I'm giving up breastfeeding today - hold my hand please?

[tinymeteor]

I think yesterday was my last ever BF with this baby...

DD is just shy of 11mths. She's gradually gone over to bottles since starting part time childcare at 9mths, and now takes them with glee, as well as solids obviously. Finally dropped the last night feed by herself this week (I know it's late, but there you go) and it seems the time is right to quietly stop offering the boob. I'm mostly relieved but a tiny bit sad and bracing myself for a hormone low. Tell me it will be fine?

[wm3010]

It will be fine. I stopped with my pfb a month or two ago and it took a week or so for hormones to settle but now really happy to have stopped and it's lovely to just be me again after all those months of pg and bf where your body is also for the baby. Good luck, you have done an amazing job doing it for so long.

[Highlove]

I did this a week ago. Very like you - gradually been upping suds and taking bottle with gusto. Last night feed dropped about 11 months so we were just down to an early morning feed. I was ready but still sad - didn't think we carry on for this long, tbh. But it'll be fine, promise. DD seems totally unphased by it. So far I've not had the hormone low. In fact I'm surprised to find a feel a bit liberated - hadn't anticipated that since I didn't really feel restricted by it.

Good luck!

[Highlove]

Upping solids!

[tinymeteor]

Thank you! I'd never have believed we'd still be going after this long either, but it's been mostly lovely. Definitely looking forward to having my body back. Planning to celebrate with some new underwear, if I can face the hideous changing room lighting

[Spindelina]

It will be fine.

As well as a possible hormone crash, you may get incredibly achy boobs for a few days in about a week. Sorry!

[alteredbeast]

Hi OP I stopped breastfeeding my baby a week or so ago at 10.5 months. I did feel very sad and teary because she's my third and last baby. But even after I stopped with my previous two, I felt a bit tired/down (but only for a week or so).

Buying nice, new bras helped. Focusing on the positives. You've done so well!

It's bitter/sweet for me because I'll never be pregnant or breastfeed again. But that is liberating also!

[tinymeteor]

Cheers all. Feeling pretty good about it tonight - a couple of months ago I was really not ready to stop, but this feels like the right time. The only thing I'm slightly nervous about is the first time she's ill without breastfeeding as a source of comfort, but obviously that has to happen at some point so we'll just manage. We had a rocky start so I'm pretty proud of myself for getting this far, but it's job done I think. Thanks for the moral support.

[tinymeteor]

Ouch. Day 3, and boobs like lawn bowls this morning. How long will this go on?

[IAmAPaleontologist]

Congratulations! How lovely to have fed for so long and to be able to stop when it feels right for the both of you.

The boobs will ease, you can always hand express a little for comfort and gradually stop that over a few days. Keep an eye out for signs of blocked ducts, mastitis etc.