11month old Baby, Stopping BF HELP

[summerson]

Hi dearest ladies,

My baby is now an 11 month old, bottle refusing, breastfed baby. He is eating well and I try to give him 1-2 sippy cups a day of either formula, cows milk or Expressed milk with no success.

He only wants milk from the source: breastmilk.

What do I do now? How do I stop? I'd like to stop breastfeeding at some point soon but I feel like for now he still needs Breastmilk.

I've tried every bottle he's not interested. Some days he takes a sippy but mostly not.

Help, advice, what's next?!?!???

[EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic]

If you want to stop, I’d give one of the BFing Helplines a call as the trained BFC will be able to help you. FWIW neither of mine would touch Cow’s milk if they thought the real deal was on offer. It took a good 2 weeks after I’d stopped Bfing for them to start drinking it.

[Bythebeach]

Summer son, my eldest and youngest were like this (DS2 happily took a bottle!). No advice as I didn’t force the issue (DS3 held out 10 hours a day 3 days a week when I went back to work when he was 11 months old) and think it would only have worked if I had refused to feed/gone away for a few days. It is absolutely okay to do that if you want to stop. I just want to say that I felt a bit like I should stop with DS1 as no one else I knew fed that long and people kept asking when I was going to stop but it is absolutely biologically normal for baby to still want to breastfeed and for you to continue if you want to.

[summerson]

Thank you for your replies and I think bythebeaxh you're right, I feel almost guilty/embarrassed, ashamed that I'm "still" breastfeeding I'm happy to keep bf a couple times A day but right now he's feeding a lot more than that and I don't see how to slow down/stop!

Thinking of just offering food each time he wants breastmilk. Or maybe I should call the BF helpline you're right.....

[EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic]

Yes definitely call the Bfing Helplines, they can talk to you about how you are feeling as well as giving support if you want to stop or cut down. And you’re not “still feeding”. The minimum age recommended for stopping is 2 years so you are just feeding your baby, naturally

[Mu51cal]

This post could have been written by me!?! My 10mo lg has always been a bottle refuser & we've tried every bottle/teat/cup/beaker/method under the sun to no avail. She started nursery last week & has refused to drink or eat anything for the 8-10 hours that she is there. Her sleep has deteriorated this week and both myself and my hubby are exhausted beyond belief. She is already underweight & I don't know what else to do? Nursery have been really understanding & supportive but they can't force her to eat/drink. I'm literally an emotional wreck right now

[EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic]

Mu is she in nursery full time? How’s she been over the Weekend?

[limitedscreentime]

Mu51cal, just to say my first was the same. I tried everything and he just wasn't interested. Eventually did start taking cows milk but not in any great quantity. He's never been a good eater. I have no idea how he survived but he did, I guess he just needs less food. He's always been skinny and a bit short but so are we (short).

[Mu51cal]

@EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic She's at nursery full time for about 8-10 hours a day. She's only been there a week so I know I need to give her time to settle but obviously it's a worry when you're picking her up day after day being told she's not eaten or drunk anything all day. Will see how she gets in this week xx

[EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic]

I can understand you being worried. Is she having plenty when you pick her up?