Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

I've had enough.... Bf

6 replies

Dackyduddles · 01/08/2013 15:41

Hi. Dd is 6mths. I've started weaning. I want to cease daytime boob feeds. I'm fed up of it and its making me want to strangle her. I'm happy with night time oddly. I rarely feel so strongly then.

I suppose if push to shove I'd like to bottle /formula over 9-5. Then go back to boobs overnight. And eventually cease boobs entirely by Xmas. Can that work? If so how? Til weaning I was exclusive so supply is settled.

OP posts:
lazzaroo · 01/08/2013 16:00

I'd like to do this too (would really like to stop altogether but don't think that's going to happen!). I'm afraid, despite having one through it once with dd1 I'm at a loss as to how to go about it! She's a bottle refuser so am going straight to cup. Have been letting her practice with water at mealtimes. She's 7 months now.

People say replace one feed at a time, e.g mid morning, but her feeding so random & still on demand so I just don't know how to start.

Will sit patiently & wait for the solution!

DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 01/08/2013 16:34

I guess as she consumes more solid food and other liquids, she'll turn to the breast less often and your milk supply will naturally dry up without pain.

If you are happy to let her nurse to sleep in the evening I suspect she'll guzzle at this late evening feed so she could be on for at least an hour until she's satisfied and sleepy. Do the 'dead man's drop' before trying to de-latch: pick her arm up and let go. If it drops undisturbed, then she's totally asleep. If you lay her down in her cot asleep she may, if you're lucky, sleep through the night. A breast feed night and morning could be enough and still give you that special closeness. My DCs used to have a feed around 6:30 pm then tuck in again around 10 pm.

I'm happy with night time oddly. I rarely feel so strongly then.
I don't know if this is fact or an old wives' tale but I heard our milk at night is richer as we've been resting and so babies will feed more often at night. Imo babies at 6 months still require at least one night feed, bf or bottle.

Btw when they reach 6 months, try introducing a soft cuddly piece of blanket or toy for DC to snuggle up to at bedtime. It acts as a comfort object so make sure the comfort object is there every time you settle DD for sleep.

When you want to cut back on the bf, say around October, start bedtime a bit earlier. You and DH can take a turn at reading her a story after a feed and before bed. Then both say goodnight, hug and put her down - it'll get her to accept a bedtime ritual - making sure her comfort object blankie or toy is there with her. We kept the bedroom door a little ajar so ours didn't feel utterly shut away.

If she does wake, it won't necessarily be for food, you'll probably be able to tell from her cry if she's hungry or not. Leave the landing light on to see by. If she's just wakeful, whether it's you or DH, don't instantly take her out of her cot, keep the light off and don't talk too much. Sit by the cot with your hand on her to soothe her.

Tbh I missed the sleepy cuddles!

Dackyduddles · 01/08/2013 16:37

Yeah this is my 2nd too. Thought I'd know everything this time. Still feel clueless.

OP posts:
Longdistance · 01/08/2013 16:46

When I started weaning my dd's, I gave them ff through the day, and bf just morning and before bed.

I think they liked the comfort of the boob before bed, and when they woke up. I did give water/ juice with meals, and ff through he day.

lazzaroo · 01/08/2013 17:35

longdistance did you just stop offering bf in the day all at once or gradual switch to ff?

dietcokeandwine · 01/08/2013 21:57

Dackyduddles this is essentially what I do...My 6mo DS has a breastfeed in the morning (around 7:30am) and another around 11pm (dreamfeed) but other than that he is now formula fed during the day. It is working really well for us and I did the same with my two older DC.

I did this gradually over a period of weeks - he'd always had a formula feed at 7pm, but all other feeds were breast until about a month ago. He was feeding at roughly 3 hour intervals so at 7am ish, 10am ish, 1pm ish, 4pm ish. Initially I dropped the 1pm breastfeed and replaced it with a formula feed, then did the same with the 4pm one (basically feeding less by a few minutes every few days and then offering a bottle before dropping the BF altogether). About a fortnight ago I followed the same process with the mid morning feed and replaced the breastfeed with formula.

I am now planning to carry on with the late and morning feeds (and any other in the night though - touch wood - DS has gone a week or so now without needing any other night feeds) for a further month before moving to full FF by 7m.

HTH

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread