Help! How do I stop?

[chetnaz]

My LO is 14 months old and breastfeeding is still going strong. She's only ever taken a bottle of expressed milk a few times when she was newborn(she's refused bottles since), has never had formula and doesn't like the taste of cows milk (although she's fine with it in her porridge and cereal). She breastfeeds to sleep, comfort feeds when upset and just generally when she wants mummy cuddles. I've been fine with this so far but she's just recently got her top front teeth through ( she now has four teeth) and it really hurts when she feeds. She occasionally bites, but even when she's not biting and just nursing, it really hurts! Feels like my nipple is literally being chewed off! I'm sad to say that it's probably time to stop but I don't know how to. When I've refused her a few times she gets so upset. It's also so difficult as she won't take bottles, she won't take a dummy for comfort and she doesn't like cows milk! She has taken cows milk successfully once, so I know she will get used to it, but I just don't know where to start from and how to wean her off without getting her upset. Any ideas?

 

[missk1989]

I could have written this myself! A few people have told me to leave him and go away for a few days and he will forget but that would be hard on both of us as he would get upset and i would get mastitis. I am trying to be patient and go slowly and have so far managed to cut out feeds during the day with the exception of first thing and before bed. For naps im having to go out in the car or pram and as for the tantrums they are already getting less and its only day 3. As soon as he starts putting his hand down my top I say "all gone" and distract him with something. I make sure he is full and has plenty to drink as well so he isnt asking for that reason. Its going well so far.

 

[chetnaz]

I could have written this myself! A few people have told me to leave him and go away for a few days and he will forget but that would be hard on both of us as he would get upset and i would get mastitis. I am trying to be patient and go slowly and have so far managed to cut out feeds during the day with the exception of first thing and before bed. For naps im having to go out in the car or pram and as for the tantrums they are already getting less and its only day 3. As soon as he starts putting his hand down my top I say "all gone" and distract him with something. I make sure he is full and has plenty to drink as well so he isnt asking for that reason. Its going well so far.

I'm glad you're having some success. I've also cut down to pretty much morning, nap time and at night, but as she co-sleeps with us, she tends to want booby every time she stirs and I tend to give in as I'm so tired, so she has it several times in the night as well! She's totally obsessed. If I come out the shower and she seems the boobies out while I'm dressing, she gets all excited and starts pointed out them and asking for it, even if she only had a feed half and hour ago! Lol. I was thinking out cutting down even more when I wrote this thread as she was really hurting me, but she's teething and in a lot of pain at the moment and nursing seems to be the only thing that gives her comfort. Even Calpol doesn't help as much as her mummy juice seems to, so I feel bad to be taking it away from her when she's in pain. As for leaving her for a few days, there o way I could do that either. Firstly it's not realistic for me as I have three other children and secondly I just couldn't bear to be apart from her. Aah well, I've managed this long, I guess I'll keep gong a few more months and see how we go then. Good luck with your LO x

 

[chetnaz]

Ps I just noticed your LO's date of birth - my LO is four days younger! She was born on the 18th x

 

[XJessicaX]

I have a complete boob monster here. I think I will attempt to cut back after she turns 1 as I am going away for a few weekends early next year. She is actually going through a stage of wanting more feeds than she did a few months ago. I feel mean denying her and I had originally wanted to wait until she self weaned but I dont think with her it will be until she's past 2! Very unsure how to cut back without tantrums!

 

[ryleesmom]

hi ladies i resently weaned my dd three weeks ago it does get better i would never leave my child to cry it out or just leave her to forget abt it that sounds really harsh she was still nursing like a newborn all day and all night we also co sleep... i had to find something she liked first (she hates cow milk) almond milk heated alittle worked great and then i desided we would lay in her bed instead of mine to destract her alittle and big tshirts lotts of rocking , patting her back, and exsplaining to her that it had to go bye bye was all it took... i wont lie the first 72 hours were the hardest but after that she started forgetting abt it she was 16 1/2months old good luck ladies

 

[Skittleblue]

I've got no advice on stopping since we're going to at least a year before dropping any feeds, but my LO has 6 teeth now (as of a month and a half ago) and I was in a lot of pain from nursing her when the top ones came in. She bit some, but it seemed like the bigger problem was just them scraping/rubbing when she nursed. That lasted a few weeks, but it's not a problem at all anymore.

Not saying you should or shouldn't wean, just wanting to le you know that there is an end to the pain, even if you keep going.

 

[chetnaz]

I've got no advice on stopping since we're going to at least a year before dropping any feeds, but my LO has 6 teeth now (as of a month and a half ago) and I was in a lot of pain from nursing her when the top ones came in. She bit some, but it seemed like the bigger problem was just them scraping/rubbing when she nursed. That lasted a few weeks, but it's not a problem at all anymore.

Not saying you should or shouldn't wean, just wanting to le you know that there is an end to the pain, even if you keep going.

Ooh that's really interesting to know skittleblue! At the moment it feels like she clamps down with her top and bottom teeth when she's feeding and it really hurts. She's had hem for a few weeks now and no luck with it getting better so far, although some feeds dirt more than others. If the pain stopped I wouldn't mind continuing a few more months. We'll see how it goes x