Bedtime feed at 1yo

[SkyeJennifer]

My little boy is going to be turning 1 next week (it's gone too fast 😭), so I will be going onto cows milk but he still has a feed before bed out of a normal Tommee tippee bottle, but I've read online that he shouldnt be having milk right before bed and when he does have milk he should be drinking it from a sippy cup. He drinks his juice or water from a sippy cup but refuses the milk, and as for the bedtime routine when else should I give him his milk because I'd still like him to have a drink of milk in the morning and one in the evening? And how can I get him to take it from the sippy cup?
Thanks in advance x

Just brush his teeth after. So do a bath, milk with a story afterwards, teeth brush, cuddle then bed.

Oh and I just stuck to the bottle for a few months. The change in milk was enough to start with.

Just as a counterpoint to the above, I found that my daughter was happy to have cow's milk from a sippy cup, even though she had never been prepared to drink formula from a sippy cup. I think it was just a different drink to her. I started just giving her a little bit of cow's milk in the afternoon in a sippy cup with a little snack (so that it was all quite casual) and she drank it happily.

Thanks, I'll try it and see how he goes xx

Does it need to be a sippy cup? My 8m DD absolutely hates them (i think because she can't see what's in there so doesn't know what she's getting) so she has all non-breastmilk drinks from an open cup, which works pretty well for us.

Also, IRRC, if your child is eating 3 meals a day, they don't really need a cows milk drink before bed, nutrition-wise, as they should have got everything they need during the day. If i were you I'd just cut the bedtime bottle completely and give milk with meals rather than as a separate thing on it's own, and offer water between.

@irecitethegruffaloinmydreams

Just as a counterpoint to the above, I found that my daughter was happy to have cow's milk from a sippy cup, even though she had never been prepared to drink formula from a sippy cup. I think it was just a different drink to her. I started just giving her a little bit of cow's milk in the afternoon in a sippy cup with a little snack (so that it was all quite casual) and she drank it happily.

That's a good idea I did try the formula this morning in the cup just to see how he felt but he would only have small sips and then push it away but maybe cows milk will be different with it being a different flavour and texture x

@theproblemwitheyes

Does it need to be a sippy cup? My 8m DD absolutely hates them (i think because she can't see what's in there so doesn't know what she's getting) so she has all non-breastmilk drinks from an open cup, which works pretty well for us.

Also, IRRC, if your child is eating 3 meals a day, they don't really need a cows milk drink before bed, nutrition-wise, as they should have got everything they need during the day. If i were you I'd just cut the bedtime bottle completely and give milk with meals rather than as a separate thing on it's own, and offer water between.

I've tried him with an open cup with water and a bit of juice to see what he thought but he pushes it away or tries to tip it up, and he drinks all of his other drinks from the sippy cup he just won't take the milk. He has three meals a day and last night I tried giving him some milk with his tea and then nothing but a bit of water at bedtime and he wouldn't settle. I don't know whether it's a comfort thing or whether he genuinely wants it

Tbh i think the sooner you can break a connection between food and bedtime the better, especially once your child has teeth! Also useful to cut back on drinks before sleep in terms of night wetting etc. Seems massively premature, but you're already changing the routine by stopping formula so you might as well go the whole hog and get good habits down early!

OP just do what works for you, it really won't kill your baby to have a bottle for a little while longer! My dd is 2 next week, she still has milk morning & evening in a bottle. We just make sure her teeth are brushed. Sippy cup the rest of the time, works for us 😊

@Lily2020

OP just do what works for you, it really won't kill your baby to have a bottle for a little while longer! My dd is 2 next week, she still has milk morning & evening in a bottle. We just make sure her teeth are brushed. Sippy cup the rest of the time, works for us 😊

Thanks, I do really want him to have a milk in the evening just because it's what I've always known, it's just all the other things you read online (my fault for googling) I think I'll do the same for a few months and just brush like you said x

Even if it is ‘just’ a comfort thing your baby is still so young. There’s no reason to not comfort him.

Mine is a little older (14 months). I’m breastfeeding him and he gets breastfed last thing before he goes to bed. I’m sure part of it is comfort and contact with me, we both love that and I’ll continue until it doesn’t work for us.

My son used to take a bottle to bed until he was nearly 2.5, i didn't realise at the time it was really bad for their teeth! I think he'll be fine as long as he cleans his teeth afterwards 🙂