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[heya123]

hey, was just hoping for a bit of advice, my son is 11 months old and breastfed and i intend to stop at 1 and switch over to cows milk which is only in only a few short weeks but breastfeeding is the only way i can get him off to sleep in the afternoons and evenings.
he doesnt know how to drink out of a baby bottle so i was wondering if anyone has tried to do the same with their children, and how did you do it???
thanks...

My DDs both learned to use a spouty cup for water or express b/milk from around 6months old so when they started having soya/cows milk at 1 year it was easy.

DS1 did have bottles from around 6mths and then I had to try various spouty-cups until we found one that he liked.

I'd try your DS with a spouty cup and see how he gets on, he may prefer the free-flowing to the non-spill variety or vice-versa. A couple of friends and all my nephews sipped from an open beaker at this age. You certainly don't want to bother trying a bottle at this late stage.

And obviously be patient while he's learning, he may crack it in one go but he may play around with the cup for awhile. May perserverence be your watch-word!

he drinks his juice out of a non drip soft enden spouty cup, but when i have tried to give him expressed milk from it he never seems to fall asleep with it, its just the comfort of breastfeeding that gets him off to sleep, that is the main issue, the sleep thing because i know hell be fine with his morning milk, its just his afternoon and evening one thats going to be an issue! thanks for the advice so far but do you have any more?? please!!!

Actually, I'd make a start on getting him used to going to sleep without a drink. I don't mean cut out his last feed, but don't let him fall asleep whilst having it. So only offering a cup and not breast might bring him round to the idea that sleep is something he needs to do without your help.

I know it's probably a ghastly thought - you have your routine and everybody's happy - but he won't be drinking evening milk for much longer and there are teeth to consider and learning to go to sleep unaided is an important life skill. Don't leave it until he has the freedom of a bed! That's a much more ghastly thought.

i'd echo that thought time to learn to sleep independently of booby!!! seems a trauma but worth it in the end i promise- i didn't do horrible leaving them 2 cry stuff though but changed routine slowly over weeks and he sleeps all night and is happy to go off to bed also someone else can do bedtime for a change!