Stopping breastfeeding at 14 weeks

[Scarlettsstars]

How? How? How? Just that really. Totally had enough of bfing now. Have multiple health problems that bfing is either causing or making worse and to be honest I just totally hate it. I'm a little disappointed as I bf'd dc1 until she was 1 year and had expected to do the same here but after 14 weeks I'm just at the end of my rope. How do I stop though? The little blighter won't even take ebm from a bottle so how do you introduce formula? Any experiences much appreciated !

Hi :) I'm not necessarily stopping bf'ing but I have been having to get ds (18 wks) to take a bottle while I'm at college and he would not take it for me at all. I tried all sorts of different bottles and expressed milk and formula and he was having none of it.

We have now found that the only way he will take it is if I am completely away from the situation so he can't smell me or hear me and if he is sat in his bouncer chair rather than being held (he expects bf if he is held so sitting him in a chair gets him used to the bottle instead). Once we have got him used to the bottle I am going to have a go giving him it and see how we get on!

He did mess with the bottle teat for absolutely aaaages before he startegd drinking it at first, but now he just drinks it. Hopefully soon he will take a bottle for me too, as I want to finish bf'ing at 6 months and he is 4 months now.

As for how to stop, I would suggest perhaps continuing a couple of feeds a day (night and morning perhaps?) to wean your breasts off gradually or you might end up very uncomfortable if you just go cold turkey!

Best of luck!

Thanks cookie, good advice and glad it's not just me that has this problem! DH tried to give him a bottle of ebm the other day and it went everywhere he was so hell bent on not having it. He's the same with dummies, a total refusenik! The only advice I've had from friends is 'oh he'll eat when he's hungry' which I'm not convinced by with a 3 month old.

Yeah we had that problem with ds, and he also won't take a dummy. Try getting bottles with shorter tears that are more like a nipple. My ds likes the 'nuby' ones as the teat is very short. Sometimes bf babies just don't like te artificial teat.

Also, you could try a soppy cup (tommee tippee do a good one for 4m+ and I think nuby do one too)

I've also reached the point of wanting to stop BF. On a good day I love it seeing my 14 week old settled and smiley. On a day when it's constant feeding day and night it can be so hard.
We've tried to introduce expressed milk and formula too that dad gives. What a fuss he makes and 9 times out of 10 the bottle is not taken. Feels like we are going round in circles sometimes. I also torture myself if baby gets a sore tummy, thinking its something I've eaten. Have been using tommee tippee bottles, any other recommendations?

I also worry that he relies on me to get off to sleep. Not interested in a dummy at all!