Okay, I know a lot of people send their babies to bed with bottles. I absolutely, under no circumstance agree with that. I'm not trying to "mommy-shame" but seriously? That is just lazy! Your kid doesn't need that to go to sleep. You are creating multiple issues for them and yourself down the road.
There is nothing like the feeling of independence both parent and child feel when a baby is able to bottle feed themselves. It can be so convenient and easy to use the bottle to help your child self soothe to sleep. But when you let your baby feed themselves to go to sleep, while laying down in their crib, you are putting them at risk for tooth decay, ear infections, choking and poor sleep associations.
Obviously no parent wants their child to have decaying teeth. The problem with letting your child fall asleep with the bottle without washing or brushing their teeth off before falling asleep is SUGAR. The sugar in any type of milk will decay your child’s teeth. This is especially true for those children who fall asleep holding their own bottle and the milk is left to pool in their mouths.
No parent likes to see their child in pain and ear infections can be especially painful for little ones. When left to drink a bottle lying down, milk can flow through the ear cavity causing painful ear infections. While this is especially true when using milk or juice, pure water can also carry germs into your baby’s ear cavity causing infections as well. This doesn't just mean in bed. Whenever your baby is drinking from their bottle, make sure they are propped up! I cannot stress this enough.
If you let your baby fall asleep with that bottle in his mouth every night, that bottle then becomes a crutch. We all know how hard habits are to break. Why ask that difficult task of your little one? Just start them off right from the start.
I am sure we have all heard of breast feeding pillows. I think they are fantastic! I personally never had the opportunity to use one, but please please please make sure your baby isn't laying flat on these as well while eating! They are laying down and drinking and it can still flow through the ear cavity causing ear infections! SO ALWAYS PROP UP YOUR LITTLE ONE! Even a little bit helps!
I know I don't have the popular opinion but I pray that y'all read this and actually listen.
God Bless Y'all💓
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