Weaning the evening bf

[AMJ]

Hi everyone.

our DD is almost 16 months and is bf only once a day right before BT. I am planning on weaning her completely in the near future but just not sure what to substitute this bf with because she doesn't like cow's milk. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

[*Ali*]

Maybe just water in a cup?
Perhaps offer a solid snack just before to help fill her up if there is big a gap between dinner and bedtime.

[AMJ]

I'll try water but I'm not sure if she will go for it. Her dinner is at 5:15 then quiet play then a bath and then she is usually bf at 6:25 in her room, then we brush her teeth and read a book and she is in the crib at 6:45. When would you give a snack then and where? Should I should put her back in her high chair after a bath or give her water and snack in her room in rocking chair just like we bf?

Has anyone tried almond or coconut milk? Is it a good substitution for cow's milk?

Thank you

[*Ali*]

I wouldn't do a snack in her room no because I wouldn't want it to become a habit. I'd probably give her a yogurt or something right before her bath if you go down that route. Water I just offered in a sippy cup at bedtime and left it by their bed in case they wanted more after lights out or in the night. That is more to quench their thirst really.

Almond and coconut milk are definitely used  by some mamas especially when LO has an allergy or intolerance to cows milk. They can contain a lot of sugar though so I'd check and try to give one without added sugar.

Check out this thread which has info on alternatives to milk. 12 months old - calcium and milk options for the multiple food intolerant child

She should be able to get all the nutrients she needs from solid foods now so you don't need to worry too much about having a nutritious milk before bed like before 12mo.

[jessmum46]

We just dropped the BT breastfeed and didn't replace it with anything - just something to consider

[AMJ]

Ali, thanks for the link.
about leaving the water by the bed for the night, we will be potty training eventually and i've heard that for that to happen LO's need to not drink liquids too close to BT so they don't need to go during the night. what do you think?

Katherine, hm that's a good option actually. How did you do it and how did you handle the crying?

thanks to both!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Wrt to liquid at night and potty training - my older two both have always had a water cup in bed since they were tiny and DD1 was night dry by 2.5 and has never wet the bed and DD2 is still not dry at night! Thing is night time dryness can't be trained as the body has to make enough hormones to concentrate the urine.

[AMJ]

Heidi hm I didn't know that. Thank you. I guess I will start leaving  the water bottle in her crib then.  What kind of water cup did you use? Sippy cup?

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

We started with spill proof straw sippy cups and now they have Contigo water bottles that are also spill proof.

[*Ali*]

My older one is night dry and has been for 18m plus and he rarely goes toilet at night.  He does drink from the cup at BT and occasionally  if he wakes at night.  DS2 still wets at night but not that much and it is when he's asleep so I do think it is that the hormone levels aren't quite there yet. He's been dry in the day over a year. I've never restricted water.

We use either a sports top cup or a simple free flow sippy. As long as there is a lid to stop spillage it's fine.  Sucking doesn't matter if it's just water.  Needing to suck is only undesirable for sweet or acidic drinks that harm teeth.

[jessmum46]

Katherine, hm that's a good option actually. How did you do it and how did you handle the crying?

There wasn't any . So our usual BT routine was bath, feed, story and into cot.  My biggest worry was that she'd be going to bed hungry if I didn't bf so I changed things round to do feed downstairs (so I knew she wasn't hungry), bath, cuddles and story then into cot.  She didn't protest that at all.  Next step was just to make sure she had plenty for dinner (I think I offered an extra yoghurt or something) and then headed up for our new BT routine without offering the bf first.  Again, no issue.  I was more upset than she was!!  So I guess if bf is the last thing you do before going into cot, I'd try putting something else in there as well like a song or a story, then you could take a similar approach to us

[*Ali*]

We also changed the routine around before dropping the BT feed completely.

[AMJ]

Heidi, I never heard of Contigo water bottles. Will google them. But will first start with a toddler one.

Ali, I will have to go with a spill prof bottle for sure for night time because during the day we use one without this option and DD really likes spilling the water verywhere and playing with it.

Katherine , that's a great idea! I will do exactly the same! Just switch it around and that should make it easier.

Thanks so much to all!