am I over complicating this?

[mustardtomango]

Ds is 8 months. He eats well during the day and bf 5-15 mins before daytime naps (3) and a bit longer at bedtime. We co sleep and he comfort feeds overnight.

I'd like to decrease his bf further, to just at night, but he's a bottle refuser.

Will this happen naturally? He's a big boy now. Can I try to give him formula (to cover off the nutritional element of moving off bf) in a water bottle? What order would you feed in? Regular lunch, formula pudding as it were, and hope it wipes him out? He's v attached to the breast. Am I over complicating?

Thanks in advance

Will he drink out of a cup? Annabel Karmel's book has some useful feeding charts, if you are looking for ideas. I also understand that at 8 months, babies need at least 500ml breast milk or formula a day. Sorry can't be of more assistance but I did find the Karmel book helpful.

Does he breastfeed to sleep? If so then really what you need to do is get him falling asleep for naps on his own rather than on the boob. Various ways to do that... gradual retreat etc. Some find it happens naturally but most not.

You can give formula in a water bottle, sippy cup, straw cup, anything. However if he's used to BFing to sleep he won't necessarily accept it for that purpose iyswim.

In terms of when to give him milk - I think the standard advice is to give food 1 hr after milk? (so that they are a bit hungry but not too hungry when they get to the food). Some people do give it at the same time as food though, it depends on what your baby seems to prefer.