23 Month Old Naps & Sleeps with Sippy Cup of Milk

Updated on March 12, 2012
N.G. asks from Renton, WA
13 answers

This is a two part question:

The sippy cup she uses is a Nubby Cup. Its wonderful however she will NOT part with it or use any other cup for her milk. Water and juice she drinks out of straws or "big girl" cups as us adults do. When driving in the car or nap/bed time she has a cup of milk and "nurses" it kind of like a bottle in her nubby sippy cup. In the car she doesnt drink it so much but soothes herself with it.

So my question is: Is it OK for her to soothe herself with this sippy cup?? Im in the process of watering down her milk at bed and nap time in hopes to soon only have water in it. But she will not take milk from anything but this nubby cup (and they leak like crazy now for she chews the nipple so much).

She screams like crazy if at nap/bed time she does not have this cup (in the car too).

Thoughts? Suggestions? Thank you in advance!

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S.W.

answers from Amarillo on

It's time to put up with the screaming otherwise you will have $500 or more in dental work.

My grandson had this happen and they had to pull his baby teeth on the top which took the normal time to come in and a gap was in his mouth. I had told my son and wife NOT to let the child have the bottle at night or it would create "toddler root" (the old words for it). Needless to say when he told me what had happened I was livid but then it is their child not mine to deal with and to take care of. He has beautiful teeth now but it wasn't always that way.

So please let her scream, get some earplugs and give her water. She'll get the hint.

Good luck to you.

The other S.

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L.R.

answers from Washington DC on

The nubby cup IS a bottle to her. She associates it with milk and associates milk with it. The fact she takes other liquids fine from other types of cups indicates she CAN do that but she is attached to the nubby and the milk in it as her comfort items. Food (or drink) as a comfort item isn't a good idea.

Neither is a comfort item that could choke her, and this one could: If she is chewing so hard the cup is leaking from her chewing, it won't be long before she could just chew off the sippy cup part and choke on it.

Especially because of the choking risk here, I would brace myself and treat it like getting rid of a pacifier: Cold turkey.

She will scream and you will be miserable for her, but she really WILL get over it. Having a cup or bottle in bed is not something to allow, even if you do switch it all over to water. Try to offer other possible comfort items, though kids do choose their own comfort items and it can be hard to get them to transfer to another one of our choosing.

If she's a very "oral" kid, she may need something else that is safe to chew, like those blankets that are specifically made for chewing and don't fray or get holes. I'm sure I've heard of these being available online. Or ask your pediatrician about alternatives. And get her to start on milk in regular cups and through straws.

5 moms found this helpful

L.M.

answers from Dover on

The Nubby Cup is too much like a bottle (in my opinion) so if your little one has been weaned from the bottle, she shouldn't be using this style cup. If you don't agree with that, it still isn't ok for her to have milk or juice in a cup when going to sleep.

3 moms found this helpful
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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

At 23 months the only thing in her cup that's in her bed is water.
Have you seen the pictures of tooth rot from milk laying in the mouth all night? It's not from the "bottle" per se, but from milk on the teeth all night long.
NOT pretty.
I think you better put an end to that tonight.
She can have the cup, just not the milk in it at sleep time.

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E.B.

answers from Beaumont on

I think it's a source of comfort for her, she's still young enough. It takes the place of a pacifier or blanket. I would definitely transition to water though.

1 mom found this helpful

L.M.

answers from New York on

Gotta switch it to water.

1 mom found this helpful

S.L.

answers from Kansas City on

I had a grandson do this with a sippy cup, not this kind, and I would only give it to him empty at bedtime as it got his bed wet at times. He just wanted it to hold like a blanket or something. When he started yelling for liquid in it I finally told him he couldn't keep it but to drink some water then he could lay down and sleep. He did but it took a lot of work on my part. I think he must have been about your daughter's age. Maybe start telling her she can drink out of it but not keep it or when she falls asleep take it. It may take time though and be prepared for her to wake in the night and want it if you do take it when she's asleep. OR just let her keep it with only a little bit of water in it.

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K.M.

answers from Denver on

If you could transition to water that would be good. I think the milk being on their teeth all night is supposed to be bad for them. I think it would almost cancel out brushing them. But otherwise, I don't see a problem.

1 mom found this helpful

M.L.

answers from Houston on

Yes, napping with any thing other than water can do some dental damage. It's a habit you should try to break her of, unless you don't mind taking the chance of tooth rot. It may be hard for a week but she will get used to it. Good luck!

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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

Milk pools in their mouths. You need to deal with some screaming and either give her no cup or nothing but water in the cup after her teeth are brushed, because having anything else at night can set her up for cavities later. It may take a few nights before she accepts the water, but keep the long view.

This is what you want to avoid: http://www.ada.org/3034.aspx

I know a young child who needed sedation dentistry and frankly I'd rather take the milk than have to put my child through anesthesia. I'm not so worried about the car, unless she's sleeping in the car with the milk on her teeth.

I'd also be concerned if she was chewing on it. Is she swallowing pieces?

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R.Y.

answers from New York on

Good luck. We are fighting the same battle and have been for a year. It may be hard depending on the kid. Cold Turkey was a bust for us (she screamed for nearly 4 hours and didn't sleep until after midnight). If you find something that works well I'd love to know what it is.

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M.M.

answers from Boston on

We have this habit too. I switched her to water then regressed to milk last month when she was sick.

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

As long as she is not holding it in her mouth once she goes to sleep she should be fine. If she is holding it in her mouth you are going to have to stop that now. The saliva rinses her mouth out after a few minutes and the milk stuff is gone.

Milk is milk is milk. It does not matter if it comes from a bottle, a straw, or a sippy cup. It goes in the mouth and is taken care of by the saliva in all people, kids and adults alike.

If you take this away totally she may just find something else to suck, like her fingers. That is pretty harmful to her bone structure too.

She can fall asleep with it, as long as it is removed as soon as she is asleep her mouth should be okay. If she is waking up all night and screaming for it then I don't know. Once she is asleep she should be staying asleep if she has had adequate nutrition through out the day.

I think I would work on weening but not make it the focus of bedtime. You are doing fine!

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