How do I stop breast feeding?

[OnionRing]

Help!

Do I just stop, go cold turkey and only offer bottles?

Roughly how long will it take for a bottle refusing (but weaning happily) baby of 6.5 months to accept this?

TIA.

Onion you can do this if you want! and I do know people who have but the current recommendation is to drop one feed every 2 weeks. This is to give Lo time to adjust and to reduce your risk of mastitis.

I'd give one of the bfing helplines a call, the BFC should help you to come up with a plan and might have some suggestions about the bottle refusal too

I did it gradually, left bedtime one until last. But mine were older, so didn't need formula. Not sure what to do f reusing bottle. Has someone else (ie not you) tried giving the bottle?

Thanks.

Yes DH and my mum have tried bottles and she will take 10, 20 ml at most. I have tried bottles and she refuses outright but she also refuses to breast feed.

She will only feed once during the day at 9am. This morning that was a two hour feed. She hadn't fed since but she feeds constantly all night to compensate. I am absolutely exhausted and have spent all today on the verge of tears. I am dreading tonight. I take her to bed at 6.30 and I never come down again as she feeds constantly until 10 then hourly or more often, until about 5.30 when she gets up. It's fucking awful.

Onion how often are you offering solids in the day? I'd be tempted to just offer solids once a day at present.

If she is feeding from 6.30 to 10 could you do this on the soda so that you could spend some time with your DH?

Have you spoken to a BFC about the reverse cycling? Have you got the helpline numbers?

I offer solids three times a day and she's doing well with that. Her weight isn't gaining that well so I can't cut back on that.

Thanks for the link. It is classic reverse cycling but due to distractability, she's with me 24 hours a day, we even bed share and she has me to herself 9-3 on schooldays.

I can't do the evening feed downstairs, I've tried but if we speak she wakes and gets upset until I walk her around or feed her back to sleep. It's not worth it, she feeds best in the dark in a rocking chair in our room and I transfer us both to bed once she's deeper asleep. I feel totally dictated to by her, if I could be satisfied she'd fed enough I could do controlled crying to sleep train her but you can't do that to a hungry baby.

I need to stop breastfeeding her, I'll still express but put it in a bottle. I am wracked with guilt as I bf DD1 until she was 12 months but she was never like this.

If her weight isn't increasing, you really need to feed her less solids not more. The milk, whether you ff, bf or offer ebm will have far more calories than the solids and until she's one, her main nutrition should be from the milk. If you want some more reassurance on this, the NHS recommend moving to 3 meals between 8 and 9 months and there is a useful table on food replacing BM here.

If you do swap over to ebm or formula, I think you still need some support to get her to take her calories in the day rather than at night.

I really do think that speaking to a BFC will help with the reverse cycling and she can talk to you about bottle refusal, feeling overwhelmed and stopping bfing too. The numbers are towards the bottom of this page

Thanks, I'll give them a ring. She's on three meals a day as that's what the clinic recommended. They told me to start weaning her at 22 weeks and to have her on three meals a day by six months. Of course she's not going to gain weight from a teaspoon full of carrot purée but I did what I was told. They told me to fatten up her purées with butter and cheese. They weigh her every two weeks so I'm under surveillance. It's a pity because I loved bf DD1 but I can't stand this and just want to stop, but can't because she won't take a bottle.

It does sound like you are feeling very overwhelmed. Which clinic advised you to have her on3 meals a day by 6 months? Did they give any reasons?

Have you managed to call one of the bfing helplines yet? Let us know how you are getting on

Thanks for your support JJJulie

The baby clinic where I see the HV. They said she was probably a good candidate for earlier weaning due to her lack of interest in breast feeding. She is very good and loves feeding herself toast, waving spoons about and whatnot. My friend was told at the same clinic to supplement with formula when her baby stopped gaining weight at the same age. It's all very arbitrary. I tried to supplement with formula too but she won't take it.

I haven't phoned anyone as I've had a playdate all day as it's half term. I have emailed a friend who's a LLL lactation consultant. I've asked her for advice and told her I'm feeling beleaguered.

Feed 1 of the night is now over so I'll try for half an hours sleep before Feed 2 starts...

Sounds like your HV has given you some pretty poor advice. If there are concerns about a baby's weight, the first option should be to feed more, not to offer solids as most solids will have less calories than the BM.

Its good that you have a friend who is a lactation consultant, I think I'd talk to her about your HVs advice and how you are feeling.

Keep us all posted