Cold turkey with breastfeeding? DD 9 months

[Lauriepop95]

DD is almost 9 months and I’m going back to work in a few weeks. Our breastfeeding journey has been great, I’m thankful she took to it so easily. I always said I’d stop when I went back to work and I’m feeling ready to now. So I’ve tried the old gentle approach of replacing a feed with a bottle one at a tome but DD will NOT take the bottle, I don’t want to starve her so in the end I give in.

My Grandma told me that when she stopped breastfeeding my uncle at around the same age, she just went cold turkey and gave him bottles from that moment on. I feel this is a more extreme approach but DD has a lot of willpower and I feel it may be the best way.

Has anyone else stopped breastfeeding at this age? How did you do it and how difficult did you find it?

Do you need to stop breastfeeding? I went back to work when DD was 9 months old and we continued with her just dropping her daytime feeds.

Obviously if you want to that is a different matter! Do you have a partner that can feed baby? Your DD associates you with breastfeeding so it would be easier if someone else could feed her instead. Would only be for a few weeks then you could take over the feeding again. If not, cup feeding her so she isn't in the feeding position may help her transition.

May be easier waiting until she is 12 months old and skipping formula and going straight to milk in a cup.

If you are there and not offering bf then your DD will not accept it. If you are not there it's likely she will. I would try that rather than cold turkey, and you may then be able to just do morning and bedtime feeds if you both want to.

Cold turkey is no fun. If there is a medical or logistical reason, then you might need to, but if i had the choice i would not do cold turkey again. My child and I both found it hard.

Thanks everyone, I wasn’t too sure about cold turkey either.
I just thought it’d be quicker (as my grandma put it) a few of my friends transitioned from breast to bottle around 6 months and did it one feed at a time. It went so well but DD doesn’t seem to accept this from me.

I’m thinking wait until she’s 1 and move straight onto a cup

I’m back at work full time and DS is 11 months so slightly older but I just gradually cut down feeds during the day and only feed before and after work (and during the night sometimes).

He just ate more at mealtimes!

I went back to work when Dc was 10 months, the month before I'd gradually cut out daytime feeds so he just had bedtime, night feeds and first thing in the morning. He wouldn't take a cup or a bottle either, so he didn't have any milk during the day when I was away and just caught up in the evening, overnight and the morning.

Also, surely cold turkey stopping is a sure fire way of getting mastitis...?

Do you have to go cold turkey?

If you are happy to continue breastfeeding , then at 9 months i would just carry on feeding them first then, on arrival home and again later in evening. And then just put cows milk or formula in a beaker or cup during the day whilst your working.

Dont do cold turkey move on to solid feeds and a cup. She doesnt need to take any formula, breast feed morning and night and 3 meals a day

Why are you thinking of waiting until a year for a cup? You can start cups at 8 months, better than a bottle. Most good breast feeder hate the bottle