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Infant feeding

How on earth do you go about giving up breastfeeding

16 replies

fishandlilacs · 12/07/2013 11:57

DS is 18m old, ebf till 6m, mix fed since then. he still has a boob feed a couple of times a day, not at night anymore usually first thing in the morning and after lunch, (unless hes being a boob monster because of hot weather, he only has to come near me to ask at the moment)

I have no idea where do begin the weaning process with an older baby, dd self weaned spontaneously at around 1 yr old, she just stopped one day.

I'd like to go on til hes 2, but i'm willing to let it be a long process to giving it up so maybe I should begin now....

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BonaDrag · 12/07/2013 12:01

Have same question so marking my place...

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BonaDrag · 12/07/2013 22:45

Shit, OP, looks like we're screwed.

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PipkinsPal · 12/07/2013 22:49

My sister weaned her 16m old off breast feeding when we went on holiday to Fuerteventura. In a different environment with a different routine my niece was more than happy to give it up. I'm not saying you should go on holiday but perhaps a break from normal routine may help.

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NomDeClavier · 12/07/2013 23:02

At 2 I was petrified DS would never wean. At 18m he was so very attached to mamamilka that I was contemplating weaning gently but didn't. At 27 months he's stopped.

I suspect that me being away/out for three consecutive nights had something to do with it. He did try to BF after but he seemed to have lost interest. It just suddenly happened and he's asked once since. I'm also 17weeks with DC2 so that may have so etching to do with it but honestly it can happen quite suddenly.

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SquidgersMummy · 13/07/2013 12:34

No idea!! Only 11 mths here so we are mere beginners but not looking likely anytime soon. Alas

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SquidgersMummy · 13/07/2013 12:41

Dd

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SquidgersMummy · 13/07/2013 12:42

Sorry dd added 'alas

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noblegiraffe · 13/07/2013 12:42

My DS weaned at 17 months. I was feeding him in the morning and when I got back from work. I ditched the morning one by just being too busy getting out of the house - I never sat on the sofa where we would feed so he just forgot. Then in the afternoon if he looked like he wanted a feed, just leapt up and dragged us to the park. We did it every other day, then just forgot about it. We were both ready, I think, as there was no trauma!

Advice I've seen here is to have a specific place where you feed, then just make sure you're never in it!

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daftdame · 13/07/2013 12:45

I remember not giving feeds straight after solid food. Gave water to drink.

Distract if you think he doesn't need a feed...worth a go. Favourite toys, go out etc.

I didn't wean mine fully until about 20 months from what I can remember.(I planned to feed for 1yr Smile).

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Mycatistoosexy · 13/07/2013 12:48

I want to wean my one year old but he won't drink cows milk. I know NHS recommends 300 ml a day or something at that age but how do I get him to drink more cows milk???

It's a nightmare, he still feeds every 3 hours minimum.

I feel like there's a lot of advise/support to get you to bf, then none when you have a boob-monster on your hands

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noblegiraffe · 13/07/2013 12:50

My DS never drank cows milk as a drink, he doesn't like it. He has it in his cereal and with that, cheese and yoghurt, it's actually quite easy to meet the calcium requirements, they don't actually need to drink milk at all.

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daftdame · 13/07/2013 12:51

Mine never drank cows milk so I just made sure I gave plenty of yoghurts, cheese, porridge made with milk etc.

A strapping lovely lad now Grin.

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JollyShortGiant · 13/07/2013 12:55

There's some suggestions on Kellymom. We dropped down to 2 feeds a day - first thing in the morning and last thing at night. If I was working DS was given milk from a cup instead.

On Christmas day we stopped. We were staying at my parents and he was given a cup of milk that night instead. The next morning my parents got him up and gave him a cup. We just continued to do this and he never asked again. I think he was ready, actually.

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Mycatistoosexy · 13/07/2013 13:02

So would he be ok just to drink water through the day then? I can probably distract him during the day more

Sorry for the thread hijack :)

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noblegiraffe · 13/07/2013 13:22

I think most babies have dropped all daytime feeds once they're a year old, so water in the day would be fine. If he's feeding every three hours still though, I wouldn't do it all at once just to avoid engorgement, distress etc, possibly try stretching the time between feeds by distraction, offering water and snacks until he's not feeding at all in the day. Morning and evening feeds are usually the last to go.

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fishandlilacs · 16/07/2013 10:46

he only feeds a couple of times, first thing in morning in bed with me and usually when i sit down for an after lunch/ before school run cuppa. I never considered it was me thats actually generating that moment, it's when I sit down he comes for a feed.

He's very insistent and gets very upset if I refuse, and I have tried distraction and offering other drinks but it only gains me 5 minutes before hes asking again.

Feeding him is actually pretty uncomfortable now because he has full lot of front teeth, part from the occasional actual bite which i obviously deal with, his teeth graze on my nips and he doesn't stop wriggling the whole time, he flops from side to side, pushes his feet into my tummy, swaps sides over and over again, sticks his bum in the air pushing his face into my boob, hard! He's easily distracted too. I think i have almost got to that place where I have had enough of it. last baby, i love bf-ing and I am reluctant to let go of this stage.

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