Wise MNers, help me wean my DS...

[Violetroses]

DS3 is one next week and after nearly severing my nipple with his biting antics, I'm keen to stop breastfeeding. I've been bfing or pregnant for 6 years and I've had enough.

He's refused several makes of formula and different bottles/beakers/cups whenever I've tried (since birth, with expressed milk). And he's got little appetite for food. He just wants me .

He was very ill last week with bronchillitis and had to be hospitalised, so went back to being like a newborn, wanting to feed only from me, and sleep only in my arms.

He's better now, but after biting viciously on my nipples several times this week, I decided to make him got cold turkey while the wounds heal. Since Friday, I've been offering him plenty of food through the day (some eaten, most hurled on the floor) and DH has been bottle-feeding him expressed milk.

He resists furiously and sometimes glugs when exhausted, but rarely takes more than 60ml. Then he wakes every 90 minutes through the night. Dh has been shushing and patting.

We're all a bit exhausted, Dh is in bed with a migraine, and tonight DS3 hasn't had any supper nor drunk any expressed milk. He's bound to wake in a bit.

Shall I:
a) cave in and feed him because he's obviously hungry and still recovering (thus wasting our efforts and risk losing my nipple altogether!).
b) continue to refuse him the breast, to ensure he's properly hungry in the morning and takes some real food.

Can't see the wood for the trees at the moment. I'd really appreciate some advice.

Sorry, that was a bit long...

Poor you OP

I dont think anyone can tell you what to do, as it is your decision to either stop or continue breastfeeding.

If your ds is distressed and upset and you know that you can solve this in a nano second, I personally would feed him.

The biting could be rectified. Kellymom website has some good tips to handle this.

It could be that you get him through his ill health so that he is 100% and start dropping a feed a week, rather than going cold turkey, which might be easier on both of you.

Have some this evening, it sounds like you need it sweetheart.

Thank you! Don't think I can comfort him without feeding him - he shares with his brothers and if i pick him up he twists himself around to get at my boobs. Argh, he's addicted!

You poor thing :( I'm also weaning my ds (15mo) and its not easy! He too has little appetite for food and, unfortunately, this is still the case now I've almost stopped bf. so he just consumes very little some days, I think this is normal though.

Have you tried cows milk? Ds was never keen on formula but he loves his moo milk :) also, have you tried the ready made formulas in cartons? Again, he preferred this. You've got more resolve than me, I'd have given in during the middle of the night probably! Only you can decide really whether its worth the pain/sleeplessness etc. good luck though.

Yup, have been trying cows' milk at various temperatures for ages with little luck until today.

Just an update, should some other poor soul in a similar situation come across this...

I caved, and fed on demand five times on Sunday night, six times last night, which is rubbish. But the good news is that he has been so very much happier, finally ate a proper supper, and has been v gigglesome. He's also had a good go at drinking cows' milk from a beaker, and been much less interested in my cleavage.

The kellymum link Fadbook gave was really helpful. Re the theory that maybe he's wanting to bf because he doesn't get enough attention from me during the day (his brothers are under six and v chatty), I've been making big efforts to play with him, make lots of eye contact and cuddles during the day. And no MNing during night-feeds. Since I started gazing at him adoringly he hasn't bitten me once.