Stopping BFing at a year

[Button#]

I'm planning to start trying to wean DD off the boob after her first birthday which is in a month.

With my DS he gradually dropped feeds and he self weaned at 21 months so I've never done it before.

I'm prone to getting engorged and had mastitis when she was teeny so I want to be careful about dropping feeds too quickly. She is also still having two night feeds.

Does anyone have any advice on how to go about it?

 

[MummyKP]

Following as I will be doing this in a couple of months too!

 

[noon_child]

I guess it depends how gentle you want to be and how long you'd ideally like it to take. the following is a very gentle technique based on Don't Offer, Don't Refuse:
Step 1 is where you plan to do loving (non boob related) things with LO. You need to identify things that you can do together that display love but aren't feeding and proactively pursue those. It recognises that pulling away from your child emotionally and physically makes weaning HARDER.
Step 2 is anticipate - offer your child a snack or drink or cuddle before s/he gets to the point of asking for a bf
Step 3 is alternatives - so you missed the above and the child has asked to feed, you say "yes but would you like X instead?"
Step 4 is delay - you've tried steps1, 2 and 3 but LO still wants boob, so you say "yes you can have a feed but when we get to the café or at nap time, or whenever is a little way in the future.
Step 5 is time limit. So steps 1-4 are all happening but now if you still have to give a feed, you say,"just a 5minute one" etc.

You decide when your LO is ready to move from one stage to the next but you always include the previous steps each time you move on.

 

[Button#]

Thank you. I have no urgent need to wean so I can take my time. I just want to take a more active role in encouraging weaning this time rather than with DS where I encouraged him to nurse until he self weaned.

She's not a particularly booby baby anyway, she prefers food and doesn't really nurse for comfort, she prefers cuddles and sucking her fingers. I think the don't offer, don't refuse method you described would suit us.

 

[sharnw]

I'm might stop so I can start ttc

 

[Button#]

Good luck with TTC sharnw!

Last night DD didn't feed until 5.15 so that's a good sign. I'd rather not have a battle over night feeds!