How do you night wean a 1 year old who refuses the bottle?

[Pinkchicken85]

I’d like some advice on how to painlessly stop the 3:30 nightly 40 minutes feed.

I've been very slowly decreasing breastfeeding LO over summer, we’re down to two feeds. I’m going on a long business trip next month, which means breastfeeding needs to stop.

LO eats well and drinks sips of water from beakers during the day. He refuses anything other than water in a beaker. I make sure he meets his calcium requirements with full fat plain yogurt, which bizarrely he loves. He has full nappies.

Any advise on we can gently remove the night feed? I’ve got two weeks left before I go.
thank you for reading.

At 1 he doesn't need a bottle anyway.

Best way is send your OH in take the beaker of water incase he wants a drink and cuddle, rock, pat etc.
Get them also to do bedtime if there is no association then he will drop it. First 3 nights can be tough.

Try oat milk with him as a drink as well my DS refused all milks other then oat (and bm) and I slowly changed the ratios over about 6 weeks til he was on cows milk.

I did similar to pp. Jay Gordon's gentle night weaning approach informed me a bit on it and a few months before I had read the no cry sleep solution. My feeds were only ten minute ones tho! Sorted it in a few nights. Best of luck.

He doesn't need it for nutrition but the closeness and comfort and sense of being nutured is a real thing that your son is benefitting from. Treasure these last two weeks and don't spoil them by making them all about weaning. He will miss you obviously while you are away but he will have all the nutrition and love and care he needs anyway, and he will be ok. There's no need to drag out the withdrawal of breastfeeding for weeks in advance.

You will get plenty of people telling you to just enjoy this time but it was a killer for me so I just offered water in the night, rinse and repeat. It took a few days but soon worked x

I'm breastfeeding including at least two night feeds a night at 13m. I also give green veg, ricotta and plain yoghurt to meet the calcium requirements.

Personally I wouldn't do anything in advance. Baby will be fine to go from that one night feed to just cuddles back to sleep. There will be protest I'm sure but as you won't physically be there it's totally different. If you're there and trying to stop it is confusing for baby who at this age is really just wanting connection with us. So if you're not present and haven't been all day, it'll be different.

I did Dr Jay Gordon, worked in a few nights

Another vote for Dr Jay Gordon's gentle night weaning method

Thank you all for your messages, I’ll have a look at the Dr Jay Gordon later.