bedtime bottle

steelernation · Oct 5, 2015

so we still give our 14 month old a bottle of whole milk before bedtime to help her settle down for the night. i'm not sure how to make this work on our upcoming trip. I was planning on stopping and getting a small carton to keep in our hotel fridge. but there's probably only a couple of nights where we'll be back at the resort at her normal bedtime (7:30/8 pm). any suggestions or feedback from others who have taken their children of similar age?

m&m_mom · Oct 5, 2015

I haven't done it at Disney but when we travel, we sometimes pick up shelf stable milk that comes in little juice boxes. You could keep it chilled in a cooler bag or just keep it room temp if that's what your baby prefers.

mom25kiddos · Oct 5, 2015

we have used a collapsible cooler with ice in it to keep it cold if there was no fridge-but not sure if that is what you are meaning, do you mean how to give the milk when not back in the room in time? We just order it-go to Starbucks or whatever and order a child's milk and put it in the bottle/sippy cup.

steelernation · Oct 6, 2015

m&m_mom said:
I haven't done it at Disney but when we travel, we sometimes pick up shelf stable milk that comes in little juice boxes. You could keep it chilled in a cooler bag or just keep it room temp if that's what your baby prefers.

thanks...i never thought of this. she drinks it either way; warmed, room temp, or cold.

steelernation · Oct 6, 2015

mom25kiddos said:
we have used a collapsible cooler with ice in it to keep it cold if there was no fridge-but not sure if that is what you are meaning, do you mean how to give the milk when not back in the room in time? We just order it-go to Starbucks or whatever and order a child's milk and put it in the bottle/sippy cup.

yeah, i could do this as well. never really thought it out. thanks!

WalkerFamily072906 · Oct 7, 2015

I too have a 14 month old that has a bottle at night. We are bringing milk in aseptic single serve containers (milk in juice box like container). So I don't have to worry about keeping it fresh. I am also bringing disposable bottles that I purchased on amazon. I can just throw a bottle and single serve milk in the bag and not worry about cleaning bottles or keeping milk fresh.

I bought steribottles and plan to try them out prior to going on vacation.

mrsdaly · Oct 7, 2015

My son did this until he was 3 years old (no judging here, please... he is very rambunctious and he needed it to settle). We usually would either give it to him in the room or keep it in a soft sided cooler for when we went into the parks (we usually took a break in the middle of the day so when we did have it out in the parks it was never out of the fridge for more than maybe 3ish hours?). Worked fine. Also, all of the resorts have half (I think?) gallons of milk at reasonable prices that you can store in your room fridge. Worked nicely.

Thing 1 · Oct 7, 2015

Our little guy had to have his milk to settle down not only at bed time, but also nap time. A few things that worked for us: For the resort hotel, you can buy a slightly larger container of milk that will still fit in the frig to have for multiple nights. Even the 16 or 20 ounce "single serve" one will last for 2 bottles. When you are out and about, you are never far away from a place that sells milk. You can get it anywhere that serves food. Just carry a bottle along. Some places might have 2% and not whole but it won't hurt a thing to have 2% for a few bottles. As for the shelf stable boxes, try them before you plan on using those. Yep, we learned the hard way that DS would not drink them. We were NOT at WDW and NOT close to a grocery store and it was NOT pretty but yes we did find a store open at 11:00 PM in our rural mountain location!!

myrtleturtle · Oct 7, 2015

My almost 3 year olds still like milk in the morning, so I just bring the shelf stable boxes. If she doesn't like drinking out of them, then you can just pour them into a bottle for her.

mom25kiddos · Oct 7, 2015

mrsdaly said:
My son did this until he was 3 years old (no judging here, please... he is very rambunctious and he needed it to settle). We usually would either give it to him in the room or keep it in a soft sided cooler for when we went into the parks (we usually took a break in the middle of the day so when we did have it out in the parks it was never out of the fridge for more than maybe 3ish hours?). Worked fine. Also, all of the resorts have half (I think?) gallons of milk at reasonable prices that you can store in your room fridge. Worked nicely.

No judgment at all! our fourth was like this-he was well past 3 when we finally got him off the bottle, and two other kids were done by one. Totally have learned every child is different!

blackpearl77 · Oct 7, 2015

I know!!! We went when my son was 2.5 and he still needed that bottle of milk before bed. We bought a 1/2 gallon at the resort shop and kept it in the fridge. I brought disposable bottles (steribottle? I think was the brand? got them at babies r us) so I didn't have to wash them. Worked great.

Turn the Page · Oct 8, 2015

No judgment just everyone, please, please, PLEASE be careful giving your kids bottles for an extended period of time. It can actually cause horrible, horrible damage to their teeth. Milk has a lot of sugar in it and if they fall asleep before brushing their teeth after having milk, or worse, with the bottle still in their mouth, then the milk pools on their teeth and can cause horrible cavities.

My stepdaughter is 5 1/2. She was given a bottle until she was 3. She would have milk, juice, and sometimes even pop in it and would be put to bed with the bottle, and later a sippy cup, of milk in it. To date, she has had 12 regular cavities filled, 1 abscessed tooth, 2 kiddie root canals, 7 stainless steel caps, and has another cavity that needs to be filled. Thousands of dollars in dental work and several traumatizing experiences at the dentist in the hopes of keeping her teeth where they are supposed to be until the adult teeth are ready to come in.

ScarletBegonias · Oct 8, 2015

My 15mo still has a night bottle. We got her two half gallons on the way into the resort at Wal-Mart. We kept them in the fridge and it was just fine. My DD doesn't want the bottle until she's in bed, so luckily we didn't have to carry any with us. No matter what time we got back to the room, she'd drink her bottle to wind down.

kuhltiffany · Oct 8, 2015

I used to use something like these: http://www.enfamil.com/products/routine-feeding/enfagrow-next-step-ready-drink-cartons

joannamet · Oct 8, 2015

Sorry (not sorry) but I am judging. Giving your toddler a bottle? Seriously? A cup of milk and maybe some crackers or cheerios before brushing teeth for bed I understand. My daughter's little tummy often needed something at bedtime. Continuing to suck on a bottle or pacifier can lead to tooth decay and bite issues.

If your child needs to wind down read a book together and listen to quiet music. Cuddle and share a story. You only think your child 'needs' that bottle. You could easily transition to a healthier bedtime ritual that would serve the same purpose.

steelernation · Oct 10, 2015

first off, i did not post this thread for people to make a judgement on myself or any other posters for that matter. i never said my daughter NEEDED a bottle to settle down for bedtime; nor did i ever say i allow her to fall asleep with it in her crib. i am well aware of the safety and health issues that could occur...i have an older son (so it's not like this is my first rodeo) as well as possessing a bachelor's in child development (so i'm educated on the matter too). the only liquids my daughter drinks is whole milk at breakfast and lunch. She gets water at snack times and dinner. never juice or pop.
our typical bedtime routine consists of bath and story time. we always snuggle and play soft music before bed. and as of last night, she no longer gets milk before bed. we were out late due to my son's baseball practice so when we got home we just put her to bed. tonight we decided to try again; so after bath, she got extra snuggles and stories and went right to bed without a peep.
now that i'm off my soapbox

.........thank you to any and all that posted replies and for offering your honest opinions. i whole heartedly welcome advice/suggestions/feedback/opinions....i do not appreciate judgements. thank you!

p.s. 2 weeks from today we will be arriving in WDW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

North of Mouse · Oct 11, 2015

Turn the Page said:
No judgment just everyone, please, please, PLEASE be careful giving your kids bottles for an extended period of time. It can actually cause horrible, horrible damage to their teeth. Milk has a lot of sugar in it and if they fall asleep before brushing their teeth after having milk, or worse, with the bottle still in their mouth, then the milk pools on their teeth and can cause horrible cavities.

Knew this post was coming - can't believe it waited til #12!!

There are pros and cons on every thing! My 3 had bottles for bed for the first 12 - 15 mos. (all were weaned at that age). They have all been grown for several years now and all have good teeth (no braces either)! Have heard similar stories from parents and dentists, but there are children that can have bad affects from just about anything out there, but it doesn't affect 'all' children. In fact, I actually do not know of any children/adults that have problems because of this.

You do realize that there are many factors that can cause this - even hereditary! Who's to say exactly and factually what the child's cause that you posted of?

Tiffylv · Oct 11, 2015

Turn the Page · Oct 11, 2015

North of Mouse said:
Knew this post was coming - can't believe it waited til #12!!

There are pros and cons on every thing! My 3 had bottles for bed for the first 12 - 15 mos. (all were weaned at that age). They have all been grown for several years now and all have good teeth (no braces either)! Have heard similar stories from parents and dentists, but there are children that can have bad affects from just about anything out there, but it doesn't affect 'all' children. In fact, I actually do not know of any children/adults that have problems because of this.

You do realize that there are many factors that can cause this - even hereditary! Who's to say exactly and factually what the child's cause that you posted of?

Ummm......the dentist.

When you have the primary caregivers saying they allowed her to drink exclusively from a bottle until after she turned 3, was given pop and juice in the bottle, was put to bed with a bottle of milk, and was given candy and all kinds of other junk combined with not being taken to the dentist for cleanings until after she turned 3 and not brushing regularly until she was 2 it isn't hard to figure out where the problem came from.

Were the bottles the sole cause of the problems? No, of course not. But they are a huge factor. Have you ever googled bottle rot to see what kind of affect bottles can have on teeth? It's horrifying.

Lupeix · Oct 11, 2015

I have shipped shelf stable milk in boxes from amazon to my room all the trips with my DS (when he was 2.5 and 4), it is quite heavy on your luggage and the prices on amazon are very reasonable (I have no experience with bottles). I am planning to do this next trip because he loves to have milk at breakfast and I usually bring a box to the parks anyway just in case. Beware that the shelf stable milk tastes a little different, so try it at home before you go.
Love the steribottle idea. Our next trip I will have a 10 month old DD as well as DS, so I will give them a try at home before we go. Washing bottles on a trip is not fun.

bedtime bottle

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