Is there any point in trying to get 1 yr old to have a bottle?

[lizzlebizzle33]

Hi ds2 has just turned 1 and although he still is interested in BF I don't think I'm producing very much milk anymore and he's often very wriggly and annoying when I try to feed him.

He has never really had that many bottles but when he did he would take them fine.

Im just wondering if he is self weaning, and if so do you think there is any point starting to give him a bottle at this stage or will that be just another thing to wean him off further down the line.

I would be happy to stop BF altogether as it's become very annoying, he's constantly rummaging around in my armpit and/or nipping me (I know it's tiny little baby nips but they really hurt!)

My only reason to carry on BF is to be able to get him back to sleep at night as he is an awful sleeper and that is the only thing that will get him back down. But in the other side of that do think maybe he will sleep better if boob is off the table?

Hi OP. I'll be interested in your responses as I'm in a similar boat with my 12 month old. I'm ready to stop breastfeeding but it has a very strong sleep association for him. Feeding him is similarly annoying.

Personally I don't see the point in a bottle at his age. What I have been doing is giving him half cows milk half water in a sippy cup. I water it down because he rejected straight up cows milk but likes water. I've already dropped one feed this way, he always wanted to feed late in the afternoon, before dinner, so I switched this feed. He doesn't drink much from the cup but it's enough of a distraction that he's been fine.

I'm planning to drop the other day feeds in the same way, then tackle the night - he's actually much easier to bf at night as he is sleepy but I agree with you that the night waking may be linked to him just being used to waking up and having the boob!

I’d go straight for a sippy cup; they recommend stopping a bottle at a year anyway (which I’ve not managed as my DD loves her bottle)

I breastfed mine all but only until they were 6 months old. After that they all went into a cup. I wouldn’t bother with a bottle. Especially at a year old. Sippy cup is fine

I wouldn’t bother with a bottle, I’d just give a cup.

My eldest three went straight to sippy cups around 12 months, the eldest never took a bottle and the youngest two j never even tried.
Also they don't need to drink milk if they're having plenty of other dairy - like milk with cereal and yoghurt / cheese, or evening bfs etc. Ours mostly drunk water, itsaves another habit to wean off and meant they were a lot more interested in meals than kids who fill up on milk.

Definitely go straight for a cup. Tommee Tipple did one with a lid but not the no-drip thingy that meant it they had to suck.

I second a sippy cup rather than bottle.

Getting them off the boob at night is hard. I used the Sleepeasy Solution and DH to do all the night wakings (as otherwise the boob would be right next to the DC and the DC inconsolable). A friend of DH's weaned off the boob at night in 1 week by getting their DH to do all the night wakings, but I can't remember the age of the child.

You can feed only once or twice a day/24 hours, if it works for you and DC. I did this for ages.

I'm in the exact same situation. My lb turned 1 yesterday and I only feed him at night now as he has a bottle after lunch in nursery. But... I got into the habit of just offering him the boob when ever he cries in the night... If I don't give him a bottle how on earth do I get him to sleep? It's a massive headache but I so want my son to sleep better and for my partner to return to the bedroom (He is on an air mattress in the lounge as we're in a small 1 bedroom flat).