How to stop bedtime BF for 15mo who won't drink any other milk?

[Smicha]

DS is 15mo and still has one BF at bedtime, after his bath. He settles really easily after the feed, often falling asleep on me or straight away when put in his cot, and he seems to enjoy it. I am, however, starting to feel ready to stop. I have loved breastfeeding, but would like to be 'me' again for a while before we try for DC2 next year.

So, tonight I thought I might change things a bit and offer a story before the feed to try and get him into a new habit of bedtime story rather than bedtime BF. I got him into his grobag and cuddled up on the sofabed where we have our night feed and started to read one of his favourite books - cue him thrashing and screaming as this was not what he was expecting. So I fed him, he loved it, he's now asleep.

I suppose my question is, should I attempt to change things around a bit again tomorrow and see if the screams lessen, or is there a better way to approach this?

Things are further complicated by the fact he rarely drinks milk through the day and I am worried that if I stop the feed he won't get enough. I do give him lots of milk based puddings and milk with cereal/porridge to make up for this, but he will only ever take a few sips of a beaker of milk and then refuses any more. He drinks lots of water, but seems unwilling to take milk instead. If he's not interested, will lots of calcium-rich food through the day make up for the lack of bedtime milk?

If you aren't bfing, he only needs 300ml of full fat cows milk a day until he's 2 and this can include milk in cereals, fish pie, pancakes etc.

With both of mine the bedtime feed was the last to go. Both times I just went out for a few nights. This might be easier if your DH has bathed him before a few times.

Does he drink milk from an open cup? I found dd would drink a couple of ounces out of an open cup while she was in the bath, I think it was the novelty.

You don't have to justify wanting to stop bfing either

Thanks Julie. I had thought he had to have closer to a pint, but 300ml is much more achievable. I will try the open cup thing, especially if I drink from it first then he will be desperate to try it! I was also thinking of experimenting with milkshakes and smoothies to see what he thinks.

I have a feeling you're right and our best plan will be for me to go out and DH take over.

My DD was a bottle-refuser, and has never drunk milk (she is 9 now and still won't have it - even on cereal!). I stopped the night time BF last at 16 months. I just let DH put her to bed for a few nights, and all was fine. She was also a very poor eater, so I too was very worried about milk/calcium intake but she seems to have survived it all OK.

I agree about DH getting him ready for bed, but also you not sitting in the same place with him to read and you used to feed him.