Bedtime bottle substitute?

[WeeG123]

Hi everyone.

Our beautiful baby boy has just turned one year old. He is our absolute pride and joy! We follow a strict meal time, bath and bedtime routine. I know that babies should technically be off all formula by the time they are one, but we have currently kept him on his infant formula bottle at bedtime. He has Cow’s Milk Allergy and doesn't like any of the substitute milks we have tried. He is on special formula (Necoate) and has been since he was six weeks old.

We're wondering if anyone has any advice about what we could try instead of infant formula at bedtime? He does tend to fall asleep on the bottle and have a very settled night so we are wanting to do it with the least amount of disruption to his routine/sleep pattern possible.

Thank you!

Water in the bottle.

But honestly, I wouldn't even worry and just continue doing what is working, he's one, if he's sleeping well don't change anything.

I'd be changing it so his teeth don't rot.

Maybe introduce a teddy and a bedtime story/gentle music on something like the Yoto player he can fall asleep to. Let him get used to that for a while with the bottle. Then start letting him have the bottle on your knee while you're reading stories to him before he's in bed, and brush his teeth after. Then when he's in bed without the bottle, hopefully he'll have a positive association with teddy and bedtime story playing.

Can he not just continue to have his formula but in a cup instead and brush his teeth after?

My boy also has CMPA. We kept using the formula until about 18 months I think (neonate as well). We gradually switched to fortified oat milk and just did it gradually, swapping 10ml at a time for the alternative then building it up. He used to have his night time milk then brush his teeth before bed though, the dentists are usually quite concerned if they fail sleep drinking milk as it sits on their teeth and causes decay. My advice would be to start switching slowly to the replacement and brush teeth then put down to bed but I understand routines are hard to change

Given he has an allergy I would get medical advice before trying to take away his formula. It's the bottle you should be trying to phase out at age 1.

Neocate 1+ vanilla in a cup/beaker instead (it tastes lovely )

Just keep him on the formula. Babies still need milk even at 1. I believe the guidance is 500ml a day through toddlerhood. For most, this is cow’s milk. If he can’t have cow’s milk and won’t have the alternatives, I’d carry on with the formula. Definitely don’t cut it and offer only water. He’s only 12 months. He needs the calories and nutrients. You can slowly swap over to an alternative, teeny bit at a time, and to using a cup, but it’s still quite early.

I would also keep the formula but definitely brush his teeth after rather than letting him fall asleep on the bottle. You can also work towards using a sippy cup rather than a bottle.

My DD used to fall asleep with the bottle. She didn't come off until she was 2 and there were no issues whatsoever. We used her being ill and not wanting the bottle for 2 or 3 days as the excuse to remove it and she was fine. I wouldn't remove it from a 12mth old, personally.

Luckily my younger DS has never been bothered about milk at night so haven't had to go through it a second time.