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How did you stop your toddler breast feeding?

4 replies

Writerwannabe83 · 12/06/2016 10:30

DS is 2yrs and 3m and this morning I have decided that I'm absolutely ready to stop breast feeding.

Is it best to go complete cold turkey? Is it a case of just using distraction whenever he's asking for it?

Will I end up engorged if I just stop?

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haventgotaclue1 · 12/06/2016 20:02

I stopped BF DD when she was 13 months, but did taper off for about a month beforehand. She ended up having one feed just before bath time for about 2 weeks before I stopped (but tbh, I don't think there was much milk left for her by then).

I was definitely more gutted about stopping than she was - she didn't seem bothered at all and never asked for it after I stopped Sad.

You may find it helpful to speak to a bf hv / consultant type of person - I spoke to the one at our local children's centre before stopping and it was recommended to taper off the feeding in case I ended up engorged (which I didn't).

Good luck!

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LetThereBeCupcakes · 12/06/2016 20:05

DS was 2.9 when I'd really had enough. I bribed him with duplo. Promised him a big box if he could go 2 weeks without it. By the time he'd gone 2 weeks he wasn't interested in BF any more.

To be honest, I'd tried a couple of times before and he wasn't interested, so I think he was ready. We went cold turkey as he wasn't having much by that point anyway.

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SprogletsMum · 12/06/2016 20:05

My dd was the same age when we stopped I just had enough and that was it. I used nail biting stuff on my nipples, she asked to feed and found it disgusting and never asked again.
Even though she fed almost constantly I didn't get engorged when we stopped.

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Daisyandbabies · 13/06/2016 08:59

My daughter self weaned at 18 months so a little different as it was led by her. A month before, I was down the feeding her first thing in the morning and last thing at night. She then stopped wanting her evening feed, would say no and turn away and want to read a book with her brother instead.
One morning, she just acted like she didn't know how to latch and was laughing and acting silly. She never had another feed and I was never engorged as I was down to one feed in 24 hours anyway! She never asked again, it was a completely naturally progression.
Interestingly, this is exactly what my bottle fed older child did at 14 months...acted like he didn't know how to suck a bottle and was laughing about it. He also never had a bottle again!

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