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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Stop breastfeeding cold-turkey

8 replies

Chiloquin · 03/02/2022 19:11

I want to stop breastfeeding.
I want to do it cold Turkey. My daughter who is now 11, breastfed until she was 14 months and wore me down. One day I said no more after a night of waking up every hour to feed. Not for hunger but for comfort. I covered my nipples with duct tape and she never tried again.
I want to do this again, my son is 12 months but I've just got to a point where it's becoming more of a chore than anything else. Also making it harder for him to settle at Nursery.
The problem is he seems more clingy than my daughter was at that age - but I also think breastfeeding makes him clingy.
How did it go when you stopped breastfeeding?

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BunnyRuddington · 04/02/2022 09:11

I stopped a feed at a time as I didn't want mastitis

Is he still feeding during the night?

Original poster

Chiloquin · 04/02/2022 09:21

@BunnyRuddington

I stopped a feed at a time as I didn't want mastitis

Is he still feeding during the night?

He is. I feel like he wakes up more because of that

OP posts:

BunnyRuddington · 04/02/2022 10:12

I started dropping feeds by putting them in their own room, we had bed shared up till that point. That did reduce night feeds but you could also do some gentle night weaning.

If it were me, I'd try to crack the nights first so you've both got time to adjust before you start dropping the day feeds

BunnyRuddington · 05/02/2022 13:50

Have you come up with a plan yet @Chiloquin and how's it going?

Original poster

Chiloquin · 06/02/2022 07:48

@BunnyRuddington

Have you come up with a plan yet *@Chiloquin* and how's it going?

Awww thanks for checking in lol

This is day 3. I just decided to do it. Just before dropping him to nursery I gave him his last breastfeed. I actually miss it and felt sad even then because it was the last one.
He cried on and off in the evening because there was no breastfeeding. At night I ordered oat milk and bottles from getir lol. He was so desperate for milk that he actually took the bottle for the first time since he was born. He drank 2/3 of a full bottle through the night.
My breasts are incredibly sore even though I've squeezed some milk out
Overall I would say it's going well.

OP posts:

Corilee2806 · 27/03/2022 18:58

Hi, I know this thread is a few weeks old now but wanted to see how you got on? I’m planning on doing this with my 14 month old soon and dreading it! I have looked at various options and as much as I would like to go the gradual route, I think cold turkey is the only way, but just worried about how hard it will be on us both! He is very attached to the boob so don’t think he will stop without a fight.

Original poster

Chiloquin · 27/03/2022 20:33

@Corilee2806

So with my daughter I stopped cold Turkey at 14 months and she was fine. My son (who I made this post about) was a little different. He seemed like he just couldn't go without it. He was ravenous at every breastfeed and wasn't able to be away from me for more than a few hours as I was breastfeeding him on demand. He also completely refused a bottle. But I did stop cold Turkey on my bday. He had also just turned one. I breastfed him last at 1pm and then at 11pm when I was putting him to bed, I put milk in a bottle and he was so desperate to have anything he took it and we've been fine ever since. He did try and breastfeed a few times at bed time or whenever I was topless but stopped within a few days and he's been a lot less clingy ever since. Cold Turkey is the way to go. Worked twice a decade apart on 2 very different children.

OP posts:

Corilee2806 · 27/03/2022 23:02

Thank you, that helps me feel a bit more confident! My son is still breastfeeding on demand and a lot - he has been ill, teething etc but it’s out of control! I’m going to try gradually reducing day feeds in the coming weeks then just plan to stop as I don’t think he will get the whole phasing out thing!

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