If your toddler won't drink cows' milk, what do you give them at bedtime?

[MegBusset]

I am trying (not v successfully at the moment) to get 20mo DS to drop his last BFs (morning and bedtime). He has been singularly unimpressed when I've tried to give him cows' milk (have tried hot, cold and with strawberry Nesquik in!).

I think I'm going to have to go cold turkey but my main concern is that without milk at bedtime he will wake in the night due to hunger or thirst. Just wondering if I ought to offer him something else, what do other people do in this situation?

[RuthT]

One friend has this challenge and gave her toddler hot chocolate

[DoubleToilandTroubleBluff]

Ovaltine?

[DeJaVousdoo]

Have you tried rice milk? The calcium fortified sort?

[ilovetochat]

i am going through the same meg, dd is 15 months and i am trying to stop her 2 bfs slowly.
i do her a cup of water and a cup of milk during the day and offer her both everytime she wants a drink, mostly she chooses water but sometimes she chooses milk and i really praise her up. now at bedtime (which is the one i want to stop 1st) i offer her cows milk before and after her bf and she has started drinking some (i think because she knows she gets bf too). Twice in the last week or so she has had the cows milk and then just gone to bed without a bf so i am hoping that this long winded way will work

[MegBusset]

Thanks all.

He isn't keen on chocolate (strange child) so not sure that would work, I could try Ovaltine or rice milk though.

Ilovetochat, that's what I've tried to do but now as soon as he sees the milk cup at bedtime he says "No!" and pushes it away, then demands the boob! Do you warm the milk?

[ShePeeTeePee]

Is it a long time between his last meal and bed? If so, perhaps you could just introduce a light supper with a drink - toast, or cereal, a few crackers and a little cheese? DS suddenly decided he didn't like milk any more, but was happy to eat other dairy products in the day. I just dropped the milk feeds and upped other sources of calcium. As for how you will distract him away from the comfort of a bf, that's another challenge!

[Tapster]

I tried giving my DD cows milk from 11 months she has never taken more than a gulp she doesn't seem to like milky things like my DH. I try to ensure she has two portions of dairy a day.

She was down to one BF before bed by 21 months I didn't give any milk, DH put her to bed two nights in a row (so sick with morning sickness I couldn't do it) and she "forgot" about it the next night. Did the rest of the routine - singing and stories and put her into cot without a protest! I leave a tommee tippee cup full of water in her cot and she drinks from that at night and when she wakes up. She probably drinks more water in her cot than at any other time of day.

A strong bedtime routine with the same structure every night will help and get somebody else to put him to bed for a few nights.

Morning BF I give toast/pitta bread whatever she likes ready as soon as she wakes up - some protest for milk - I did she is a big girl now talk.

Good luck and well done for feeding for so long.

[dilemma456]

Message withdrawn

[MadamePlatypus]

If you are worried about hunger, I would try a last snack (toast fingers?) and some water?

I don't think a beaker of cows milk is ever going to have the same appeal as snuggling up for a BF. If he has enough to eat and drink during the day I don't think he will NEED milk at bedtime, although I agree that if you know that he isn't hungry it will be easier for you to change his bed time routine.

[cory]

I gave formula at this age. Though when we were staying in Sweden, they had some sort of thin formula gruel that worked a treat.

[Seeline]

My DD never took formula or cows milk. At 16 mths, finally stopped the last bf before bed, and she was fine going through the night. she's now 4 and still rarely touches milk (to the extent that she usually has dry cereal for breakfast). She won't eat cheese, but will just about eat yogut, fromage frais and custard. The best way of getting milk into her is porridge, which she loves!

[flowerybeanbag]

DS has nothing. He gave up milk drinks entirely at about 13/14mo iirc, and it didn't occur to me to try and replace it tbh. No problems at all with waking with hunger or anything.

[ilovetochat]

meg - i was warming it and she didn't like it so now she has it cold and is drinking more. Last night she woke at 2am and cried on and off with me going in and out till 5am so i'm a wreck today. I never give her a drink for her cot, wonder if i should as she may get thirsty especially with the heating on.

[MegBusset]

Quick update: for the last two days he seems to have voluntarily dropped his morning feed, so there is hope! Fingers crossed that after a while he will drop the evening one too.