How do I stop breastfeeding my 2yo DS?

[BaublesBubblesBobbles]

Just that really....

I have now tried to stop 3 times in the last 4 months. Each time I've given up after 4 to 7 days of him screaming and crying for hours when I don't feed him as expected. He's just such a creature of routine that if I'm home he expects feeding 4 times a day.

I have tried being out at the relevant times to see if I can break the routine that way, but it hasn't worked.

Any tips / experience?

[hotlikeme]

Have you tried reducing one feed at a time or are you going cold turkey?

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

I'd start by knocking out the day time feeds if you can, one at a time. With Ds1, I got him down to a last-thing-at-night feed before stopping at 23m; with Ds2, it was the first-thing-in-the-morning feed that was last to go at 25m.

Or, depending on his level of understanding, you could try telling him that they're "broken" - a friend of mine had to do that with her youngest Ds when he showed no sign of stopping. He was still asking if they were "mended yet" for a few months afterwards though!

[TanteRose]

Wait until he's 3?

I stopped feeding my DS on his third birthday - explained it all, he cried like his heart was breaking that first night (was only feeding before bed by then) but then never mentioned it again thereafter!

At 2, he was an absolute milk monster - wouldn't let me sit down without latching on.

[jimijack]

That's what I'm doing. Leaving it till he is 3, he is nearly 2.5. In no rush.

Is there a reason why you need to stop or do you just want to?

[Polyethyl]

I'm in the same boat. My DD is 2 1/4 and she insists on a dawn feed. If I try to refuse or shorten her feed the howls of despair are more than I can cope with at 6am, so she gets her way.
I work full time, so time with my DD is too precious to waste in arguing with her about breastmilk - which after all is good for her. So she wins that debate every morning.

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

Yes, there is always the option to wait a bit longer - both mine were pretty ready to stop, DS2 less than DS1, but it wasn't difficult when we eventually did stop; if it's really hard just now then leave it longer unless there are specific reasons you need to stop now.

[Iggi999]

Still feeding mine at 3, just going to go till he stops I think. He already feeds a lot less, and copes fine when I'm at work.

[BaublesBubblesBobbles]

I do feel very ready to stop. I am tired a lot and rather underweight. I felt heaps better when I stopped feeding my eldest at 18 months, but that was easy.

I would really like to cut out the 2 day feeds in particular - before and after his nap (I know I shouldn't have got into the habit..). But even just cutting out the post-nap one leads to frantic tears and a terrible afternoon.

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

Try the pre-nap one first then, see how that goes. Does he take milk from a bottle? Offer him that instead?