Weaning blues

[Curtsey]

Not sure why I'm posting really - maybe for tips on combatting the weaning blues? I'm into day 2 of no feeds at all and LO (13months) is ratty and I am ratty and ridden with guilt. (I am starting medication that's not compatible with breastfeeding.) For those of you who have been through this, what has helped and how long did the shitty feeling last? Hoping to get outside today for some fresh air.

You've checked that the meds are really incompatible with bf, yes? And that any level of incompatability would still apply to a toddler ('cos it might be different for a newborn)?

Thanks very much for your replies. I have to admit that I have backtracked somewhat :( I fed DD last night. She was just very sad and confused. I KNOW you are not supposed to do that. We had already introduced a new routine of milk in a cup in the morning and before bed - which she seemed to be more than happy with, slept through, etc. It was going so well that once I got her down to one feed I weaned her completely the next day. I should have left her with the one feed for at least a week or longer.

Anyway the last two nights have been lots of crying in the evenings and taking ages to settle, ending up in a ridiculous situation of her coming downstairs late at night to have a big cup of cow's milk. That just seemed like a stupid habit waiting to happen. So I'm going to give up the medication (I had taken 2 pills but will stop now until I've weaned her more gently off that last feed - hopefully the small dose won't affect her ). It just seemed really wrong to end it all that way.

tiktok, the GP and the medication literature both said not to breastfeed with it, I hadn't thought of different levels for a newborn and toddler. (It's Dianette, for acne, and I'm only going to be taking it short-term, probably less than 6 months.)

You need to share further info with your doc - you can get professional info you can show to the doc for discussion if you pose a question on the facebook Breastfeeding and Medication page.

I am not a medic or a pharmacist, but it is so very rare that a toddler breastfeeding far less than a newborn needs to wean for medication. At the very minimum, you should be able to find out what if any drug gets into the milk and what if any effects could be (the answer is so often 'very little indeed' and 'none') :)

Thank you tiktok, grateful for that. :) I've sent an email to the Breasfeeding and Medication site. Hopefully I can get some further information/perspectives from there.

I just thought I would update, in case anybody was wondering about this for the future.

I asked the advice of the Breastfeeding & Medication site and Dianette is not really OK with breastfeeding. (Other contraceptives can be, but Dianette is primarily an acne drug.)

the weaning has continued well. I am actually quite glad that I did a 'lapsed' final feed that tie because I think I was on the way to trouble with engorged boobs otherwise. Cabbage leaves seem to have done the trick nicely, and no more feeds since then. DD slept brilliantly last night. When tired she does still scrabble at bit at my top and it does still make me flinch a tiny bit but I just distract. During those days I was engorged I really felt dreadful: weepy & broken-hearted whenever she scrabbled at my top but that seems to have passed.

Thanks for the update - great you got a quick response from the facebook page. Glad things have gone well for you and are more settled now :)