Just stopped bf'ing have I made a mistake?

[cherryjellow]

DD is 8 months, she was ebf till she was 6 months, and I gradually started to mix feed ( she hated the bottle before this). DD showed no signs of wanting to stop, but I had always only wanted to bf for 6months, and dh thought this was best too. Now she has teeth, likes her bottle, and is getting quite big we thought it was time to stop.

The problem is I've not bf her for 4 days. Shes been teething, DH is away and shes started to become clingy which is unusual. I feel like my timing has been awful, I feel like such a bad mum. I cant comfort her and I can't explain how sad I feel.

I haven't had any leaks, or pain since stopping, so am I right thinking I can't go back to it? DH doesn't think I should but its so tempting, I miss it so much!
Has anyone else felt like this? or is it just the hormone change making it worse?

If you want to bf her, then offer - your milk will be there

You can go back to it. No reason why not to.

You are not a bad mum.

I felt just the same, stopped at 10 months due to change in meeds, and have regretted it ever since.

Hi, no real advice but I have an 8 month old DS who is also teething and I am also in the process of stopping bf, mainly because I am going back to work in a couple of months and don't want to stop suddenly. He currently has about 1 bf a day (sometimes 2), normally at night. Therefore, I have stopped any comfort feeds during the day, mainly because it was screwing up any routine I was trying to implement. I do miss it but I feel he benefits from the structure and I think we are finally breaking the feed to sleep association. If you really want to go back to it, I think you could still increase your supply.

I understand how you feel though, my DS loves to co-sleep and I have been desperate to get him into his own bed. We are now having some success with this but I can't believe how much I miss it!

You can definitely go back to breastfeeding, your supply is well established and do its not at all late to change your mind... Whatever you decide, good luck!

I felt very similar when I gave up BF. It's, in part, due to the hormonal changes you are undergoing.

Found this very insightful: www.plum-baby.co.uk/2012/05/17/when-weaning-brings-on-the-blues/

No real advice but made me realise I wasn't in it alone :)

Your hormones do go on a bit of a roller coaster when you stop BF but this doesn't mean that your emotions should be ignored or that they are somehow invalid. If you do want to go back to it then you can. Why does your DH say that you shouldn't? You say 'we' thought it was time to stop, does this mean you and your DH?

A lack of leaks/pain doesn't mean you won't have milk. If you want to feed then go for it. Even if just for comfort during this teething clingy period. You are definitely not a bad mum for stopping BF but equally if you want to, you shouldn't feel bad or wierd because she now has teeth and is 8m. Many, many babies are fed long past this point in this country and throughout the world.

Sorry, I meant HE not she.

this has jogged my memory, i read somewhere that after 3 days of not breast feeding, your milk goes salty and un appetising....does anyone know if this is true or do you think i have mis read and maybe that was what a mum was saying to her toddler when she was trying to wean?
sorry cherry, im not a very helpful poster to you but i would like to know if that was true or not!!;-)

Thank you for all the replies, maybe I'll try a night feed tonight and see how it goes :) Thankyou for the link vallinnapod that was really helpful.

eaurouge, it was me and dh that thought it might be time to stop. I don't think he understands the emotional side of BF'ing, I think he just sees the functional side to it, and now she eats solids, uses a bottle, and has had the goodness that they get in the first few weeks he doesn't see that its needed anymore, especially past 6 months.
She was also getting so distracted when BF'ing because sh couldn't look around, it was easier with a bottle. DH and many of our friends didn't understand why you would bf after 6 months, as they look more like a toddler than a baby, and they see it as strange. I thought that too until I started bf'ing.
Logically my head is saying its time to stop especially now Ive started, and I should stick to the plan, but my heart feels so sad when she cries and I can't comfort her. Plus I would like some of the happy hormones back!
GEM I have never heard of that before, it would make sense if the milk didn't taste as nice after a few days though :)

GEM another breastfeeding myth there. Older babysitter who self wean go days some times weeks between feeds without a problem.

Feed her if you want to, and tell your DH that breastfeeding is so much more then nutrition. Comfort and don't forget all those fable antibodies for your baby. Children immune system don't mature until around 5years of age, breastfeeding supports there immature immune system. Not forgetting the longer you feed the lower your risk of brest cancer and ovarion cancer.

Just put your baby to the breast again - there will be nothing wrong or even different about the milk, and your baby will be so happy :)

Don't worry your supply will come back to match her appetite.

As someone who breastfed their first to two years, through the molar teething, I can tell you that I found it invaluable as a comfort, especially as my DD1 bottle refused when teething was really painful.

Also saw us safely through several gastro-bugs when she couldn't even keep water down, A&E said she was not de-hydrated even after 5 days of projectile vomiting anything I put into her.

Even after the newborn stage they still get immune factors and nutrients from your milk and the WHO recommend breastfeeding for a minimum of two years or more, here.

thank you all for your replies! I did it again last night, she only latched for about 2 minutes but it was a bit sore with her new teeth, we will try again tonight :)

I felt like you when I stopped feeding dd at a similar age and have always regretted it so have carried on with ds, now2.5.

I did find it felt a bit odd for a few days when new teeth came through then it was fine again. Hth.