Desperate to stop breastfeeding 11 month old

[HeartOfADog]

Have been bfeeding my 11 month old dd since she was born and going back to work soon. I am desperate to stop, for a number of reasons. I don't love it anymore and I don't want her to pick up on this. She takes bottles of formula which is great, but unfortunately is a terrible sleeper and I can only feed her back to sleep. Also she's not been well and every time she has a cold I go back to feeding her all day long on demand and we are back to square one.

Any advice? I don't want my good memories of breastfeeding to be tainted by a bad and drawn out end to it. Thanks loads.

Sorry no real advice but I am breastfeeding a 10 month old and starting to feel similar to you! I have told myself I will get to 1 year and then that's it, that way dd can have normal full fat milk and not formula

My baby does feed in the night and won't usually go back to sleep without feeding so I sympathise there! However I she doesn't actually feed to sleep...does your baby feed to sleep? Maybe you could start to gently tackle that first and try putting her down awake?

I think you probably know that you have to stop feeding her to sleep....

there are gentle methods (no cry sleep solution is a good book to start with) and there are tougher methods (cry it out/Ferber etc) but essentially if you're still feeding to sleep every night then you're still breastfeeding.

I sympathise, mine is 6mo and I have very mixed feelings about stopping breastfeeding... half of me can't wait to stop and the other half dreads stopping.

Thanks bambini . She does feed to sleep, and because she doesn't sleep well I have to feed her for ages before she falls asleep. I think the sleeping is a big part of the problem actually. I too intended to go to one year but at this rate it'll be a lot longer as I can't even seem to cut down...

You're right teenage I should probably just bite the bullet and look at ways of getting her to self settle. But when I've tried before she screams the place down and it's heartbreaking and so exhausting....

Sounds a bit like I'm making excuses though

It's hard because sometimes it has to get worse to get better. ..I'm the same I should really stop feeding her in the night and send dh in to settle her but I can't quite face it as I know if I feed her we all get more sleep!

I think if you're keen to stop though maybe you do need to just go for it and tackle the sleep first...do you have a partner who can help at night? Maybe over Christmas holidays?

yes you need to get her to sleep without your milk. Not just to end the feeding but you'll be bloody knackered working and doing this.