Milk

Is he drinking from a baby bottle or child's bottle/cup etc?

HV advised us at our 2yr review that milk during the night as needed is ok but we need to get him off the baby bottle as it will start to affect his facial muscles and speech the longer he has it.

If he is having it from a cup or other bottle, then it may be worth experimenting with thickening the milk. Make it inot custard, add rice flour or cornflour etc. Basically thicker it is, the longer it will stay in his stomach = less hungry on wake ups.

Have you tried a cup with a soft silicone lid - the feeling of the teat could be similar rather than a plastic cup lid?
Instead of milk, try water with the tiniest drip of juice for taste or a smoothie

Does he drink any milk in the day time as well? Try and introduce straw cup during morning first for couple of days. Let him get used to the idea and then may be offer him a milk before bed time

Unfortunately for the waking up only thing worked for us is to cut it out. He did cry for first few nights and did get sick at times. But just be prepared for it. I used to put double
beddings on the bed and towels on the floor for quick clean. keep talking to him telling him we can have some milk in the morning in the big boy cup. After couple of days he used to the idea and he starting sleeping alot better too.

He was one at that time. 2 year old may be more set on his ways and may take bit longer.
Most importantly you are not a failure. Raising kids is hard. You are trying your best that's what matters xxx

Until recently my little one was also still waking up in the night asking for milk (bottle). The only thing that worked for us was to just stop completely. I explained to him that he could have a cup of milk before bed, but that there was no milk during the night and that we didn't have bottles anymore. The first few nights he did wake up crying and asking for it, but we just held firm and I offered water if he wanted it.

Within a few days he stopped asking and seems to have reduced his wake ups too. We now keep his water bottle next to the bed, but normally if he wakes up he just wants a cuddle and will go back to sleep. It's hard for a few days, but glad we did it! He also eats so much more during the day now that he's not having milk! xx

I went cold turkey with my eldest when it came to getting rid of the bottle, he used to walk around with it clenched between his teeth that he pierced so many teats!!! So I stopped replacing them. Unfortunately because I left it too long, he stopped drinking milk because of the association with the bottle. He’s nearly 14 and only started drinking milk again a few years ago. I know I’m not having any more children so my second is the same age as yours, she’s almost 2.5 years and I know I need to let the bottle go, but it’s her comfort, perhaps I should gradually reduce hers down, she has one bottle in the morning and one in the evening before bedtime. We stopped her using it to go to sleep as I wanted her to fall asleep naturally and that now works. Should I go cold turkey with her? I have also tried cups and she isn’t overly accepting it