1 year old- no milk before bed?

[ShushBaby]

My dd is nearly one and has always had a breastfeed before bed. She doesn't feed to sleep but it does take her from wide awake to sleepy.

Now I've started back at work and will have to work past her bedtime or go away overnight some nights. So it won't be possible to feed her before bed every night.

The plan was to give her a beaker of cow's milk instead (she has never taken a bottle).

The problem is, she is totally rejecting cow's milk. I've offered a beaker of it at loads of mealtimes and she pulls the most disgusted face after one sip then chucks it on the floor.

DP reckons he could settle her without a feed at bedtime, but I'm worried that a) she'd wake up hungry in the night (really reluctant to go there again after not feeding in night since since she was 7mo!) and b) she wouldn't be getting the nutrients she needs from milk.

She has plenty of milk in cheese, yoghurt, porridge etc. But I don't know of any baby that has no milk before bed.

I also fear that DP is being overly optimistic and she would be a nightmare to settle...

Any thoughts?

Oh also she has never been a very "booby" baby and her night and morning feeds (the only ones she has now) are very short. Like three mins each side.

Anybody? I'm at a loss about this...

DS doesn't have milk before bed. Neither does a baby friend of his. As long as they are having a rich and varied diet the rest of the time, its fine. My DS has a cup of milk with supper and seems perfectly happy with this arrangement.

No solution but you have my sympathies as my ds 15m is doing exactly the same with cows milk. He won't even pick up a cup that has cows milk in it now. I'm still bfing morning and night but would like to stop soon as I would like a break before ttc.

I have thought about just stopping but also concerned about it being a big part of calming down before bed.

once my kids stop having 'booby' at bedtime, they do not get cowsmilk as a replacement. as long as she's eaten fine during the day, she will not be waking up hungry, esp if her feeds only last 6mins in total- that's just comfort. so if i ever have to work past bedtime dh just settles them and he has never had any problems.
so basically, all i am saying is, have been in same situation as you and didn't do night time milk and it's fine. (personally think we're a bit milk mad in this country anyway, but that's another thread )

just marking my place. am in same situation with ds2 who is 10 and a half months and i'm going back to work in a month. likewise, he won't take a cup (haven't tried bottle yet), of ebm, formula or cows milk. not sure what to do.

Once dd stopped bf at 12 months, she never had milk of any description, I've never given the bedtime thing any thought tbh.

My 12 m.o. will go to bed without milk if I'm out for the evening.

sheeplikessleep just keep offering the cup... he might eventually. ds likes his morning milk hot and suppertime milk cold. will drink more if its this way round.

a also agree we are bit milk mad in this country. sometimes he has soya milk although apparently that causes cancer because of the oestrogens in it. everything in moderation. lots of variety, i reckon.

Thanks SO much for all the replies. Very very reassuring! I wondered whether her short feeds meant it was more of a comfort thing. Last night for example she only fed one side- a total of about 2 mins- then wanted to go to bed. Then slept 11pm-6am which doesn't strike me as a hungry baby!

I feel much more confident now that she could skip her evening feed without the sky falling in. I think part of it is guilt and frustration on my part at not being there at bedtime, but that's another post, for the "going back to work" section I guess!

Thankyou.

Dur, I meant she slept 7pm-6am!