End of breastfeeding...

[GaryTankCommander]

Tonight I made the decision to stop breastfeeding my 2.4 year old. He was on a feed before bed and a feed in the morning. I told him it had all gone, it was empty and there was none left and he had a cup of milk instead. He took it really well. He made sad noises but actually didn't make a fuss or anything, I'm really relieved. I'm a bit sad, but I've been wanting to stop for a long time.

Can I just ask... What happens now. After 2.4 years of breastfeeding and cutting down to bedtime and morning feeds only am I unlikely to become engorged? Will I be uncomfortable? Will I just stop producing milk and how quickly will it stop? Do I need to do anything?

Thanks in advance!

[Littlemai]

Hello, I didn't bf for as long as you, I think I did 15 or 17 months (lost my record). But it faded gradually so at the end I was only doing one early morning feed and when that stopped I had no problems at all. Think my boobs must have been ready to give up and I also think DS wasn't taking very much at the end either. Not sure that's helpful but hope it is a little.

[bushymcbush]

You're not going to get engorged from missing 2 feeds a day. You don't need to do anything.

Some people can still produce milk years after they've finished feeding a child. But usually it's a few weeks.

[GaryTankCommander]

Thank you. I feel like I have breastfed for an eternity and want to stop but know that I give in easily and therefore any pain or engorgement would likely cause me to feed again.

My DS asked for breastfeeding this morning but when I explained it had all gone (as I did last night) he just accepted it no problem he said 'I have milk in cup instead'.

I'm so relieved!

[SlimJimBra]

I'm just in the process of stopping too, we're down to one bedtime feed every other / every 3 days - at DS's instigation not mine. I feel sad about it as it's been part of my life for the past 21 months. I've found no ill effects of him refusing boob for a couple of nights in a row, no pain or discomfort at all.

[GaryTankCommander]

He went down again tonight without it, relatively happy on the whole. Although he wanted to see if it was empty and then made a dive for the breast so I had to dodge him. I'm also a little sad, but at the same time relieved. I feel proud of myself for having breastfeeding for so long but I was desperate for it to stop.

[EyesDoMoreThanSee]

dd is 2 and I am ready to stop now, I always said I would allow her to self wean but she is starting to bite (I think because of the last two molars) and her sleep which has always been rubbish has got so much worse again and she wants to feed constantly

we were down to morning and evening, even if she woke in the night. we struggled to establish bf as she was in a coma for her first week of life and tube fed then combine fed, so I think we have done ok

[mamababa]

When I stopped with ds1 I just had to express once or twice. But instead of draining the lot just do a couple or three ounces your boobs soon get the message

[GaryTankCommander]

Eyes I was similar... Not as serious, but we were in SCBU... It was bloody hard work establishing breastfeeding. I'm amazed that almost 2 and 1/2 years later I was still going.

[SlimJimBra]

Gary and Eyes - I wonder if there is a correlation... DS was induced early due to my gestational diabetes and he struggled to feed at all. He had formula in hospital and mix fed ebm and fm for the first few weeks. He didn't feed direct from the boob til 8 weeks. I guess those of us who struggled to get bf established are more reluctant to let it go.

[GaryTankCommander]

Maybe...

I'm extremely stubborn, I breastfed and formula topped up until 8 weeks when DS suddenly refused all bottles. But in those first weeks, everyone was telling me I should formula feed and give up... But I don't give up, at anything!

[SlimJimBra]

Haha I could be described as stubborn too! Like you I chose to ignore everyone telling me to give up bf and I'm bloody glad I did.

[EyesDoMoreThanSee]

I never give up either but it's after midnight, dd is latched on and it's so painful I 'm in tears, as soon as I take nipple away she goes ballistic and I am punched, bitten, kicked, and throttled

[SlimJimBra]

Oh eyes that sounds horrid. Poor you (and poor dd who obviously doesn't understand why you're taking boob away from her)

[EyesDoMoreThanSee]

I feel awful for dd, she has always been demand fed but my nipples are white with Blanching, and she had totally quit night feeds

[GaryTankCommander]

Oh dear . I think before you cut it out totally you need to night wean and do a little sleep training. I don't mean leave them to cry it out as such but there will be a lot of tears.
With my DS I fed him before bed in my room (stopped feeding in his room totally). Read him a story and then took him into his room. I sat on the floor next to him and patted him on the back refusing to feed, he protested, he cried, I never left his side it was awful but it only took us 2 nights and we've not looked back.
Having said that he still needs patting to sleep now so getting him to sleep can sometimes take over an hour but still once he's asleep he's asleep!

[GaryTankCommander]

Oh hang on, did you say you had stopped night feeds but then started again? Re the punching, kicking etc... You could 'do not hurt mummy, do you want mummy to leave?' and then stand outside the bedroom door until they've calmed down a bit or do you have a partner who could take over?

[EyesDoMoreThanSee]

Yes, at about 22months she totally cut out night feeds, even when I slept in with her