Weaning Bedtime Feed... EBM? Water? No drink?

[stephanne2]

Hello!

LO is just over 12 months and we're actively weaning.  I dropped the late afternoon/supper feed first and a week later (this week) dropped the later morning/lunch feed.  All's well so far (though she's not all that into milk right now, which I remember going through with my first--not wanting or taking to milk much until BF'ing was done.) She was formerly MSPI, has been tested and given the all clear to add dairy, so we're weaning to almond milk and have tried whole milk as well (which she spits out. Can't say I blame her there!)

Anyway... these feeds were easy to wean off of because she was increasingly UN-interested in those. The next feed she barely nurses for is the bedtime feed.  I have a little bit of breastmilk stored in the feezer, but... provided she's getting the dairy (calcium + protein) requirement she needs during the day (eventually)--do I have to offer a milk bottle/cup at that feed? Or can we just try water?  Reason I ask is... I can't see brushing her tooth (yes, just the one still) after drinking milk at bedtime. It would totally interrupt our wind-down routing--or so it seems, anyway.  Or.. should we just try eliminating the bedtime drink altogether? I don't want to stop one thing (BF'ing) just to start another (drink at bedtime).

The only feed she really seems to get anything out of is the feed first thing in the morning, so I was thinking that should definitely be last (in our case) to go because I imagine that's her biggest/best dose of breastmilk/nutrition that starts her day off right. Outside of nursing and being slow to take milk (though she'll drink sips here and there if/when offered)... she's an excellent eater and takes in a wide variety of protein, fruits and veggies...

Thoughts on dropping that bedtime feed? Use up my breastmilk, then go to water? Or go to water and save the breastmilk for when we need to wean the (AM) feed?  Or... revamp our routine to eliminate the drink period?

[okinawamama]

I gradually pushed the Bed time nursing farther and farther away from BT.
So, initially Bt routine was brief bed time show, bath time, jammies, read a book, sing a song then nurse in the dim room, and then lay down. But when we decided to wean, I just separated the feeds gradually from BT...
so this was our plan
days 1-3 TV show, bath time, jammies, Nurse, then read books and sing song. BT
4-7  show, nurse on couch after TV show, bath time, jammies, read books, sing song, BT
8-11 nurse on couch, show time, bath, jammies, read books, sing song BT
finally I gave him a cup of milk on the couch during show time and then we proceded with the regular bed time routine. * of course, the days was just an example, I don't remember how long the entire process took us, but even to this day at almost 3, he still sits on the couch with a cup of milk while watching his show. It was a really gradual process and it worked well for us all.

[*Ali*]

We just gave milk in a cup on demand during the day and a sippy of water to take to bed. Mine never demanded much milk (maybe 5oz) so it was no problem.  Obviously if she started demanding 3x 8oz bottles everyday you would need to regulate that.

1-2yos need 3-4 portions and at least 10oz total of milk and dairy products but that includes cheese and yoghurt as well as any milk on cereals or in cooking. Fat is a big factor in this as well as calcium because it has all the fat soluble vitamins so you need to make sure she is getting enough of that too.