Toddler gettin up in the night

Help!

I took the side off my 2 year olds cot 2 months ago. The first couple of weeks was fine and it was as though he hadn't realised. Then he got a cold and started getting up in the early hours to come and find me. To begin with a cuddle and being put back in bed was sufficient. One night we had friends over and he proceeded to have a tantrum on the landing so I took him downstairs and gave him a beaker of milk. Unfortunately he now thinks this is the norm and wakes up at 2-4am every night. He's easily settled - we go downstairs, have half a beaker of milk, back upstairs, cuddle and then bed. I'm normally only up for 20mins.

But how do I break this cycle? Should we wait until he grows out of it? Anyone had anything similar?

As you can see from my ticker I'm just pregnant with number 2 so could really do with him not waking me. Btw, Daddy just won't do - if my DH gets up to him he has his milk and then shouts "mummy cuddles!" until I get up . 

My plan was to start bringing milk upstairs to cut the downstairs bit out first. I've also considered going "Super Nanny" on him and just plonking him back in bed no matter how loud or upset he is. Not relishing that plan though as a 4 hour tantrum in the middle of the night sounds awful (and not terribly fair on our semi-detached neighbours!). DH reckons we should buy a babygate for his door but I think he'll just stand there and scream and kick it until we get up.

Any ideas?!