only one feed a day, I'm ready to stop BF, talk me through it?

[Ullapull]

I breastfeed DD (14mo) once a day when she wakes up, part of our routine. After the feed she has breakfast. Usually that's the only feed of the day but sometimes she asks for it again in the afternoon.

Most days I think it'd be easier if I stopped entirely, for various reasons eg so I wouldn't always have to be there when she woke up (planning work trips).

Can anyone tell me how you go from one feed to no feeds? She loves her food and dropped to one feed a few months ago now. She doesn't drink much cow's milk though.

Honestly I just starting giving a bottle instead of boob (this was at about 1 year old, the bedtime feed was the last to swap). she was used to bottle or cup for other feeds already and it really wasn't a battle at all. watched boobs carefully for any lumps for the next couple of weeks but it was fine.

She has never taken a bottle. Could try milk in the sippy cup instead of morning feed.
Did you stop cold turkey or cut down gradually? Worried about side effects for me too. Thanks.

I stopped at that age with DD and it was much easier than I was expecting. My only feed was at bedtime so DP took over that part of the routine for a week. I also told DD that there was no more milk and she accepted that. I had almost no side effects, I think because we'd already cut down so much.

I would just change her morning routine a little and see what happens.

I cut down gradually but was starting from 4 breast feeds a day. So I swapped one to formula at 10 months, then another at 10.5 months, another at 11 months and the last at just under a year. the last one I just cut out cold turkey, didn't try to cut it down or anything.

I think with just one feed a day to cut out you should be ok. and sippy cup should be fine at 14mo, however she has her other milk. I just did bottle because dd was younger, now she has a sippy cup.

Agree with just changing routine slightly. DD was 3 and just having a bedtime feed- it only took a couple of nights of daddy putting her to bed with milk in a cup for her to get out of the habit. Good luck!

Agree with just changing the routine - I'd just get up when she gets up and head down for breakfast. Maybe add a sippy cup of milk to her breakfast instead? DS1 dropped his bedtime feed last, but he dropped the morning one kind of by himself by being far more interested in getting up and doing stuff, so if you can encourage that...

Also you'll probably be fine comfort-wise: I think once you're already down to one feed your body adjusts pretty quickly.

Good advice above - just to add - if you did want to, you could probably continue bf and not have to be there in the mornings. My 14 month old feeds twice a day now, morning and bedtime, but due to work I am frequently not there for either and she is fine. (I haven't been more than 24 hours without feeding though)

Yes, when DS1 was down to just one or two feeds he could easily skip a morning or bedtime feed with no ill effects.

am in same boat, DS is 17mo and recently went from two (morning and bedtime) to just bedtime and am planning to give up completely by 18 mo. When I get him in the mornings he is normally happy to have cows milk in cup, but some mornings especially is he's tired and grumpy he'll want to bfeed and is miserable and cries for a few mins and won't want a cup of milk and I just need to find something to distract him, normally books etc. Makes me think he's not quite ready to drop bedtime feed yet.

I was planning to drop last bedtime feed in same way I dropped morning feed - DP went in every other morning for about a fortnight, then did a week of mornings on his own. mostly it seems DS has 'forgotten' about bfing in the morning, except like I say if he's a bit tired and cuddly/grumpy.

As far as boobs adjusting I think everyone is right, at just one feed a day you shouldn't have any discomfort although good to keep an eye on it. I have gone almost 48hrs without feeding on occasion, if I've missed bedtime, and by the end of the second day my boobs are feeling full but not uncomfortable.