Night weaning for 19 month old- drop amount or just go cold Turkey?

[squashie34]

As the title suggests really.

19 month old still wakes for a bottle but recently it has become 3x per night and I'm at my wits end because I know it's just a habit now and I'm flipping shattered. I've tried to hold off giving her a bottle and giving cuddles instead but she just cries until I give her a bottle and then she's out like a light.

Should I reduce the amount of oz and do it gradually or just stop the bottles altogether?

Some advice for this very tired mama please!

I didn't really restrict mine until he was through the big leaps and teeth at about 3 and then we went to having one before bed and none in night.

I had this with my ds when he was about 17-18 months! He was having about 4 bottles a night and like you I was shattered! I just cut them out all together, does your dc have a dummy? I just went in and kept replacing his dummy, it took about 3 nights of no sleep and now he sleeps all night and some nights he wakes once for me to put his dummy back and has done since! He's now 20 months.

Honestly my advice would be just go for it and it probably won't be as bad as you think!

Try just offering water. At that age I presume he's eating normally. Aside from perhaps milk at bedtime, he shouldn't need anything at night, so it's just the crutch as you know. I would put water in a bottle and give him that and he'll probably stop asking for it.

We've been going cold Turkey since Friday. I just decided to get rid of all bottles so that it didn't confuse her that she was allowed one at bedtime/in the morning but not at night so we did the 'big girls have milk in cups' chat and let her go and buy a new beaker to have it in.

First and second night were hell, she was fuming when she woke up and I didn't give her any milk- asked if she wanted water and she said no then proceeded to shout/cry/moan for 3 hours shouting 'bot bot'. Night 3 and yesterday was just one 45 minute wake up before settling back down herself and sleeping again so we are getting somewhere!

Only trouble is it's like she's gone on milk protest now it isn't in a bottle- refuses to drink it out of a cup in the mornings and at bedtime

@lalabun so reassuring to hear you went through the same thing and came out the other end!

@squashie34

We've been going cold Turkey since Friday. I just decided to get rid of all bottles so that it didn't confuse her that she was allowed one at bedtime/in the morning but not at night so we did the 'big girls have milk in cups' chat and let her go and buy a new beaker to have it in.

First and second night were hell, she was fuming when she woke up and I didn't give her any milk- asked if she wanted water and she said no then proceeded to shout/cry/moan for 3 hours shouting 'bot bot'. Night 3 and yesterday was just one 45 minute wake up before settling back down herself and sleeping again so we are getting somewhere!

Only trouble is it's like she's gone on milk protest now it isn't in a bottle- refuses to drink it out of a cup in the mornings and at bedtime

I think that's normal, after we dropped milk bottles at night mine wouldn't drink milk again.