How to stop breastfeeding when baby won’t take a bottle

[K37529]

My baby is 12 months. I really want to stop breastfeeding but he won’t take a bottle and he will only fall asleep if he is breastfeeding, he wakes multiple times a night and the only way he stops crying and goes back to sleep is if I breastfeed him. He does drink from a sippy cup during the day (very diluted juice only). I’ve tried formula, breast milk and cows milk in his sippy and a bottle but he won’t drink it. Anyone had a baby like this and how did you wean them? And if I managed to stop breastfeeding would this be harmful to him as he won’t drink milk any other way?

I went cold turkey on 1 feed at a time. Cows milk was available in a sippy if they wanted it. It took a day or so, but he caved!!!

I EBF'd both of my children, and neither one ever used bottle. It's totally unnecessary. Just go straight to a sippy cup. There are loads of different types to try.

Go straight to a cup. I also dropped feeds - we are now on morning and night time only.

Thanks for your reply’s! But how did you get them to sleep without breastfeeding?

He’s one, so doesn’t necessarily need milk at all. You can give yoghurt too.
You need to help him find another way to fall asleep before you take it away from him.

Following with interest OP. I’m you, but 3 months down the line. My girl will have water from a cup/ bottle though but wouldn’t feed to sleep from one.

Cold turkey is the way to go. A couple of days and it's over and forgotten. Just bite the bullet and be done with it.

Drop one feed at a time with the night one being the last to go as you also need to sleep. Its a bit miserable for a bit but they do eventually give up. I was a wuss and just bf until I could actually reason with my little madam!

I night weaned my youngest at about 15months. I sent him and his father into a bedroom (son’s new bedroom - we were co - sleeping) together to sort it out between themselves. I’m not going to lie there were a few tense moments between them which obviously my hubby came out worse in but they finally agreed nighttime was a time for sleeping after a few nights. DS used to come in for a feed in the morning before I set off for work and I fed him a couple of times in the evening before bed for another year or so after.

I wouldn’t personally be up for crying it out but I have no problem going hard chaw if there is someone around to comfort the toddler through the experience which DH did. After less than a week we moved the stair gate from the door of his room where he had been impounded to the top of the stairs and after that he used to make his own way into our room once he woke in the mornings, it was the highlight of my day because he was the child I fed longest so I didn’t have that experience with the older two. ❤️❤️❤️

I dropped te night feeds initially. I fed my first to sleep, couldnt understand how you were supposed to not do that if baby needed a feed at bedtime and then went to sleep.
But when I wanted to stop that I stood up (instead of sitting in the nursing chair) and cuddled rocked to sleep.
Then transitioned to putting down in tbe cot and lots of shushes and pats.
Then in the night, same again. No feeding, just shushes and pats.

Lots of good advice on Lynsey Hookway on Instagram/Facebook for alternative methods to settle to sleep. Also Kathryn Stagg. It can be done gently. You also need to consider how to do it so you don’t get blocked ducts etc.

Just a warning to watch out for mastitis if you decide to go cold turkey!

@K37529 how did you get on? in the exact same boat and would love some
advice!

@Mjmds18 can’t give any advice as still breastfeeding! He has cut down though, he doesn’t wake up as much during the night anymore (will sleep 5 hours without waking) when he wakes which is usually around 4 or 5 i bring him into bed with me and just bf back to sleep, I’m too tired to fight it lol I’ve been thinking of letting my partner take over the nights to stop breastfeeding but I’m going to leave it a while because he is sleeping for longer stretches now which was my main reason for wanting to stop.

That’s good he’s sleeping longer! 5h unbroken sleep seems like a pipe dream to me right now lol…I’m going back to work next month so im on a mission to try and get DS to take a bottle but so far unsuccessful. Was hoping to avoid going cold turkey but I guess it’s last resort – just feel for DH as the little one is very strong willed so won’t be a pretty sight :/

@K37529 thanks for getting back to me :) and glad things have improved at least!

@Mjmds18 they’ll both be fine, i breastfed both of mine and was still breastfeeding when I returned to work. My first was 9months when I went back, i was so worried leaving her but they where fine, it actually really helped strengthen the bond between her and her dad 🙂 you could try getting his dad to watch him for a couple of hours and keep trying a bottle, my first would take a bottle from her dad but not if I was around!

I had a baby who woke multiple times and needed breastfeeding each time. When I was due to return to work 9 months later I got advice from a sleep clinic, and did the gradual retreat method.

Basically I timed how long he usually fed for, then gradually reduced it. So I'd knock a minute off the time of each feed, remove him from my breast, and do the same with the next feed. After a few days I'd knock another minute off. It took a while but when it got to the point where he was only feeding for a minute, he basically gave up, and stopped waking for it. It really worked.

I night weaned at this age. Sent DH in if baby woke up. Took 3 nights. They don't need the nourishment, it's comfort.