How to stop breastfeeding at 1 year???

[Cakebaker35]

Hello all, I'm hoping to get some advice on how to stop breastfeeding as I can't seem to find any clear advice on this: timings of feeds, how much cow's milk to offer instead etc. My DD is 10 months and exclusively BF and I would really like to stop around 1 year. I'm currently feeding her first thing in the morning, mid afternoon and then again just before bedtime, and she is having 3 solid meals per day (some days eats brilliantly, others not much!). How do I go about stopping, do I go 'cold turkey' and replace them all with a sippy cup of cow's milk, or just one at a time? Also, should I keep up the 3 feeds once she is on cow's milk or should milk feeds be reduced at this age? I am really confused from reading so many different things so anyone's experience of going from BF to cow's milk would be great. How long did it take for your little one's to get used to the change? DD enjoys cow's milk on cereal but I've never given it to her as a drink. Thanks in advance for any advice!

As long as your dd is getting a good varied diet including dairy then she shouldn't need to drink huge amounts of milk. My dd gradually took to it but initially drank water and had plenty of fromage frais and yoghurt, cheese sauces etc. I found dropping the morning feed was easiest with both of mine as you could get them sat straight down to breakfast. I found afternoons hard if I was at home and dd was tired he would always want a feed, so would give him a drink and snack and go for a walk. I think that once the daytime feeds are dropped the night feed is fairly easy to stop, dh put ds to bed for a week and then it was done. Good luck!

I stopped breastfeeding at 13 months, but started slowly switching at about 10 months. At that point DS was having 4 breastfeeds a day so I started offering a cup of cow's milk in the afternoons so he'd get used to it. By 12 months he was just breastfeeding morning and bedtime and having 1-2 cups of cow's milk in the day. I dropped the bedtime breastfeed first as it was easier for me and the morning one I could do in bed and it gave me a lie-in - DH just put DS to bed without milk (he didn't feed to sleep though so that was easier). About a week after that DS refused the morning breastfeed so I took him straight down to breakfast and that was it.

I still kept offering two cups of cow's milk during the day. They need approx. 12oz/350ml of milk after 12 months, so he'd usually have 100ml on his cereal in the morning and then 2 beakers of 100-150ml, plus cheese/yoghurt.

Thank you both for your advice, it's really helpful. I think I feel a bit nervous about it as DD is not brilliant at drinking water at the moment, so I'm a bit worried that if I drop the feeds she just won't drink at all! But then I just need to get a grip and do it at some point!
SamSmalaidh - did you give cow's milk as a drink at 10 months? My HV said not until 12 months but then I can't imagine a few weeks either way makes that much difference?

Cow's milk isn't suitable as a main drink until 12 months - you can't replace breastfeeding with cow's milk. However it would be fine to give some drinks of cow's milk alongside breastfeeding just to get used to the taste/cup - just like giving water or juice to drink.

Ah I see what you mean, thanks SamSmalaidh