2.5 year old waking 1 to 2 times a night wanting milk?

[Happyclappy20]

My dd for the last few months has being doing this and it's exhausting. She loves her milk bottle and it's all she wants. She refuses to drink milk from a cup. What can we do?

Throw the bottles away! We did this with our 2yo earlier this year. Best move ever!

I don't know, sorry, but we have the same problem with a 2 year old. Watching for any hints.

Offer a cup of water.

Offer a cup of water only. After a few nights they will get the hint. It may be hard for a few nights but hopefully then she'll start sleeping through. It's a habit. She doesn't need milk in the night.

I agree. Just throw the bottles out. Children are far more adaptable than we give them credit for. Offer a sippy cup or open cup of water only.

Oh goodness, throw them away.

Maybe you could pack them up together and drop them off at Goodwill or a friend's house and pick up something for her transition into a big girl who sleeps through the night instead, like a new teddy bear or some such.

Think we'll need to throw them away and brace ourselves!

Cup of water only, otherwise this will go on for a very, very long time. Milk not needed overnight, and really bad for the teeth - ask your dentist, or google milk bottle caries. Not pretty.

So the consensus is to just get rid?

Yep, toss the bottles out. It'll probably be helping for a few nights, but she needs to get rid of them at some point, if not for her sleep pattern, but for her teeth.

*hellish (not "helping"!)

Definitely get rid. Waking sounds more like habit than need at that age.

Ds2 did this. .... and continued for far far to long as we weren't strict enough.

My 2 responded really well to “giving their baby bottles to the babies”.
Worked with dummies too.

I had similar and tapered off the milk. I found it easier for me than going cold turkey. Reduced it by 2oz every few days. He still woke up but the milk stopped and he transitioned to soppy cup then for all drinks.

Do a big ceremony packing up the bottles to send them to father Christmas. then the next day give her a really nice bottle/cup etc say it's from father Christmas for being a good girl and sending away her bottles.

We threw all the bottles away. DS was 2yrs 1 month and had had a sickness bug. Took that opportunity to get rid and gave a sports top bottle of water instead next to his bed. He got it completely by the 2nd night and declared 'bot-bot yuck'. Think we just got lucky that he accepted it so well. Now (2.3yrs) he'll occasionally have a small cup of milk before teeth brushing at bedtime.

I could have written this! I have started giving her last bottle of milk at bedtime, then explaining that there would be no milk again until the morning. When she cries for milk in the night I give her a small amount of water in her baby bottle (not worried about the bottle tbh more the milk and the waking!) and it’s definitely reduced the number of wakings, probably because water isn’t as exciting as milk.

You need to get rid of them but you can do it in a way that gets her involved.

The bottle fairy (or Santa’s elves as we’re close to Christmas) can take them away in return for a small cuddly toy that she can snuggle up to at night when she wakes up and wants her bottle. You can make a little ceremony of it, leave the bottles out in the morning and have them replaced by the toy and a little letter praising for being a big girl.

Leave the bottles for Santa

Just to update, we took the plunge last night and only gave water via the bottle. Not a horrendous experience, but Peppa Pig was needed at 5am! Eventually will get rid of the bottles as well but decided that milk would be the first thing to go. Hope you are doing well Happyclappy20.