will my baby let me stop bf?!

[Dandileeno]

I've been trying to stop bf as my son is struggling to concentrate on feeds, but he's only to take a bottle when I sneak it in or when he's too sleepy to notice! At other times he grabs and head butts my chest and screams until I feel I have to give in. I do feel a bit sad as he is only just 5 months, and I realise there are some amazing mums out there who continue bf for years, but we've had problem after problem from the start...mastitis, recurrent thrush with risk of taking medication that's not necessarily proven safe, cracked and bleeding nipples, etc, but now I'm ready to get my boobs back and he's so not, just want to her him off soon as its making going out very difficult now and want to do it before he's even more aware of what's happening. friends have recommended the cold turkey approach, tried it once but was too heart breaking as he really cried so hard :'( any help will be gratefully received!!

[Softlysoftly]

Give it 1 more month until he's weaned? Then you can distract with food? Also drop one feed at a time for a bottle.

Caveat I am guessing not speaking from experience!

[Dandileeno]

Its so difficult - he will take the bottle, but not unless he's had a bit of comfort first - they say that you are supposed to seperate feeding and comfort to make it easier, but it's fairly impossible with breastfeeding! Sometimes I think he's starting to comfort suck, then I try to take him off and he starts feeding again!! He's such a monkey!! I think I'm going to have a right game....... :?/