Stopping breastfeeding at 12 months / 13 months?

[SASASI]

So DS is 8.5 months.

BF first thing, breakfast, BF, Lunch, BF, Dinner, BF maybe once or twice then bed. Sleeps all night.

Back to work next week part time & will be pumping mid morning & mid afternoon

When can I drop another feed? He usually Takes a decent nap in morning so I figure that could be the first drop.

I would like to stop BF by the year mark ie avoid formula (not because it's the devil but because BF works for us & I've a great supply) but how do I do this? I may continue a feed before bed for a month or two past the one year mark.

[StarlightMcKenzee]

Goodness. I never fed like that, even when I was working.

I just fed whenever I or the baby felt like it when I was with him and he had food and water in a cup when I wasn't there and sometimes cows milk in a cup. I never pumped. At weekends I would feed more because I was with him.

[DrinkGirlsFeck]

What a brilliant sleeper

I initially expected to give up bf when I returned to work at about 9 months with my first dc. It turned out that it was a lovely way to reconnect after work and get through separation anxiety at about 16 months. Dc1 bf until about 2.6 years and dc2 to 22mo. My supply worked itself out and I could feed when there but when I wasn't dc would take cows milk from a cup (after 12mo).

After about 15 mo, feeds were mostly just before bed and sometimes an early morning one. It might be worth just playing it by ear to see how it works for you.

[Speedylurcher]

My DS is 10 months and in exactly the same routine, however, I have just started to give him snacks in place of the mid morning BF and mid afternoon BF. I started work when he was 6 months and have too been pumping twice at work. When at nursery or home with DH he's offered a bottle of expressed milk after his snack - never really takes much, maybe 40mls on a good day. If I'm at home he has snack then boob. I've just dropped down to pumping once at work as I'm ending each day with +300mls.

Maybe you could try with snacks instead of milk and reduce from there? He's on a good amount of food already, I don't know what the official advice re snacks is, but this has worked for us. I think the last thing at night and first morning feed are last to go, haven't tackled this yet, but I too want to stop at 12 months to get my body ready for trying for another one!

[HoldenCaulfield80]

Watching this with interest as I'm in a similar situation! Back to work in a month when DD will be 7mo and I'm going to try to pump at work and avoid formula (like OP I've got nothing against it, I just feel like we've come this far and I want us to get to at least 12 months if possible!)

[SASASI]

Speedylurcher sounds like we are on a similar path, we plan to TTC when DS is one but as I havnt had a period yet I don't know how that will go!

Thanks for all the replies!

It's not a strict routine it's just what we have fell into ! So I will leave it until 9.5/10 months & drop the mid morning then drop the mid afternoon closer to a year.

The first morning BF is going to be so hard to drop as I wake up really engorged - still wearing breast pads & still leak occasionally! V sexy lol

[Littlef00t]

My dd has just turned 14 mo. I have dropped to just the morning feed.

At 8 mo was morning, mid morning, mid afternoon, evening.

First feed dropped was mid morning as gradually made it closer to lunch without getting hungry, did a few weeks of snack/early lunch to ease the transition.

Next was mid afternoon with formula/cows milk on childminder days and bf rest of the week until about 11 months when I substituted for a snack and cows milk for me too when bf wasn't sating hunger at all.

Next was evening as she was really kicking and wriggling and wasn't enjoyable experience when I was tired and wanting to relax about 13 months. Week of bf downstairs before bed routine rather than last thing before sleep, then sippy of milk instead and a story last thing when she suddenly started loving books. Doesn't take much but lots of calcium elsewhere.

Finally will be morning feed, but happy with it for now as a nice way to wake up in the morning and not working atm. I like being able to offer an odd feed as and when (eg Ill with tummy bug not eating or drinking but would take bf) and need regular feed to keep supply.