So here it is, 5:00 in the morning and I am out on the couch wondering what the heck am I doing. Well, the answer is breaking Natalie of her bottle. My three older kids woke up on their 1st birthday with no bottles in the house; cold turkey;no problems. However, with Natalie, it hasn't been quite as easy. Some say it is because she is my baby (my youngest, not just a baby) and so I am inclined to give into her more. Some say I am struggling because I am older than I was with the other three so I am just tired. Either way....I HATE THIS!!! She ONLY takes a bottle when she goes to bed. At her 1 year check up, the doctor told me that I would probably need to do a "cry-out." A cry-out (just in case you have no idea) is when you just let your baby lay in bed and cry. According to the pediatrician it shouldn't take more than 2-3 nights. I have NEVER been one to just let my babies cry. I figure there is a reason they are crying and it is my job as their mother to fix whatever problem it might be. However, I now find myself sitting on my living room couch at the wee hours of the morning with my heart literally aching as I sit here and listen to my baby cry. I tried to give her a sippy cup with water (just like my doctor told me to do) and she wants nothing to do with it. Natalie is in our room (due to our lack of space in this house) so I couldn't stand just laying there anymore and came out here and made myself a bed. It doesn't matter, I still cannot sleep.
So, I am pleading with my fellow friends and bloggers for any words of advice, support, or comments in which to help me get through these next few nights. I have a feeling that I am going to be far more tired than usual this week. I want to do this. I know it is best for her (and her teeth) but man is this one tough for me.
HARK!!!! I hear silence coming from my room. Maybe I will make it after all.
6 comments:
Ok, here is what I would do...GIVE HER THE BOTTLE, AND GET SOME SLEEP!
Just kidding.
When she takes a nap during the day, you take a nap. That way you would be awake at night. Umm, that's all I got.
I didn't have to deal with evan withdrawing from a bottle but we did have to do the Cry-out thing at like 14 months old. It was so hard. I actually sat in the room with him, didn't pick him up but sh'd him and told him it was okay and sat there to give him reassurance that I was there. He didn't cry as much as a traditional Cry-out but it took 2 full weeks before he completely stopped crying, so much longer time.
And after all that, he's fine! He is a great sleeper and I know I'd rather do it at that age than older. We now have to break the pacifier habit and it's much harder now that he's older.
I wish I had good words of advise. sorry. I'm blank at the moment. I have a great way to get rid of the pacifier. but that doesn't help you much.
JUst keep it up. The more you go back and forth the longer and harder it will be. May the force be with you.
How are things going? I hope it gets easier for you sooner than later. I never could stand to let my babies cry either.
Good luck, and I hope you get to take a nap at least.
As long as you know she is okay, then you can try the cry out thing. I personally waited until the child was showing signs of not liking formula to do it. I only gave delicious things in the sippy cup such as milk and juice. Water was never particularly pleasing to any of my kids. I made sure the bottle was not yummy. You could give her water in the bottle instead of formula as a first step and only a couple of ounces to see how she reacts. Cassie was two when she gave up her bottle, Buddy was 9 months, and Melissa was two. Buddy didn't seem to need the bottle to help him fall asleep and he was not a pacifier baby either. Cassie was a needy child and Melissa liked the pacifier. She gave up the pacifier when she lost it in a restaurant while we were out of town. The next one she saw had dust bunnies covering it and it was nasty to look at. She voluntarily threw it away and that was the end of the pacifier. It won't hurt her to have a bottle until she is old enough to reason with her as long as she has water in it. I think she uses it to self-soothe and another alternative is to hold her until she falls asleep. But as I recall she likes to be alone to fall asleep. It is hard being the mom and making these decisions. Mom
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