Should I be curtailing bottles / formula- 13.5month old

[Shazafied]

Hi all,

Please advise me, dd will be 14m soon and I’m 7m pregnant and shattered and can’t really think!

She has been on the following bottle routine since she was about 11m and I feel I should be moving her on a bit but don’t know what to do next. She does love her bottles.

7am - breakfast
8.30ish -4oz formula
10.30ish to 12ish - nap
12.15ish - lunch
1430-1500ish - offered snack. Sometimes eats it sometimes not.
1630-1700ish - tea
1815 - bath
1845 - 7oz bottle in room with cuddles
2200 - 3-4oz bottle dream feed

She is having formula in the bottles. Will only drink water from a beaker / sippy cup (so far). Have tried cows milk and Alpro growing up milk - not keen on either so far.

Should I be encouraging her to drink from a beaker , even if it has formula in?

I plan on stopping the morning bottle next / soon and offering milk in a cup even if she doesn’t drink it (should this be formula or regular milk)?

Other info- she loves cheese but will no longer eat yogurt as she refuses the spoon 90% of the time now and just wants to self feed. She still uses a dummy (a flat orthodontic one) and if allowed would have it in all the time , but now she only gets it at nap and bedtime. It normally falls out as she falls asleep and I don’t put it back in. The bottles I use have orthodontic teats. What else ... ... well, some days she eats tonnes of solids , however she has days where she doesn’t eat much solid wise.

Thanks all xxxx

I don't think it's too much milk, my nearly 12 month old has 3 x 6oz bottles a day. If anything I would drop the 10pm dream feed.

Thanks Polly. I’m a bit scared to tamper with the evening / night bottles as her sleep is so tenuous , it doesn’t take much to make her sleep terribly. We did try to reduce the dream feed to 2oz but she kept waking up at 1ish so we started doing it again. Maybe your right though. I feel like, if there are things to be reduced / altered, I should do it now as when dd2 arrives I won’t be able to cope with changing dd1 routine (for a good couple of months anyway). X

I would drop the dream feed personally but I don't think it's too many bottles/Should be drinking out of a breaker, my nearly 2 year old still has and 8oz bottle of cows milk with breakfast and an 8oz bottle of cows milk before bed. She drinks out of a breaker the rest of the time but won't entertain a bottle morning or night I just think she will give them up when ready 🤷‍♀️

I would be dropping the 830 and dream feed now, at 14months she really doesn’t need it. At the 830 one if she’s hungry then could you try a snack instead, some toast and fruit maybe?
The guidelines are to switch to full fat cows milk once 12months so she really doesn’t need he formula now at all really. Did you try the cows milk warmed up?

I would maybe try dropping the ones I mentioned then gradually change the bedtime one to cows milk, maybe do 3oz milk then 4oz formula and gradually up it so it’s all cows milk if you feel she needs the bedtime bottle. Jst make sure you’re brushing her teeth after her bedtime bottle.

At about 9months my eldest decided he didn’t like any kind of milk anymore, I was frantic thinking he wouldn’t be getting enough vitamins and calcium! In the end I started making things that I could add the milk to without him realising, so custard, mashed potatoes, creamy pasta sauces etc

My second still had a bottle of milk at bed till he was nearly two 🤷‍♀️

I also think if you’re going to do it then now is the time because she will be unsettled when the new baby arrives.
You could try pushing her bedtime back a little to see if that helps with the dream feed, maybe bed for 730-45

My nearly 14 month old has until recently still had 4 bottles a day but now 3.

One at waking
One about an hour after lunch 1.30/2pm ish
And one before bed

Agree with the others about trying to drop that dream feed first

I think the 10pm feed will be hard with feeding a newborn as well. Might be better stopping the 10pm and push through a difficult couple of weeks whilst she adjusts.

Regular milk is fine now - could you try mixing a bit with her formula, and then slowly increasing the amount of cow's milk versus formula, so that she gets used to the taste? Will be a lot cheaper if you can at least get her off the formula! Ideally in a beaker/ sippy cup.

I would drop the dream feed personally but my 19mo is still having 2x 6oz bottles (oat milk) plus breastfeeding! He eats like a horse when he's not having a fussy few days though so don't see the harm if its not impacting solids. He has a bottle at bedtime and one most nights around 3/4am as it's the only way to get him back to sleep or he would get up for the day.

Why do you not let her spoonfeed herself yogurt out of interest if she wants to? She will have to at some point!

Thanks all.

I’ll try dropping the dream feed before DD2 arrives. I’ll try and get her to take a snack / beaker of milk at 8.30/9ish. As for the bedtime bottle that might be around for a while yet, but it’s a good idea to start diluting with cows milk.

Then hopefully I’ll just be down to one bed time bottle of cows milk and that’s not too bad is it ? Even if it lingers on for a few months after DD2 arrives.

I have tried cows milk warmed up and she wouldn’t take it. So I think it’s just the taste - she loves formula !

I’ve started giving her a plastic starter fork recently and she’s managed to stab bits of avocado etc and (with a bit of help) steer it into her mouth. I stupidly never thought to give her a spoon for her own yoghurt. I’ll try that !

Oh god I’m scared about dropping the dream feed. Maybe it’ll be ok . Maybe she won’t notice ?! wishful thinking

My DD just turned 15m and we just dropped the bedtime bottle last week.

I’d definitely ditch the dream feed. She doesn’t need it, and she might fuss for a few nights but get used to it.

I’d also switch out the morning bottle for a cup. I’d leave the bedtime one for now personally so it’s something consistent with the new baby

Thanks caterina x

Way too old for a dream feed. Mine loves to feed himself. Gets stroppy when we go it. Maybe have two forks at a time so you can load one and she can load the other.

I can't remember how many bottles mine had at this age (only a couple of years ago but you forget it all!) But I wish I hadn't tormented myself about the bottle. Both mine adored their bottle and wanted it for comfort until 2/ even older I can't remember but I beat myself up about it. .and now I think how silly it's just a short time they love it for let them enjoy it !

Re nighttime I swapped milk for water I know it sounds unlikely but it really works

I would offer a supper and would simply stop buying formula. If she’s having a healthy balanced diet with dairy she doesn’t need it. Bin the bottles too