21 month old - how to stop night milk

[mdavza]

So here we are, I weaned ds off the bottle and then he got ill (repeatedly) and had bad teething, ill again, and at about 18 months I decided to give him water at night and he started sleeping better. Then he got ill again, and we just wanted sleep so gave him milk and left him to it, and now that's become a habit. So (deep breath), is there anybody else who weaned their toddler off a night comfort bottle? I feel so guilty admitting this!!!
I just need a few nudges and some advice and/or of someone else is going through the same thing.

I haven't got relevant experience but I just wanted to say I'm still BFing at night at 24 months, so don't please don't feel guilty!

Sorry if this is stupidly naive, but is there any reason your DS shouldn't have a bottle at night?

Not really, except that every parenting book/website/guideline says that he shouldn't need a bottle at night no more! Sometimes I can see he's not as hungry during breakfast, but otherwise it doesn't seem to affect him negatively. It's always so hard to decide, isn't it?!

My 20mth ds still has a bottle of milk at night, it's the only milk he'll usually drink in a day so that combined with the fact it helps him sleep for 12hrs means I'm not planning to stop imminently the rest of the day he eats normally, drinks plenty of water from cups etc so I don't feel it's doing him any harm.

If you do want to stop through cab you gradually switch to water? Or do whatever you did when you stopped at 18mths?

I don't see what's wrong with having bedtime milk. My 23 month-old and 4 YEAR-OLD still have a beaker of warm milk each before bed (and first thing in the morning) while they have a story. We make sure they brush their teeth afterwards though.

mdavza I've got some good news for you. Unless the baby books give you a good reason something (backed up by science), then it's just their opinion. Please, feel free to ignore them if it doesn't suit you or your baby.

Perhaps there is a reason - for example maybe it affects teeth to be having milk frrm a bottle at night (but I don't know anything about FF, I'm just guessing).

But if there's no real health reason why not, then there's no reason why you shouldn't go with what works for you and your baby.

An update: I decided to start cutting out his night milk (that is during the night, not before bed) and he must have sensed my resolve because he suddenly started sleeping through. (getting up at ungodly early hours, between 5 and 6 am!!!)
I have decided to gradually replace the milk with water, if he wakes up again, I know he's going to scream but it's hols and this is a habit that I'd like to break. His cheeks are bright red, though, it's his molars that are coming. We were actually laughing today, saying now he mostly sleeps through the night but just wakes very early.
You've got to have been there to appreciate it!