How can I wean my son from formula at night?

My son is turning the big one! He still gets a bottle or two in the middle of the night. I have been tossing the idea of cutting out the formula in the middle of the night for water. Any advice on a good age for this and how to go about it would be greatly appreciated.

7 Likes

Switch to water and don’t give a bottle after you brush teeth. Look for other comfort. Most likely not hungry. I drop the night feeds at 6 months. I also switch to a cup at straw around that time so we wean from the bottle at the same time

5 Likes

I gave very watery diluted juice at that age during the night, I know before I’m attacked juice from a bottle not great but wouldnt drink water

2 Likes

For me personally I switched to a sippy cup before switching to water. It was easier to get him on a sippy at night with almond/coconut milk

1 Like

Give only water at night, no juice

1 Like

My daughter is 8 months and still screams for a bottle every two hours. I don’t know what to do!!!

2 Likes

Cut down the milk at night so if you give 8oz just give 4oz then do that for like a week cut down to 2oz an then nothing you can give regular milk thats how I did it

1 Like

I give my daughter a bottle and dinner we eat around 5 then after she’s all done I brush her teeth and she’s good for the night. Wait till it’s closer to bedtime and give him food also.

Um may be the odd one out but, feed him. Give him regular milk if your ok with it. My oldest was well over a year before he slept though the night. Their belly are so tiny and needs multiple meals a day. That why they seem to eat all day at that age.

5 Likes

Feed him. Food before one is just for fun. That’s why they recommend you breastfeed until the age of 2. Just keep giving him his bottle getting nutrients from milk is better then nothing from water.

3 Likes

I did water with mine around 1 they are 2&4 and still get a sippy with water when they go to bed however my oldest got a bottle with warm milk before bed until she was about 2 and pushed her bottle back at me and said no.

Even at 1 some babies need a midnight feeding. Is he hungry or is it habit? If it’s the same time every night it is probably habitual but if it’s at different times at night throughout the week it’s probably hunger. If he is an pretty solid feeding schedule during the day I would start recording the times he wakes up to feed at night. He might need to be fed a little more before bed.

You will have to let him cry it out. When he realizes you are not giving in he will get it.

3 Likes

If a mom is unable to breastfeed she should still try to imitate breastfeeding as closely as possible. Human babies are born way too soon because of our large heads–they need to be nurtured and held close, and fed every 2-3 hours. Hold your baby like you are nursing, never prop bottles, carry them as much as possible, have them sleep close to you. Their primary food should be breast milk or formula for a minimum of the first year, preferably for the second year also. Toddler formulas are available for bottle feeding parents–breast milk changes as your baby gets older so that is the closest you can get. Goat milk formula is another good option. Your baby still needs milk and you during the night–parenting does not go by the clock!

As a mother if 6, I nurse each child until they wanted and left the breast on thier own, the longest nurse 3 1/2 years and bottle until they left it longest at 5 but only at nite with formula or goat milk we live on a ranch all have great teeth 3 of them no cavities and onl6 two had braces seot threw the nite at about any where from 4 to 6 weeks and one didnt use her bottle after her choice at 7 mons but nursed til 2 1/2 years so maybe the 8 mons old needs more solid food cause babies sleep thur the nit,e, and the first question do what you need to do but make sure yr child is heathly and thraving, and I did work about 60 to 70 a week or more I was a manger of a resturant so thats why I did what I did for my childern health the oldest is now 28, 25, 24, 21, 20, and 14 thank you and sorry for the long post

Look at total calorie intake during the day. What solids are they eating? If they are waking up hungry then maybe do the last meal later or do toast fingers.

Maybe give solids before bed. If that isn’t an option, add some rice or oatmeal to the bottle. Definitely don’t deny your child like some people have commented. It’s an infant for Gods sake. We weened off the bottles on the first birthday. At 11 months, we weened off formula a little at a time with milk. About a year and a half, we gave a sippy cup at night for bedtime, and then that was it for the night. We soothed in other ways whether it be sitting with her until she fell asleep or even getting up to play for a couple minutes if she was wide awake. At one, we did a breakfast solid, a lunch solid and a dinner solid, so we never really had the issue of ours being hungry at night. Routine. However growth spurts do happen, so if you notice your baby waking up more and being hungry, definitely feed them.

Nightime bottles are bad for teeth. Milk rots them from sitting in baby’s mouth.

1 Like

I did the switch and added water in a bottle. He would take it at night, drink a tiny bit and then sleep with it. In a week he no longer wanted the bottle. Usually when they’re getting older yet still want a bottle at night… they just need it for comfort. If your baby at one is eating/drinking properly during the day… definitely no need for formula thru the night.

Good time to break the bottle thing. Get baby friendly sippy cups and offer water at bed time. Better for their teeth…

4 Likes

I mixed formula with whole milk (half and half) for a week, then 2/3s milk with 1/3 formula, then went straight to whole milk… with all 3 of my kids. My boys were odd a bottle at 10 months and had spill proof cups, my daughter was 14 months when we ditched the bottle for cups… she’s 3 and still takes a sippy up milk to bed with her, but we’re switching her to water (she was failure to thrive her whole life until last month, so water wasn’t recommended she needed the extra “fat”)

2 Likes

Not a good idea. Even at that age they’re really not supposed to have more than 2-3 oz a day. Just offer him something before bed to eat and drink and see how that goes. My kids always took a small cup of milk (sippy cup) with them to bed. Never had an issue with ear infections or any of that bs and they’re happy to have it

1 Like

That is how we stopped night feeling offer water only. Took 3 nights to sleep through

We did this around 9 months old. We slowly started to just put less and less milk in the bottle until there wasnt any left. If she cried we gave her a pacifier. It took a couple days after the last bottle but she was fine.

1 Like

He is a year old, time to wean him. It will be work but it’s worth it.

1 Like

I just gave my son a sippy of water when I put him to bed he was on homo milk at 10 months his last sippy of milk was at dinner then when he went to bed at 7:15 he got a 4oz sippy with water. He’s now 2 and doesn’t get a drink at bed at all

You can give him regular whole milk. My son didn’t seem to tell the difference between the two. You want to still give them a bottle, but start trying to convert them to a sippy cup (if you haven’t already). Hope this helps :slightly_smiling_face:

3 Likes

Wean off to one bottle for a week or two, then one for a week or two then halve for a week or two and then non . Be prepared for nights of crying and waking night nights back to bed , night night back to bed , don’t engage or weaken be prepared for repeat respect until he gets into a routine :slight_smile:

1 Like

All 3 of my kiddies had sippy cups by 9 months. 2 out of my 3 did wake up at night sometimes, but I just gave them water in their cups. And my one son would not go back to sleep until he got milk, then I just eventually stopped cold turkey and after a few days he was fine and started sleeping thru the night. All 3 of my babies had tummy issues gas really bad and not letting it out or spitting up alot and my grandmother swore by camomile tea to calm their stomachs. I was doing this when they were newborns. All 3 of my children are perfectly fine with having the tea and water when they were babies/1 year old. Im gonna do what I wanna do for my babies regardless what anyone else says lol. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for advice and reading responses, but only you can do what you wanna do AND whats best for your child!! Added and unwanted info: all 3 of my kids slept on their stomachs too​:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl: they hated their backs.

After my son threw the water bottle onto the wall it took two or three nights He was happy for water

Put half regular milk and half formula if not when you take him off formula at 1 your going to have a constipated boy

My niece is doing this with her 9mo twins and feeding them a banana before bed, they sleep all night

2 Likes

I mixed until all water, first week 6 ounces formula 2 water, second week 4 and 4 until all water by week 4, then it was just a sip before laying down because they laying and drinking was not a thing with the water like it was with milk.

1 Like

Just give him whole milk most don’t care.

2 Likes

Is teething waking him up ? Perhaps a little oragel and binky would do the trick

Just my opinon, but i say feed those babies if they hungry. I have went to bed hungry and not funny.

4 Likes

Just switch to cows milk, won’t even tell the difference xx

Slowly add more water than Formula so he doesn’t notice.

I’m happy coming here today to appreciate the good work of Dr Adogu Spell caster For saving my lost relationship I never believe there will Be a way To get my lover back .You can also reach him on his email at ([email protected] )Or WhatsApp him on +2348131210373
Redirecting...

If he is still waking in the middle of the night because of hunger maybe try a snack with his last bottle before bed. Then give him water if he does wake. If he is on solids his need for formula should start to decrease.

1 Like

We cut off formula at 11 months and switched to whole milk completely (max 24 oz a day, she now only gets 12 oz daily @ 15 months). Bottles were gone and we had her completely on soppy cups before she turned 13 months.

1 Like

I give my wee one a formula bottle in bed for bed time, and then I put a bottle of water beside him once he’s passed out cause sometimes he’s waking up for a drink. He’s only on formula for bed time btw because he wont drink cow milk (he’s 2 next month). But it doesn’t hurt trying the water at night, especially if its warm were you are

1 Like

Formula isn’t needed after 1. Start switching him to milk only. Maybe feed him food a little before bed then a full milk bottle. Make his tummy super full so he sleeps longer

He will be growing fast at this age, some children need , milk and or formulae til 2 years, my mum had 11 kids, and we all did very well health-wise.

Never anything milk or juice in middle of night. Bad for teeth. Once saw two parent doctors not know this and their child had to have surgery on teeth due to baby bottle tooth decay. Child needed to have surgery at hospital, under general anesthesia. Look it up. Break this bottle in middle of night asap! I work in the dental field.

At 1 yr my sons fr reccomended we switched to whole milk for a bit so you can start like half formula and half milk then do full milk not formula

With the last bottle before sleep, I use to do the formula and add some baby food to make it a little thicker so it would fill their bellies and they would sleep longer.

I quit formula at night when the teeth came in, formula is mostly sugar and in case someone doesn’t know…not good to sit on teeth while sleeping

There is no right answer. Don’t push there is no rush. Give him bit of food with last bottle before bed. If still wakes for milk give it. They are not babies for long. He won’t do it forever. He will let you kmow when he’s ready to stop. You can turn to cows milk at 1, that may do it naturally x

8 Likes

My son was drinking just water when he turned 1, i just slowly kept adding more water. Until it was just water

You can try oatmeal before bed. Keeps him full throughout the night. It’s more filling than the typical snack & avoids the cup at bedtime thing.

They make a formula or something very similar for toddlers

2 Likes

Bowl of cereal mixed with formula before bed !

Every baby is different. You should have a one year well visit with the doctor and that is the perfect person to ask this question to.

1 Like

Start watering down the formula to slowly transition to water at night. Take your time Momma. You got this!

2 Likes

Bowl of warm cereal before bed with a bottle after.

Water is all that should ever be in a bottle at night once they have teeth

4 Likes

How’s he eating during the day? The pediatrician said at our 9 month appointment to make sure our little one was eating a good dinner then a night bottle, then cut out the early morning bottle she had regressed to wanting. I’d definitely make sure he’s eating well, especially before bed and then cut that bottle out. If it’s commonly 2 bottles, cut out the second and then cut back on the other. It may purely be a comfort thing and not actual hunger.