Tips for stopping breastfeeding

[TheEagle]

My twins are almost 13mo and I am so ready to stop BFing them. I can't take the biting and scratching and pulling and incessant night feeding anymore!

My older boy just stopped of his own accord at this age but I think that was because I was pregnant with the twins so my milk supply had tanked.

I'm afraid of stopping too quickly and my boobs blowing up like balloons because of there being so much milk being produced.

Any tips or advice on how to stop?

They just feed morning and evening and about 11 billion times overnight. They love their solids and drink plenty of water.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

How would you feel if you night weaned them first?

[Crabbitface]

Do you have a supportive OH who would be prepared to take the hit at night? With both of mine night weaning was the crucial bit and if they caught so much as a whiff of me they would refuse to settle until they got breast. So their Dad got up to them instead and there were tears at first but it didn't take too long for them to get used to the fact that I wasn't going to appear. It will take iron willpower because they will scream for you and it will seem easier to get up and feed them - but in my case the night feeding was purely habitual and comforting like a dummy. And it was causing both me and them to have disturbed fretful sleeps. I had to remind myself that they weren't being left alone to cry it out. They had their Dad to give cuddles and reassurance. Once the nightfeeds were gone and I was sleeping again, the wee morning feed and pre bedtime feed seemed less of a problem. My eldest decided for himself that he wasn't interested at 18 months but my 29 month old still loves a cuddle and breast at bedtime. Good luck.

[TheEagle]

Thanks, I don't just want to night wean, I'm sure that I'm done, it's been really really tough to get this far breastfeeding twins.

My DH is amazing but we have a 2.5 yo as well who doesn't always sleep all night and often ends up in the spare room with Daddy.

I think we will tackle the nights first and then address the days!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Sounds like a goI'd plan

[villainousbroodmare]

You deserve two medals!
I'd have thought that dropping one day feed at a time would be easier/ involve less howling.
DS is 9 mo and I still do a 6pm, 10pm and 6am bf. Dropped the 2am one this week with the help of lots of shsssshhhsh from DH.
I am also not enjoying the thrashing, biting, jerking the head around to see if anything interesting is happening behind us thing, but for us that is a daytime phenomenon. The sleepy last and first feeds are gentle and easy and I'll be sorry to finish those.

[TheEagle]

It seems to be going ok so far! I've stopped feeding first thing in the morning and for the last 2 nights both have only woken at midnight for a feed (which is unprecedented).

Last night they didn't really even have a proper feed at midnight, just a quick few sucks and back to sleep.

I had one wickedly sore boob today though and it was very hard by bedtime. The other side was ok.

So next step is dropping bedtime feed and then I am done! I will be forever proud of BFing twins but holy mackerel it's the hardest thing I've ever done!

[scandichick]

Just want to say I'm in awe - isn't it only 1% who breastfeed at twelve months? Factor in the twins and you're probably one in ten or even a hundred thousand. Well done!

[TheEagle]

Thanks scandi