When giving water instead of milk during the nights

I know it sounds like a silly question But I'm just curious to know what others have done. My little ones aren't STTN just yet [Alyssa does about 4 times a week and Rose does maybe 2 times]. We had their 1-yr apt yesterday and the pedi suggested replacing formula/milk with just plain water to refrain from tooth decay.

One:
Do you offer the water in a bottle or a sippy?

Two:
Is the water cool or warm?

I thought about first offering the water in the bottle [maybe warming it up a little - our water is purified and it's kept in the fridge so it's pretty darn cold and could give you brain freeze if consumed quickly], then after a day or so offering it in a sippy. THEN after a few days of this I'd just keep a sippy of water in their crib.

 

I'd just put some in a sippy (or bottle) before you go to bed and then leave it out to warm up. We use our fridge's water dispenser, but it doesn't come out super cold.

 

my thought is to make as easy for you as possible... room temp is what we do... if we do water. I did it a few times around a year and within a few nights they weren't intersted anymore... I think the idea for us was make it as non interesting as possible so that they wouldn't like it so much! and would keep sleeping...

 

We just give ours a sippy to keep in the crib. It is ice water, but that is the only way my boys have ever drank their water. Ours were STTN when we started this practice. GL with the transition!

 

Hi!
Since your kids are a year old, my opinion is that you should start trying to lessen going in to give bottles of anything!! Switching from formula to water doesn't really help them learn to sleep thru the night--and at their age, you really want to not be going into their rooms at night at all, so they can learn to put themselves back to sleep (unless there is someone in distress). Only a suggestion! Good luck.

 

Thanks for your replies ladies. Here's how last night went.

Rose woke up once at 0440 and I gave her a 5 oz bottle of [room temp] water. She didn't seem to mind drinking it, but then had about 2 oz and pushed it away. I acted as though everything was normal.. and just placed her back in her bed. She was fine, then about 5 mins later she was crying again.. so I gave her a paci and sippy of water and left her to CIO - which she did for about 10 mins then was fine. Alyssa on the other hand STTN

 

when we first got my all-night-bottle cryer to sleep all night w/out milk, we gave him water and he was ok w/it (he had two cavaties and this was a necessity). after he got sick a month later, though, he backtracked a bit. and so did we.

we give it in a bottle, though, cuz we dont' want it to spill all over.

gl!

 

I am happy (for the help) & sad (b/c others are dealing with it too)to see this thread all at the same time!

My twins are 13 months old and one STTN (& has forever) and the other really never has. She wakes between 130-200am and will fall back to sleep pretty easily but then will wake between 430-6 for a bottle. I never thought of the idea of providing water instead of milk to make it less appealing. Thanks for the suggestion....she really should be able to STTN I would think at 13 almost 14 months!! Right?

I didnt super push the issue until now b/c she has had 4 double ear infections in 5 months this spring...but now its becoming kinda silly. Any other tips or suggestions would be GREAT! I think it could be a battle of wills between us!!

Thanks so much!! Sarah

 

I agree. With my LOs, I leave sippies by their beds just incase (I´ve never had to use them so far, touch wood). I give bottled water that´s room temperature so they drink it like that.

 

We've always done sippys in bed. Bottles & bed dont mix IMO.
How do your kids do with cups? i had one bottle baby and when we made the switch at 10 months, we went cold turkey without a problem. If they know how to use cups well, they may suprise you in their ability to go without bottles as well!

We do ice cold water in our cups. I use the ice/water from our fridge dispenser. My kids love it.