Help with bedtime routine please!

[llamallama]

I have a 12 month old DD, our current routine (which we have done since she was 5 weeks old) is :

6.30 bath followed by getting into sleepsuit

6.45 I breast feed her in the dark in her bedroom. Sometimes she feeds to sleep, sometimes not but when she is done feeding I can pop her in her cot and she turns over to go to sleep.

Our routine works well but I want to introduce a story at bedtime plus wean her off breast feeding and have her drink cows milk before bed. I would also like to stop her associating just mummy with bedtime so that other people can put her to bed.

My initial thoughts are to move bath time slightly earlier then bring her back downstairs for story and breast feed. Then up to bed. Over time replacing breast feed with cows milk?

What do other people do?

[Meggymoodle]

I guess everyone does it different ways. My way was an enforced way as I was abroad when pregnant with number 2 and I had to travel 7 hours and stay overnight for a scan so we decided to leave DS with DH. It was the first time ever without a boob to sleep and it worked fine. I also did that with DD - left her with DH to put to bed with no boob. With DD I also just didn't offer her boob one night and gave her water instead (she won't drink anything other than water!) and she was OK with it.

I would do a story once you're out of the bath and cozy in the bedroom and see how you go.

[TheSurgeonsMate]

I kept it all in her room and started by putting the story in between the breastfeed and bed. I would try and unlatch her before she fell asleep and read Each Peach Pear Plum. It was a good start and has evolved over time into a flexible system featuring cows milk and Other People.

[minicc]

Watching with interest!

[vvviola]

Also watching with interest (our routine at 14 months is pyjamas, bf to sleep - need something a little more structured to help with weaning off bf)

[minicc]

Bump!

[llamallama]

Thanks for your input all!

Ok, so I have started bath time a few minutes earlier, then downstairs in pjs. Once downstairs she has been happy to take cows milk out of a cup, whereas flat out refused this in her bedroom!! Maybe she associated her room with boobs!

So cup of milk downstairs then DH can carry her up and she will allow him to put her down to sleep!

So now no boobs at bedtime, just need to work on the night weaning and then last feed to go will be morning time!

Though only problem is we come downstairs to 'in the night garden' rather than a story! Oops!