Desperate to stop breastfeeding! Pls pls help!

[Steelojames]

Hi all,
My son is 10.5 months old.
Was breastfed exclusively until 6 months, then solids were introduced.
He never took a bottle even after several several attempts. He drinks water happily from a cup with a beaker but anytime I put milk in there he refuses it.
I'm going bk to work in sep and really want to stop breastfeeding now. It's becoming painful as he constantly nibbling on my nipples and I've quite frankly had enough. 10.5 months is def more than I predicted I would nurse for...my boobs are massive, droopy and I just want some normality back as from sep things will change for us both dramatically.
He often still feeds 4/5 times a day as well as solids and as a lone parent it is soo much easier to just go with less fuss.
How can I get him off the breast when he refuses every other type of milk on offer?
I'm desperate!!!

[PurplePoppySeed]

I've got a 10mo too and have gradually reduced bf over time. She was also a bottle refuser, but after 6 weeks of spending an hour a day trying with a bottle she eventually got there, but will never take more than an ounce or two at a time as she's used to bf on demand. In the last month I've started to only offer a bf in the morning and before bed + if she wakes in the night. She's then offered a bottle at 11ish and 3ish which to be honest she could take or leave + she has weetabix in formula for breakfast.

Obviously this approach may not work for you, I went through the pain of having a bottle refuser and do understand, but also never met anyone who really stuck at it to the same extent I did when I got desperate, I literally made it the only formal "routine" of the day until she got it!

By September she'll be almost 1 and I'm now confident will be fine without milk in the day if she refuses it from a bottle & I'm sure your lo will be too

[MaggieLeChat]

Bumping this as I'm in a very similar position. Hope you don't mind Steelojames. I feel your pain.

I really want to stop breastfeeding before my 10 month old DS2 turns 1. He has a milk allergy and maybe soya too, so we've also struggled to have a replacement milk he will take. NHS dietician has now advised we can try almond milk (with the aim of mixing with neocate) so at least have something we can use to get him drinking something else. He drinks from a beaker, not huge amounts but it's a start.

He just will not sleep without the boob, unless he's in the car. I spent 2 hours with him screaming last night before I relented and let him have my nipple again. He's refusing to sleep in his buggy. The only thing that will do is my boob. I've had enough. We've (DH gets up and tries to settle etc.) been trying all sorts of ways to remove the sleep association. Nothing really working so far. He's very stubborn strong willed with a huge temper - not sure where he got that from at all, no sirreee

Surely there must be others who have been through this? Is it a case of grin and bear it, keep offering and eventually he'll the other milk? Should I go cold turkey on him and not allow him to breastfeed at all?

Help and reassurance required, I'm slowly going crazy!

[Steelojames]

No that's fine Maggie.
I thought about going cold turkey but it's just not happening!
He is not having it! If I stop cold turkey, he won't have any milk and that isn't fair.
Hopefully they jut out-grow it but I'm hoping that comes soon!
Let me know how you get on!

[sunshine05]

I'm feeling the same way though a tad earlier!DS is 7 months old and although I don't want to stop bf completely now I've realised I'm going to have a fight on my hands as he's starting to refuse the 10.30pm dream feed bottle of formula that he's had since he was a month old- sob! Why??

I've started trying to give him a sippy cup of formula at his 2/3pm afternoon feed and initially he took 60ml and I was hopeful but then it went down to 20ml and the other day he refused it.

This is my 3rd child and I FF my other two, I was desperate to bf this one and so happy when it worked. Now I'm starting to feel trapped by it -oh the irony! BF is starting to become uncomfortable now his 3rd tooth is coming through and i want the flexibility of DH being able to feed him if I'm out.

I think I'm going to try what PurplePoppySeed did and persevere each day- babies are strong willed and they'll keep fighting for boob so if you give in you're back to square one! Having said that Steelojames I couldn't just deny him boob either- I guess it's a case of starting with one day feed and if they don't take a bottle or beaker then it's not the end of the world if they miss that feed- they'll take it eventually if they want some milk.

Good to read that others out there have the same problem though- let us know if you get any other good ideas!....

[MaggieLeChat]

Hi and sorry for not replying sooner. My phone won't let me log in and so have had to wait for chance to use the laptop.

We're not much further on yet, I've bought some new straw like beakers to start using with a replacement milk this weekend as he's started sucking on those fruit pouches so figure he's able to use the straw.

He's slept better some nights than others and so has fed less some nights but woken loads and needed the boob on others. I think you're both right in that it will be a case of perseverance and eventually we'll get there...hopefully in the next 6 weeks or so as that's when he starts at nursery! Maybe that will help, just hoping it doesn't make feeding at night any worse.

If you fancy keeping this going I'd be up for that. It is really good to hear what other people are trying and at least have someone to talk to as there doesn't seem to be that many people that have this issue? I'll try and get on the laptop a bit more frequently. I have to go now as he's sat next to me demanding my attention...wishing everyone luck.

[sunshine05]

sorry MaggieLeChat been on holiday then couldn't find this thread! Hopefully you pick this up again.

well I haven't progressed from offering one beaker of formula a day- mostly as we're on holiday but also as he still only drinks about 100ml from it and was expecting to get to a full feed before introducing another but now I'm starting to think we'll never get to that!

Going to buy a straw beaker once i manage to get into town next week, and see how that goes. Thinking of trying different bottles/teats but don't want to spend lots of money and find that none of them work!

I don't have a deadline as such to get him to take bottles but I am going away for the evening with DH to a concert in October and that'll be the first time I won't be able to give him his bedtime boob. I think my mum is going to be in for a struggle! ATM I'm thinking I'll express for that one as at least getting breast milk may not be so bad as trying to get him to take formula.

I've found that he drinks the most when I take the top off the beaker and he sips from the open neck of the beaker but it's so messy- I have to put 2 bibs on him and his vest/top still gets soaked! argh!

[sunshine05]

and how's it going Steelojames?

[Scotinoz]

Hi. Just thought I'd say that I have an 8.5 month old who didn't do bottles, but drinks from a straw happily. My health visitor recommends straws as a next step from breastfeeding around this age.

Don't have any advice on the milk though, but a straw works a treat for us.

[sunshine05]

scotinoz is that just a normal straw in a beaker or one of those beakers with the inbuilt straw? Do you do this for the bedtime feed?