My son is almost 13 months old and still nurses when he wakes up, for naps and whenever else. I spent so much time and energy getting him to breastfeed that I never gave any thought as to how we stop! He is a very demanding high needs baby and wants milk when he wants it. Where do I begin with stopping breast feeding?!
how to stop?
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kalyrra
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With my son, I start spacing his feeds out a little at a time every couple of days. I'd add an extra 15 minutes each time, etc... I made sure to offer him lots of water in a sippy cup throughout the day.
Soon, we were down to just first thing in the morning and before bed. I cut the night time ones first, cold turkey. I started giving him warm regular milk in a sippy cup instead. Then I did the same thing with our morning feeds a few weeks later, cold turkey from breast and offered a warm sippy cup. It only took a couple days before he stopped asking for it and now he looks forward to his cup of milk in the morning!
Soon, we were down to just first thing in the morning and before bed. I cut the night time ones first, cold turkey. I started giving him warm regular milk in a sippy cup instead. Then I did the same thing with our morning feeds a few weeks later, cold turkey from breast and offered a warm sippy cup. It only took a couple days before he stopped asking for it and now he looks forward to his cup of milk in the morning!
if you are swapping to FF, then just pick the feed that your LO is least attached to and add a bottle in there. You need to do this for a few days to allow your supply to adjust and then you can pick the next one and so on and so forth.
If you are just dropping BF and putting in food, I would do what the pp did and stretch the feeds out and keep offering food and milk in the interim. Don't offer-don't refuse type weaning. Distraction will be your best friend. Lots and lots of play when its normally feed time.
If you are just dropping BF and putting in food, I would do what the pp did and stretch the feeds out and keep offering food and milk in the interim. Don't offer-don't refuse type weaning. Distraction will be your best friend. Lots and lots of play when its normally feed time.
We aren't doing formula just cows milk in a sippy cup. He has always refused bottles. He is just so intense when it comes to using bf for comfort. Part of my problem is I have a hard time committing to it since in my mind he's still a little dude but when he feeds he thrashes around. Its getting a little painful not to mention annoying when he pulls at my shirt
I couldn't stop BFing until I was really ready for it since DS was such a booby monster too!!
Wait until you are ready and when you are it will come easier than you think. If you aren't ready I think you will really struggle cos it will be so easy to just BF when he is unhappy.
The first thing I did was break the associations we had developed with BFing, so moving the feeding place around. Then i moved it away from its usual times by 15 mins and then 30 etc til we had about an hour. DS was a bit older than your LO so when he asked i would ask him if he was thirsty and he would inevitably say yes (he probably wasn't I am sure it was all just comfort BFing) and so I would offer him a drink. It took all of one day for him to realise how much cooler sippy cups were to BFing because he could still play and drink rather than having to stop and be cuddled up away from his play!!
Wait until you are ready and when you are it will come easier than you think. If you aren't ready I think you will really struggle cos it will be so easy to just BF when he is unhappy.
The first thing I did was break the associations we had developed with BFing, so moving the feeding place around. Then i moved it away from its usual times by 15 mins and then 30 etc til we had about an hour. DS was a bit older than your LO so when he asked i would ask him if he was thirsty and he would inevitably say yes (he probably wasn't I am sure it was all just comfort BFing) and so I would offer him a drink. It took all of one day for him to realise how much cooler sippy cups were to BFing because he could still play and drink rather than having to stop and be cuddled up away from his play!!
It can also depend on how much your child demands it or wants it. I know with my daughter that if I never offered it again she would never feed again. She only had booby because I offered. Maybe if I wore a low singlet or something it might remind her and she'd ask but otherwise she probably would of stopped. In the end at 22 months I would ask her to come for a feed and she would blatantly say No and shake her head insisting the toys and TV were more interesting. I was however 7 months pregnant and I think the dramatic decrease in supply played it's part.
Do not feel guilty!! You have done an amazing job. It is totally okay - and very healthy - to want to be you again without BFing. Thats where I got to when I stopped DS BFing. I loved feeding him but I also loved the freedom of getting my body back, getting my energy levels back and DH was very appreciative of getting me back again. It was just time for us. There are so many other milestones and fun things to do, don't worry about it.
And if you go slowly, then if you change your mind you can just rest where you are and enjoy the few feeds a day you have. It is nice to do it slowly.
. It was just time for us. There are so many other milestones and fun things to do, don't worry about it.And if you go slowly, then if you change your mind you can just rest where you are and enjoy the few feeds a day you have. It is nice to do it slowly.
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