DS2 is almost 17 months and has become a bottle monster since being sick over Christmas. Before that he would get a bedtime formula bottle of 6-8oz and very occasional at night or early morning. He would typically sleep 7-5 ish. This was acceptable to us.

However, since being sick for over a week and near dehydration over Christmas, we got lax with bottles and gave them whenever simply to get liquids into him. This has evolved to multiple night wakes over the past 3 weeks and he is demanding baba whenever he wakes at night, in the mornings, he’s desperate for it before bed and really all the time. It’s time to do something as it’s driving me nuts.

He is very demanding and stubborn, is a giant 90th percentile kid. He doesn’t need it and he eats very well. From 3 am onwards today he had 14 oz of formula, a bagel, strawberries, and two snack containers of various dry cereal before we got to daycare. I do think he’s having a growth spurt.

We tried just doing a sippy of milk this morning and he lost his mind, threw it across the room and bellowed for baba (we gave him the bottle and he was happy as can be)

For my older son, we gradually decreased his bedtime amount and it was no issue. I don’t think this will work with him as he will scream if we put less in and he wants more. The night wakings he is demanding too. We have halfheartedly tried just cuddling, cup of milk but that’s a firm NO and he will scream bloody murder and kick the walls until he gets the bottle.

I feel like suffering and going cold turkey is the way but does anyone else have any brilliant and less painful ideas with a kid like this?

Also relevant is he started new daycare this week but so far is doing very well with no tears 🤷‍♀️