Ending BF at 14mo, how to replace first feed?

[Zil131]

DS is 14 months and has been BF with very occasional bottles of formula, but has settled into BF at bed time and BF first thing, and not had a bottle for months.
I now want to 'move on' from BF (I was hoping he'd grow out of it, but doesn't seem to be...)
I'm planning on replacing bedtime with a cup of cows milk; but wondered about the am feed.

Would you keep the am BF up for a few weeks until the cup is accepted, or is that confusing?

And what would / do you offer first thing. He currently wakes about 6.30, and comes into our bed for 'milk and cuddles' till everyone else is ready to get up at about 7.

I don't really want to go back to bottles, as I'll only have to take them away later. And I don't really feel like he takes a lot of milk anymore, it's more about the cuddles

I finished BF with DS1 and DS2 at about 14mnths as well. I initially tried cow's milk in a cup at bed but DS1 hated it so instead I just changed the routine did not offer a feed at bed and now DS1 and DS2 have all their milk in cups at meal times. Not sure if this is the right thing to do but they both seem healthy! The morning feed is a bit more tricky. I wanted to encourage DS1 out of our bed in the mornings was we were expecting DS2 so again I changed the routine and did not offer a feed. Instead milk was offered at breakfast in a cup.

I would not offer a bottle as this can be another habit to break. You (hopefully) will be surprised how easy it is. I was very lucky and did not have any problems with DS1 and DS2 stopping.

Good luck

Actually that's a really good idea. I did offer milk in a tippee cup after bath the other day, and it may aswell have been petrol...
But when we play with cows milk and tea cups at the table, he drinks quite well!

I remember it well - I had terrible morning (evening) sickness and milk made me feel even worse. We used to put DS1 in front of In the Night Garden to distract him and then try and get the milk into him. It was a nightmare and I started to feel sick every time I saw or heard anything related to In the Night Garden! We realised that it was just not going to work so that is when the giving milk at tea time started. It took a little while but he loves milk now and still drinks it well and he is nearly five!

I dropped morning feed just after 12/13 months ish. DS was an early riser so I used to take a drink of water and a small pack of raisins or rice cakes upstairs to bed with me in readiness for the morninng! It gave me chance to shower etc for work and kept him happy before breakfas. He loved it and I was amazed - he never asked for morning mummy milk again!

Watching this with interest as my DD is almost 13 months and I'm also starting to drop feeds, with the aim of complete weaning within the next couple of months.

I also use the first feed as a chance to grab a lie-in while DD snuggles up against me and latches on. She'll sometimes happily stay like that for an hour or so and will also occasionally fall back to sleep for a bit as well.

Unfortunately, she's not happy to just lie there and cuddle up without being latched on. So I'm starting to realise that when I drop that first feed of the day, I'll have to just bite the bullet and get up.

But if anyone's got any suggestions...

I found that although yes I did have to get up to begin with to break the habit after a little while DS1 (and now 2 and 3) could get into our bed in the morning again because he had forgotten all about bf. When they are little they forget so quickly and accept new routines so quickly.

I stopped morning feeds with DS at around 14 months. I just changed from bringing him into bed for a cuddle and BF to cow's milk in a sippy cup downstairs.

It was harsh losing that early morning snuggle but DS accepted the change quite happily.

He dropped the remaining BF before story and bed a few weeks later, just wasn't interested so I offered him a sippy cup and he drink it quite happily.

loris is right btw, they forget very quickly. DS was having his morning milk in bed with us within days of stopping his morning BF.

DH goes away for 3 weeks very at the weekend. Think I will start then, then I don't have to put up with his grump at the early start at the same time, and by the time he get's back it will (hopefully) be a done deal!!