Feeding to sleep - when and how to stop?

[Twinsplusonesurprise]

DS is 16wo. I have excl BF him til recently and introduced FF for several reasons.
I still BF him at bedtime, in the night and first thing in the morning.
I'm aiming to give up BF when I start weaning at end March as I need an operation and won't be able to BF.
My worry is that he is becoming more dependent on me to feed him to sleep, I'm a human dummy! It doesn't matter how full he is he will still only settle at night if I feed him. How can I 'wean' him off me?
Also - unrelated to the sleep thing but still a feeding question. He's had 7 feeds today. 3 bottles of FF 6oz each plus 4 BF. Is that normal? It seems a lot! And the day isn't over yet! (Twins were excl FF so this BF lark is all new to me!)
Any tips & advice welcome please.

The amount your baby is having sounds well within normal.

It's also normal for babies to feed to sleep. They grow out of it :)

My baby still feeds to sleep occasionally (17months). It is getting rarer though!

Relish the time you can just feed to sleep- it is the easiest way ever!

If I'm not there though my husband gives her a bottle of cow or goat milk and she drinks that then cuddles into him and is asleep in about 30seconds!

Babies are quite adaptable. I wouldn't try to "wean him off you". If you're not there and in hospital he'll be fine and although he may cry a bit he'll adapt to a bottle quite quickly. You could probably start bf again when you're home. After 6 months your supply is more established.

Thanks both for replies. I know all babies are different but the twins were much easier to settle and they were sleeping all night by this age. Perhaps it's a hungry boy thing - he's certainly piling on the weight!
I'll just keep going for now and see what happens with the op. TBH I don't have much hope if being able to hold him to feed him let alone any supply after the anaesthetic and follow up drugs. Am trying not to worry about it!

Do check that your op and drugs rule out breastfeeding - usually it's just fine. Obv you cannot feed him when you are actually in the operating theatre :) but as soon as you are awake after the anaesthetic is not normally a contraindication. Ditto the follow up drugs.

I'm interested in this as I'm feeding my 6 week old to sleep and it works really well but am wondering how we'll make the transition to her falling asleep on her own - and whether we should be trying to get to that stage or whether it would happen on her terms eventually. She will be fed to sleep with a bottle and/or dummy so they do work for us too.

Thanks tiktok
I was surprised when told I would not be able to breastfeed for 24hrs after the anaesthetic and possibly longer if I was on heavy painkillers. I might do a bit if research and see how these drugs are metabolised

Twins - yes, do check this out. Breastfeeding Network has a lot of info in their website and they run the drugs line.

Usually, once you are conscious you are safe to bf after anaesthetic - if the drugs were still in your bloodstream, and therefore in your milk, you would still be unconscious. Most metabolites of anaesthetic drugs are safe.

You can check all of this yourself, of course.

DD2 still BF to sleep at 6 or 7 years old sometimes. Never understood why the fuss.

She'd go to sleep with yoghurt and a cup juice at 7 months if I went out, (never ever got the hang of bottles or milk)

BFing to sleep is only a problem if a baby/DC won't let DM have an evening off after DM has reached the point she'll go mad if she's not allowed off duty.

As for the OP, be warned, a few days off does not stop older DCs returning to BFing.