Help to stop Bfing a 17 month old at night. Please!!

[MrsPMP]

Ladies, I need help!!
I've been trying to cut down or stop the breastfeeding at night since Elijah was 1 but nothing has really worked. He wakes 3 times usually and mostly doesn't really drink!...just sucks.
I want to stop now, I want my body back and my sleep and I want to have a breastfeeding break before we TTC number 2 next May.
During the day there is no milkies, there are plenty distractions after saying no and I can rock him to sleep and nap with him for an hour or two with little moaning about not having it....but at night it's a diff story!
We try to give him milkies before bath so he isn't associating it with bedtime as such, sometimes he demands and cries about not having it to fall asleep to but on the whole my OH can rock him to sleep.
At night it's a different story. He screams, and screams and screams...it sounds like we are murdering him. He calls for me, he calls for Daddy..he doesn't know what to do with himself...if we wake him up further eventually he calms but then once he gets sleepy again he wants milk...tonight after he was just screaming TOO much for almost 2 hours on and off I tried a trick I read about online and said that milkies had gone yucky and put vinegar on my nipples-I felt crazy!!
He sucked right through it, so I put more on the other nipple and gave that to him instead and he hated it and broke down in tears...I then tried giving him normal milk which he hates...he hates bottles too...then warm banana milkshake in a sippy cup(mother of the year award goes to me!!) but he took a few sips and played with it a bit and then it was NO....cue tantrums, arching back, screaming, flinging out of our arms...screaming screaming....even a bit of whacking Mummy! And my 'yucky milkies'!!
He is so cross and upset about it I feel TERRIBLE....we did this last night and it worked better...it did take 2 hours again but he eventually fell asleep..but tonight he wouldn't give up...so I breastfed him. I feel like a failure and like I am never gonna sleep well or have my boobs back again!! But I feel guilty for him too coz it's obviously stressing him out BIG time.
I wondered if anyone has any success weaning stories? Any tips? Any advice? Before I give up and accept we are gonna be feeding until HE chooses......BITTY anyone?!!!----sorry if you don't get that reference!

If you think I should just carry on I would like to hear your opinions too...I don't know anyone who is continuing feeding past 1year myself and have no support with this...Will he ever stop? Will pregnancy be a good idea? Am I setting myself up for further trouble when he is older in regards to sleep?

Thanks, From a SO LOST Mummy...currently.

 

[Honeybear1976]

Hi,
Firstly I wanted to say that you're doing such a fantastic job. I know very few ppl who bf past a few months too so there isn't a lot of support. My last/4th/youngest is 26 months old and has stopped waking in the night for the last month or so. The screaming hysterically when being refused is something I'm very familiar with lol our little man is very headstrong and wants what he wants when he wants it!! The longest I bf one the other 3 was my daughter who self weaned at 21 months. Hubby think I'll be feeding this one forever!! I feed him first thing when he wakes then I feed him to sleep for his nap n then usually bed time but I try not to feed him to sleep. If he asks for xtra feeds during the day I try to distract. Well that's been no help to you at all!! Do what's best for you, you've done a great job and unless you want to wait longer to ttc for number 2 or tandem feed, persevere.

 

[MrsPMP]

Thanks! It's great to hear I'm not the only one doing this still...! lol And self weaning...ooohhh what a mystery you are! Been wishing self weaning would show up since about month 10 lol....maybe one day!

 

[cat lover]

Aww hun no advice but lots of hugs x