How do I stop breastfeeding?!

[BumbleNova]

My DS is 15 months and I'm done. He has been feeding just morning and evening but in the last month has been demanding a lot more feeds, whenever he wakes at night, during the day, sometimes before bath.

I'm knackered. How do I stop? He obviously won't accept cows milk from me instead of boob. Im sure it's the comfort as much as hungry and thirsty. He eats loads of solids.

My DH is currently traveling for work but back tomorrow. Last night I tried Calpol and water instead of boob. He howled like the world was ending so I fed him but I can't keep this up. Help!

I just stopped. Removed hands from top and said no. Never gave cows milk. I did it all in one go - stopped breastfeeding, stopped co-sleeping, got him into his own room for bedtime which was also earlier.

He is already in his own cot and I night weaned him at 7 months.

Was your LO not hungry/thirsty?

No, because he was fully weaned having three meals a day and drinking water. Like yours he was only feeding first thing in the morning and at night - for me that was the killer as he was using me like a dummy which meant I couldn’t sleep then I had to get up for work!

I’d say as yours is already night weaned then it’ll be easier - he will object you just have to be strong.

Last night I tried Calpol and water instead of boob.

Are you serious???? You gave him medicine instead of milk?

Offer water at night, say no and offer him cows milk if you think he still needs milk.

Why not express some milk and add a bottle feed at bedtime?
Change that to water , juice whatever then stop?

Im following this because I want to stop BF soon

But I don't understand why you gave him calpol instead of breastfeeding?

I assumed OP gave calpol as she thought he was in pain with something (teeth??) rather than as a treat or to soothe him with the flavour??

I am trying to stop BF at night, there’s hardly any milk in there and he still goes to town. When I say no or move him away he’s starts screaming crying. He has a dairy allergy but does take Nutramigen during the day, trying to figure out how to replace the nipple comfort..sigh

Make an appointment with your health visitor to give you some advice, they are helpful in this situation.

Hv!! Yes they will be very helpful, as in telling you to just stop and that be that. Never known a Hv new helpful or knowledgeable about bf.
I think your best bet is to cut down op. Better for you that way as well, with my last one I distracted him when he wanted feeding during waking hours and offered food /drink. The bedtime one was the last to go. As he gradually had less breast milk he had more food and along with having supper I'm sure this helped him sleep longer and stop waking for milk. He finally accepted going to sleep without feeding by me just cuddling him but as I say this took the longest. Also he was older than your child. I do think though that as hard as it is if you've decided to stop you need to just be really firm and say no. After a few (horrible) nights he will get it. No reason you can't cuddle him and offer a drink, I wouldn't just stop and leave him to cry, he's not much more than a baby.

I appreciate you say your oh is away at the minute, but the only way I could get my 21 month old off my boob at bed time was by not doing the bed time routine with him! Get dad to do it! Admittedly this was really hard as baby was used to me doing it all the time, but after a few nights he got used to it being daddy rather than me, and hey presto no more bed time feeding.
I would definitely have one last night time feed though before you give it up, try to enjoy this last one and remember it! Good luck

Yes I gave him Calpol since he is teething and I wasn't sure if it was just comfort he wanted rather than milk. As you all know, feeding is more than hunger/thirsty.

I've honestly had bad experiences with our health visitor so I'm not very keen to do that.

I tried giving him milk from a bottle too. I have been offering that after boob. He just isn't interested.

I just stopped with DC2 (at 19 months).

I didn't plan to but on the Thursday we got up late and I didn't get chance to feed her before I went to work (not unusual) but then she had a really exciting day with grandma that day and fell asleep straight after her bath without milk and then slept through the night too (reasonably unusual).

The Friday morning I woke up and realised she hadn't had any for over 24 hours and was fine and she could manage without. Again left for work without feeding her and at night I just said no. she was a bit cross and DP had to put her to bed for the next two weeks as she wouldn't let me do it.

After two weeks she doesn't even seem to remember it ever existed.

So I think the key is busyness and distractions for both of you.

Interesting @catmg! I will rope my DH into helping as soon as he is back.

@bobstersmum that's why I'm struggling so much. He gets so upset and I can't bear it. Especially when im on my own and it's 3am. He clearly needs something, I'm just not sure what, hence the making sure he isn't in pain. I'm almost certain his second round of molars are coming through.

Thanks @pastabest! Ok. Interesting that he doesn't need it replaced with anything.

Ok, sounded a bit weird how you wrote it!

Has he ever taken a dummy or a bottle?
My DC1 stopped when I went into hospital for a week. I'd cut down to 2 bottles, am and pm, beforehand. He occasionally took a bottle though and had a dummy.

DC 2, on the other hand, refused every make of dummy I could lay my hands on and every type of bottle, cup and milk I could get hold of. She also wouldn't eat yoghurt (still not keen) so I worried she wasn't getting enough calcium. She was 2 when she stopped and I managed to get her into warm milk with chocolate powder in She still needed the comfort, and needed a long hug with skin contact in the morning whilst sucking her thumb. She's 7 now and is utterly miserable all day if she doesn't have a morning hug! She never took any kind of bottle and went straight to drinking from a cup.