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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Anyone had to wean toddler off night feeds?

32 replies

Moralitym1n1 · 28/05/2019 16:02

That really.

We've never successfully stopped giving her bottles at night. Anything from a quarter of a (270ml) bottle to 2/3 of them (!)

She cries (and now she's speaking more) shouts 'ta!' (get me ... In her lingo) until we give in and get her milk/pre mixed formula.

I want to cut out the night wakings and her drinking out of bottles. She won't drink out if a cup of night. I've tried the hybrid silicone mouth piece thingy bottles and she can't seem to drink out of them full stop.

OP posts:

Original poster

Moralitym1n1 · 28/05/2019 16:07

She's just turned 20 months btw.

We've tried reducing the amount of milk/formula but that usually goes to pot when she's teething or not well and barely eats. We also just give in for some sleep.

Started trying to water it down but HV advised not to do that.

OP posts:

DiscontinuedModelHusband · 28/05/2019 16:20

For our 3, around that age, we just absolutely stuffed them full of cereal (Weetabix) made with warm milk/formula just before bed (usually during bath time actually, when they could be easily distracted)!

Meant they were unlikely to then wake up hungry in the night.

Then a sippee cup/bottle with just boiled (cool) water in their bed, if they wake and want a drink.

Lazypuppy · 28/05/2019 16:33

You have to accept the fact you won't get much sleep for the next werk but you have to stick to it.

No milk. just water (doesn't need to be boiled, just tap water) if anything at all. Should take a few nights but hopefully then they will get that there is no milk in the night.

Its a habit you need to break

Napqueen1234 · 28/05/2019 16:39

I know your HV is against it but when our daughter was 15 months (younger so may well be different) we did water the formula down til it was gross water with about 10ml of formula. She lost interest quite quickly once it wasn’t yummy filling milk. A few tears and a week of disrupted nights but no night feeds since. If she’s woken with teething etc just cuddles and water

QueenofmyPrinces · 28/05/2019 16:56

I need to night wean but I just can’t face it. My son is 20 months old and it’s going to be a bloody nightmare!

QueenofDovahs · 28/05/2019 17:05

Our son is Autistic. He doesn’t associate anything that isn’t white or in his bottle as fluid. He’d rather dehydrate. We watered down the formula with milk then the milk with water - frowned on sure, but it was the only thing that worked. Oh and white food colouring in water.

ethelfleda · 28/05/2019 17:21

No advice OP but I’m in a similar situation with my 19 month old (except he is breastfed)
I need a decent night’s sleep and want my bed back! Watching thread for useful info.

whereonearth · 28/05/2019 17:27

Ok we breastfeed but we just stopped cold turkey (at night). My husband went in a few nights to settle him back to sleep (putting him back down, patting bum, stroking) and yes he was very cross but did go back to sleep. It took shorter each time and after 2-3 nights he forgot all about it and slept through. I think consistent cold turkey can absolutely work. Do not say no but then give in after 15-20 minutes of crying anyway - that will make it worse.

Original poster

Moralitym1n1 · 28/05/2019 17:37

Thanks for the replies folks, looks like it's water down or cold turkey/water only.

We feel really cruel with cold turkey cause sometimes she barely eats (if teething, not well)but ..

We've been trying to get ready break as supper into her but it varies a lot how much she eats.

OP posts:

Byebyefriend · 28/05/2019 17:43

Calpol 1/2 hour before meals so it kicks in in time so it doesn’t hurt to eat?

Amanduh · 28/05/2019 17:44

We watered it down. Yes advice is not to, but that’s when they still need the calories and food etc. Our HV recommended it!

Buffymum · 28/05/2019 17:50

Over about 4/5 days I made teat bigger with a needle , then fork till chopping end off . Is a habit more than hunger and my ds forgot pretty quickly .More than anything it’s the biggest cause of early childhood caries . Good luck !

blueluce85 · 28/05/2019 18:30

Maybe try quaker oats instead of ready brek, see if your LO prefers the taste (or do they normally like ready brek?) i hate the taste of RB but love other porridge (made with milk or yoghurt and honey)

When i did it with LO i just went cold turkey with water in a 360 cup and after a couple of nights she was fine with a bit of water when thirsty

Good luck

MellowMelly · 28/05/2019 18:42

We did the same as the other posters here too. A decent snack before bedtime and we watered down the milk gradually over a couple of weeks until it was just water. She still wakes up once or twice but is now content to drink the water and re settle herself.

It was definitely a habit that had formed.

Sofasurfingsally · 28/05/2019 18:49

It's worth remembering that she'll eat much better once she is off milk at night.

User24689 · 28/05/2019 19:43

I sympathize, my 19 month old still feeds (bf) 3-4 times a night despite several unsuccessful attempts to wean him. I'm actually going away for a week in a couple of weeks time. It's an unavoidable trip but also an opportunity for me to catch up on some much needed sleep. So he's going cold turkey and I'm hoping 4 nights is enough to break the habit. Feel awful for him that it's come to this!

BeanBag7 · 28/05/2019 20:18

Tasty filling snack before bed e.g. weetabix, banana, toast

Watered down milk or water during the night.

Worked for us when DD was around 18 months.

NoooorthonerMum · 28/05/2019 20:19

I breastfed so had other nigh time feeding issues but my friend definitely started making it more and more dilute at night and that worked for her. I guess it depends if it's just comfort feeding though.

QueenofmyPrinces · 29/05/2019 07:09

This thread inspired me to start night weaning last night.

We had two angry wake-ups that lasted just under an hour.

Fist night done though do feel empowered to keep going now.

mistermagpie · 29/05/2019 07:12

Cold turkey here. He was still having a bottle in the night until nearly 2!! In the end I was like, this has to stop. So we stopped, the first few nights were tough but then he slept through and has ever since.

DinosApple · 29/05/2019 08:06

When I weaned DC off bottles I put a slit in the teet, then a few days later turned it to a cross, then again a bit later made it to a hole. They couldn't get the bottle sucking action going any more so weren't interested in bottles at all after that.

I did that at bang on 12 months with each child, and swapped to cow's milk only at the same time. They'd been night weaned for a fair while before that though.

Cailinnua · 29/05/2019 08:13

I am a little bit confused. Are you talking about a bottle before bed or during the night?

Bumbalaya · 29/05/2019 08:19

I didn't ever have much success with this so juts gave up to maximise our sleep and the miraculously she just naturally started to sleep through 10 or 11 hours a night without waking when she was 27 months. Hang on in there, it does change :)

AveAtqueVale · 29/05/2019 08:34

I'm night-weaning my almost two-year-old at the moment, though he's breastfed. We talked about it for a few days first ('you're getting bigger now, soon you won't need boob at night but you can always have cuddles or a drink of water') etc. Then went cold turkey - just feeding before bed and in the morning. The first few nights there was a lot of outrage - I offered cuddles (which were violently rejected) and water (which got hurled at my head) and rode out the screaming for an hour+ and just kept reassuring him and telling him he could have milk in the morning. It was dire tbh but it's been about two weeks now and after about night 4 he's been ok (though it has not noticeably reduced his night wakings unfortunately ). I think however much you reduce you're always going to have the final step of taking them away which is going to be hell. Might be kinder for all involved just to do it all in a one. I know it's easier said than done though - wish you lots of luck!

CecilyP · 29/05/2019 08:42

Started trying to water it down but HV advised not to do that.

Did she say why? I can see that you wouldn’t water down formula for a young baby who was dependent on it but not for a toddler who doesn’t need formula at all.

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