Help: 16 months old milk monster!

[croquet]

DD is still bf (and also bf to sleep!) but eating well and we've been cutting down with a view to weaning. She'd started sleeping through more or less. But I've ruined everything by pushing the next step too quickly and now have an insatiable milk monster on my hands. I hate it: instead of cutting down bf further she has upped the quantity/frequency 500%. I want to stop bf or at least make it an occasional or once a day thing.

What caused the problems was a few weeks ago I decided to try and cut the association between milk and sleep. Partly so DH could put her to bed but also partly to cut down on excess suckling incase it was affecting my fertility.

So I fed her and then trying to put her down still awake-ish a few times. This didn't work and she has screamed blue murder every time I've done it, for ages (during which we've cuddled her and then I've eventually relented). However since then she has massively upped how much milk she wants. She is feeding every three hours, very enthusiastically (i.e. not for comfort), and won't take no for an answer. I would say in the last 24 hours she's had 7 feeds, plus a couple of large cups of cow's milk. My body is struggling to keep up and I personally really am sick of nursing now. What shall I do? DH is supportive.

[naty1]

Could you try not feeding to sleep before naps?
Ie wait for tiredness signals like eye rubbing yawning or about 3 hours after waking.
Do they usually feed more during teething, could it be that?

[croquet]

I have tried that but no joy. She doesn't really understand the concept of going to sleep in cot without feeding (though she can doze off in pram or car seat easily).

[Mummyfizzy]

This could be my 16 month old DD and me!! We were down to 4 feeds in 24 hours and sleeping through the night and suddenly, when I want to start TTC she's back to wanting milk every 3 hours and 1-3 wake ups at night and still feeding to sleep. I have no solutions! If you find an answer let me know! I'm wondering if it's just teething or a development leap or separation anxiety. Argh!

[croquet]

Thanks for the solidarity Mummyfizzy! I haven't found an answer yet. I thought maybe I'd made her feel insecure by trying to cut down so have backtracked to feeding her at whim to see if she feels better and goes back to normal, iyswim?

Hm... do you wonder if actually our fertilities have recently returned and the DDs can sense it and up the feeding out of fear of change? or is that too hippyish

Also mine is teething. I have everything crossed it will subside when that does.

Please keep me updated with your success!

[croquet]

Or maybe developmental leap - or just growth spurt. Has your DD got bigger?