Im kind of test running this tonight. The dieticain said Caitlin is at an age where she shouldnt be having a btl before bed (apparently its just a comfort thing at her age )and would be fine with pancake etc & sml cup of milk or water for supper provided she has had say cereal for breakfast with milk and a yoghurt during the day.

Today Caitlins meals have been messed up, well crap tbh. She had btl formula and toast for breaky as usual, then 2 pancakes & an orange at lunch (we were heading out at 1pm and planned on getting lunch out but didnt leave till late), then at around 345 she had a happy meal but only ate 1/2 as was still full from lunch. Got home & didnt think she would eat much for tea so at 630 gave her another pancake & a banana.
At bedtime instead of btl I offered her a cup of rice milk (still cant take cows), she hated it and just took some water. I put her to bed and she fell asleep as normal.

Do you all still give milk at bedtime? If your toddlers decide they dont want it does it make a difference to the lengths they sleep? I dont want to quit bedtime milk and end up with her waking hungry/thirsty in the night.

I always offer it, but she rarely takes it all these days.

She doesn't even have a morning bottle most mornings now as she asks right away for her breakfast, so has an extra morning snack now instead

She has 6 oz milk with her breakfast, plus at least 2 fromage frais/yoghurt's in the day, and then I offer 7oz of milk at night now and she drinks maybe 4/5 at night (not long ago I offered 8/9 and she drank it all!)

It makes no difference to her sleep - she sleeps at least 12 hours regardless of taking 2 oz or 7 oz - I assume because she is getting plenty of food in the day

I have no idea with regard to night time bottle but just wanted to say that when you do cut it out you could put a non spill cup of water next to her so if she gets thirsty at night she can help herself rather than get you up xx

Thomas still has his bedtime and breakfast bottle. On the odd occasion when he doesn't want it it doesn't affect his sleep at all.

I will continue giving Thomas his warm milk at bedtime for as long as he wants it - he is a rubbish eater so it makes me feel a bit better that he is getting a little nutrients from it. He does still have it from a bottle too and yes it is just a comfort thing but whats wrong with comfort? They are still babies at the end of the day and I am in no rush get him to 'grow up'.

If it does affect her sleep and you aren't entirely comfortable with taking it away at this stage then personally I would tell the dietician to stick their advice and let Caity have her bedtime milk/formula if she wants it. If she is refusing it herself then fine or if there are other reasons for taking it away but if it's just coz he said its only for comfort then let her have a bit of comfort. Cuddles are for comfort too but I certainly wont be taking them away.

xx

Well she slept until usual time and I only heard her chattering/kicking bars at about 4am for 5-10 mins so probably better night than average.

I think i'l keep offering it. She had been cutting down herself to 2-5oz a night. I'l not panic about it if she falls asleep early eg I used to wake her if she fell asleep on way home from somewhere to give her it, now I think if she's ate well that day i'l leave it.

I think the dietician was worried about tooth decay & her being more distressed at having to give btls up when older. I dont think Caitlin is overly fussed on btl as a comfort thing, she didnt miss it one bit last night.

Thanx for advice, think i'l just let Caitlin decide when she wants to cut them out but at least I know now she can sleep through without one.

C hasnt been drinking all over her bottle at night but i often give it with a small biscuit or something now. Shes up in the night or at the crack of dawn but its not hunger so if she goes without i dont fret overmuch. Ive decided after last months palaver of trying not to make her quit her bottle yet, it was 4 days of misery. Yet she decided herself her dummy was surplus to requirements and i figure she will do the same with her bottles, she only has 1 in morning and 1 at night and what she drinks is drunk within 10-15 mins at most so im not worried about her teeth. The rest of the time she uses sports bottles or sippy cups. I kinda agree witbh debs, i prefer that she has her milk as a top up to what she eats in the day while shes being fussy and i also figure her dummies are gone, shes going in a big girl bed soon, shes doing stairs without being carried, shes getting a bigger and bigger girl by the day and i dont wanna rush her into everything too soon.

H has milk at breakfast and supper but out of a beaker. I will give it to him as long as he wants it. I stopped his bottles at 12m and he was fine. Sometimes he doesnt drink all of it but sleeps the same x

I was wondering about this myself, Charlie always drinks his bottles in morning and night, I figure as long as he's taking the full amount I offer he obviously wants it so I'll carry on till he shows signs of not being interested.
He eats lots during the day has yogurts and cheese so I'm not worried about him not having enough calcium.

My friends daughter has bottles now at 2 and she's fine I'm quite relaxed about the whole thing really, just want my baby to stay a baby as long as pos!!

Tylers refused a bed time bottle since about 10 months old and it used to worry me but what can I do about it... tried everything chocolate flavouring, strawberry flavouring soy milk out of a cup, a beaker, bottle and straw and just wasn't having it.

SO I moved his dinner to just before bed as he was starting to wake earlier but now it's fine it doesn't effect him

i couldnt imagine the day alasdair went to bed without his bottle. that child drinks 3 or 4 thru the night some nights :/

hannah gave up her bottle around the age caitlin is now.

when she was 7 months old the hv told us to cut down to 2 bottles a day to encourage her to eat more solid foods and get her off bottles completely at 1 year old. she wasnt ready at that age but by the time she was 15 months old bottle time just wasnt relaxing and she was barely drinking anything out of a bottle so we swtiched to beakers of milk. I found she ate better too without her bottles.

it worked well for me but I am all for giving bottles as long as they want it too. there is no harm in giving a bottle at bedtime. debs is right if thats what they find comfort in then why deny them it?
x