver fillings and according to the dentist a long dental road ahead of her. I would hazard a guess that this is due to alot more than falling asleep with a milk bottle if there was ONLY milk in it- poor diet, poor dental hygiene and possibly additives in the bottle like sweeteners or juice. If she is 7, she should have her permanent front teeth by now, which shouldn't have been affected at all by any kind of bottle as long as she stopped having it before the baby teeth came out. I have seen hundreds of children like this whose parents blame everything and anything for their kids poor teeth when at the end of the day its their fault that they didn't bring their kid to the dentist as soon as their teeth started to come through and get professional advice on diet and dental hygiene. In some cases the neglect is so bad, its very sad. Kids don't know what to do with teeth- they learn from their parents. 7 is FAR too late to start seeing a dentist they should be seen at 1- if they have teeth, the teeth can decay.
blind_otter Posted March 13, 2009 Posted March 13, 2009 I would hazard a guess that this is due to alot more than falling asleep with a milk bottle if there was ONLY milk in it- poor diet, poor dental hygiene and possibly additives in the bottle like sweeteners or juice. From what I understand, human milk is a living food - formula is not, and it lacks many of the components of breast milk. Though it is nutritionally similar, it is not a living food. Cow's milk has the same problem because it has been pasteurized. Breastfed babies have less tooth decay Breast milk contains bacteria fighting cells that may help kill the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Furthermore, bottle-fed babies "are at increased risk for baby bottle caries, a destructive dental condition which occurs when a baby is put to bed with a bottle containing formula, milk, juice or other fluids high in carbohydrates. Extensive dental repair may be required at a cost of thousands of dollars." Furthermore, breast milk contains bacteria fighting cells that may help kill the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Loesche WJ, "Nutrition and dental decay in infants." Am J Clin Nutr 41; 423-435, 1985 I'm not "down" on formula feeding infants but let's not kid ourselves - human breast milk is the absolute best food for infants. Perfectly designed for them at various developmental points, even becoming higher in water content during hot weather to help them stay hydrated.
sb129 Posted March 13, 2009 Posted March 13, 2009 Totally agree B_O and I plan to breastfeed our little one when s/he comes along, and express milk to use for when I go back to work. Thanks for the article- it makes alot of sense. However, I have never seen a child with extensive tooth decay that didn't have other problems with their diet and dental hygiene- I don't think you can blame it SOLELY on formula etc, because usually when they present to the dentist at age 3 or whatever they are also on solids, so there are often issues there. I have never seen a kid with decay who was only consuming milk and no other kind of food. And it still all comes down to education- parents should educate themselves on what is going into their kids mouths and take steps to prevent problems- Prevention is the EASIEST way to stop tooth decay.
blind_otter Posted March 13, 2009 Posted March 13, 2009 Totally agree B_O and I plan to breastfeed our little one when s/he comes along, and express milk to use for when I go back to work. Great!!!! As you can tell I am passionate about this issue.... There is a la leche league in NZ so make sure to check 'em out if you need to - they are a wealth of support and information. No matter how wacky your problem you will find some other mom who has gone through the same thing!! I have never seen a kid with decay who was only consuming milk and no other kind of food. And it still all comes down to education- parents should educate themselves on what is going into their kids mouths and take steps to prevent problems- Prevention is the EASIEST way to stop tooth decay. Totally. I already have a little electric toothbrush for my son with Tigger on it, and I have another normal little toothbrush with very soft bristles. He doesn't even have any teeth (well not completely, just two bumps with white spots showing on the bottom front). But I wanted to get him used to the sensation of a toothbrush in his mouth. He loves it when I turn the toothbrush on and "brush" his tooth bumps. It probably feels good, too. When I'm brushing my own teeth I give him his "normal" toothbrush to chew on.
JetCityWoman Posted March 13, 2009 Posted March 13, 2009 I always gave my girls a water sippy with bedtime and then there are no worries about sugar on their teeth. You might give the juice earlier in the evening if that fills them up. My sisters kids are both paying in dental bills now that they are 9 and 13. From my sister leaving the bottle in the crib with juice in it at night.
sb129 Posted March 13, 2009 Posted March 13, 2009 From my sister leaving the bottle in the crib with juice in it at night. One of the worst things you can do! Great!!!! As you can tell I am passionate about this issue.... When I'm brushing my own teeth I give him his "normal" toothbrush to chew on. Thats great B_O, you are doing the right thing re: Landons teeth. As for breastfeeding, my midwife is a lactation consultant too which is another bonus. NZ is VERY pro- BF, they don't really give you too much info about FF. And if you can BF, formula is just another expense on top of all the other stuff having a baby brings.
Author LovieDove24 Posted March 25, 2009 Author Posted March 25, 2009 The problem has solved itself. The last two months or so I created a new bedtime routine which puts our story time last and not the bottle. It was extremely difficult for a week or so...an hour or so of screaming when she first went down. But now she is used to it. She sees the routine coming and she knows what to do. As for bottle feeding vs. breastfeeding I didn't have a choice in the issue. I excusively breastfed for the first month and a half, and when my daughter got weighed at that time she was still a couple ounces under her birthweight. I was terrified and my doctor strongly urged me to supplement so I did. I'd rather have a plump, living baby than one who is knockin on deaths door with the poor nutrition that apparantly my milk was providing. I had two women from la leche league come by my house to view a few feedings. There was nothing wrong with her latch, it was all me. So I wish people would be a little more sensitive on the issue cuz it scared me to bits.
sb129 Posted March 25, 2009 Posted March 25, 2009 I'd rather have a plump, living baby than one who is knockin on deaths door with the poor nutrition that apparantly my milk was providing. I had two women from la leche league come by my house to view a few feedings. There was nothing wrong with her latch, it was all me. So I wish people would be a little more sensitive on the issue cuz it scared me to bits. Totally agree. I am open to either- good quality breast milk is great if you can produce it, but many women can't, and nobody should be made to feel guilty about what they decide for themselves and their baby.
Lizzie60 Posted March 25, 2009 Posted March 25, 2009 I have an eight month old daughter and every time she drinks a bottle--day or night--her eyes get droopy and she gets sleepy. When it is close to bedtime it is like instant knockout juice. Everywhere I read it says not to do this because it is creating and unhealthy habit...babies should be able to fall asleep on their own. But if she falls asleep mid-bottle every time what am I supposed to do about it? Wake up a sleeping baby? That sounds very unpleasant to me. Any tips? Suggestions? My grand-daughter is like that.. she gets 3 bottles a day now.. and each time it's close to her nap or sleep... so she is already tired.. but once she gets her bottle, she's in her own little world.. she's incredibly happy... each time my daughter gives her the bottle then puts her in her crib... she NEVER ever sleep with a bottle.
OpenBook Posted March 26, 2009 Posted March 26, 2009 The problem has solved itself. The last two months or so I created a new bedtime routine which puts our story time last and not the bottle. It was extremely difficult for a week or so...an hour or so of screaming when she first went down. But now she is used to it. She sees the routine coming and she knows what to do. As for bottle feeding vs. breastfeeding I didn't have a choice in the issue. I excusively breastfed for the first month and a half, and when my daughter got weighed at that time she was still a couple ounces under her birthweight. I was terrified and my doctor strongly urged me to supplement so I did. I'd rather have a plump, living baby than one who is knockin on deaths door with the poor nutrition that apparantly my milk was providing. I had two women from la leche league come by my house to view a few feedings. There was nothing wrong with her latch, it was all me. So I wish people would be a little more sensitive on the issue cuz it scared me to bits. You did good Mamma!! I also breast-fed my daughter for the first 1-1/2 months... but my problem was different. She would never get more than 1/2 hour sleep at a time. We were BOTH a wreck from no sleep. My H finally took her from me, ordered me to bed, and gave her her first bottle. That was the first time she slept 4 hours straight. I'm very glad I breast-fed her... and I'm very glad she went on the bottle!! And you breast-feeding her for the first part of her little life, was one of the most precious gifts you could have given her. Even though it certainly doesn't seem that way at the time!!
Lizzie60 Posted March 26, 2009 Posted March 26, 2009 It's true.. breastfeeding is not for everyone.. I had a very bad experience with the first child.. I wasn't well 'coached' by the nurses.. I was young and didn't have much knowledge about breastfeeding.. so I quit. My daugther was successful breastfeeding her little one.. but she stopped by herself.. at around 13 months... she just didn't want the breast anymore.. It's all about experimenting with the child...
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