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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

How to stop breastfeeding at 12months?

27 replies

Addictedtohotbaths1 · 27/03/2015 12:50

Dd is 10 months and feeds approx 4pm, 6.30pm, 10pm, 2am, 5.30am and more in the night sometimes. And still wakes between feeds. No milk in the day as I'm at work all week and she doesn't have formula etc. she does BLW but eats massive meals and has snacks.

I've had enough feeding in the night, working full time and commuting and want to stop when she is 12months. I sense that she won't sleep better until I cut out all night feeds. Any suggestions please on how to stop feeding altogether, should I go cold turkey for the night feeds? I don't mind controlled crying have already done some to cut down on 2 hourly night feeds and wakings with some success.

Would it be terrible if I introduced cows milk at 11 months in place of breastmilk? I don't know if I can take 2 more months of this...

Also, if we are going on a plane a week after her 1st birthday should I wait until after the trip to wean? She has dodgy ears and I think feeding during takeoff etc helps balance ears??

Thanks for any tips, sorry for the essay.

OP posts:
Littlef00t · 27/03/2015 17:38

I would cut out the night feeds as you might find you can tolerate the morning and bed feed when you're not also up in the night when you shouldn't really need to be by now.

If you're happy with controlled crying I'd perhaps do a mix of offering water for a few nights then controlled crying. Or controlled crying if the water isn't deemed acceptable.

I've got to say I did cc when dd was 6 months and it worked a treat.

Littlef00t · 27/03/2015 17:40

I did cows milk for the 3 childminder feeds a week from 11 months, but for more than that I'd have gone for formula. In a sippy cup.

wetsnow · 28/03/2015 13:48

I night weaned at around 10 months... We just went cold turkey. It took 3 nights gradually getting beter then she started to sleep through.
then at 12 months I swapped the morning bf with a cup of cows milk.
She still has her pre bed breastfeed now at 13 months but I'm happy to take longer to phase this out.

BucketFullOfDinosaurs · 28/03/2015 15:21

I'd start by tackling the 2am feed - if she wakes, offer water maybe. She may then decide it's not worth waking for water, and sleep a bit longer. Maybe.

Regarding the flight, I'd either stop the feeding well before, or carry on until just after - don't try to do it around the same time. But I think what helps the ears is sucking, so a bottle might do the same job as breastfeeding.

Original poster
Addictedtohotbaths1 · 28/03/2015 20:00

Thanks everyone. Wetsnow did you do the comforting when you went cold turkey or did your dh go?

Would it confuse her if I cut out night feeds but then fed her back to sleep at 5.30 / 6am feed? I'm guessing will have to get up early while she adjusts.

OP posts:
Original poster
Addictedtohotbaths1 · 28/03/2015 20:01

I think I will start by offering water for a few nights before we go full on cold turkey.

OP posts:
PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom · 28/03/2015 20:04

I am in the same boat. I am planning on trying Jack Newman night weaning after the holidays - or an approximation thereof.

Where does she sleep at the moment?

Original poster
Addictedtohotbaths1 · 28/03/2015 20:26

Penguins I haven't heard of Jack Newman method but will investigate. She sleeps in her own room and then ends up in our bed at some point in the night. She sleeps better in her own room, slighty..

Are you going to carry on feeding in the daytime?

OP posts:
hideandseekpig · 28/03/2015 20:32

Hi, I stopped breastfeeding my dd just before she turned 1. She was still waking once or twice at night for feeds so that's what we concentrated on first. I sent my dh into her room instead of me. He didn't offer any water or anything he just held her close and walked up and down with her but didn't make it at all interesting. She took about 30 minutes to go back to sleep but was absolutely fine. Within about 4 nights she stopped waking at all.

After the night feeds were gone I then had it down to one feed at bedtime and one in the morning. I cut the bedtime one next and had a week of just morning feed and then I stopped altogether. I had a few blockages but managed to express in the shower or bath to clear them.

Oh and I was worried about very early morning waking like you but actually that never happened and she now sleeps 7pm until about 7.30 - 8 in the morning.

Good luck!

PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom · 28/03/2015 20:36

He has a website. The basic idea is that you create a set block with no feeds and kind of ride it out comforting them.

If all goes well I'd like to continue feeding morning and night. He is my last baby and I am not sure I'm ready to stop totally.

redcaryellowcar · 28/03/2015 20:43

Not sure about weaning, as ds1 decided to stop of his own accord, but in terms of holiday it's always useful to have the option of feeding, I know someone who took baby around 12m to India, baby got stomach upset, sadly she had stopped feeding a month or two before holidays, she said she wished she was still bf as sure it would have helped dc feel better.

Original poster
Addictedtohotbaths1 · 28/03/2015 20:46

Hideandseek thank you that gives me hope!

Penguins I'm not sure I want to totally stop either but being up all night is wearing thin. I hope it goes well for you.

I'm also assuming that the remaining afternoon evening and morning feeds are enough for a 10 month?

OP posts:
hideandseekpig · 28/03/2015 21:22

I think at 10 months that would be plenty of milk 3 feeds a day sounds right

Hope it all goes well for you. .It might be hard at first but stay strong!

Laquila · 28/03/2015 21:25

Personally I wouldn't worry about starting to offer cows milk at 11 months, as unless she takes to it unusually quickly and is a big drinker, she's not going to be having that much to start off with.

We flew shorthaul when my son was 13 months and I honestly don't know how I'd have coped if I hadn't been able to bf him. Having said that, thousands of non-bf babies fly somewhere very day and presumably they all cope, as do their parents! It was a bloody godsend for us though.

wetsnow · 29/03/2015 08:57

Op, we took it in turns. First night was hellish. We took half hour slots sitting by her cot with an arm through the bars whilst she sobbed. At one point I fell asleep against the bars. The next night was easier and by night 4 she slept through.
she slept through ever since unless teething or ill And I have fed her in the night since if she's ill but it seems it's no longer a habit any more and she sleeps through if all is well.

good luck! We started night weaning on a Thursday night and by Monday nighost it was done. :)

GeorgiaTownend93 · 30/03/2015 16:12

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cathpip · 30/03/2015 16:19

I have just stopped and ds 12 months is finally sleeping through, thank The Lord. I stopped one feed at a time, and I started with the morning feed and offered warm cows milk in a beaker from 11 months old. After a few days I dropped the 6.30 feed and offered warm milk instead, then did the 10pm and if he woke at 2am I offered water but he only woke twice. The 4pm I just gave him a banana and water. It took about three weeks in total but it's worked and I am now getting a full nights sleep.

Original poster
Addictedtohotbaths1 · 31/03/2015 20:02

So I decided to start by cutting out the night feeds and will see when we get to 12 months if I / dd want to carry on morning and evening feeds.

Tonight will be the third night of going cold turkey and dh has done all the night wakings by cuddling back to sleep, first night about 12 wakes, second night about 6 so fingers crossed tonight will be better. Last night I slept with ear plugs and was the first night full sleep since she was born and I feel like a different person already!

Thanks for all your advice.

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2boys2girls · 31/03/2015 20:14

I breast fed until a year during day gradually making the 1st feed later and later until it was only night bedtime feeds,no feeding downstairs, I bf night time until 30months but found it was mainly comfort feeding so initially I cut out the bedtime and morning feed so she had to self sooth to sleep then with in the week I just went cold turkey to all feeds

AnythingNotEverything · 31/03/2015 20:20

I night weaned at 11 months. DH did most of it as if she saw me she wanted milk. It wasn't easy but it only took a few nights. I was newly pregnant and had just gone back to work and just couldn't do it. I went on to feed morning and night until 14 months. It didn't se such a bind when it was on those terms.

I would worry about supplementing with cows milk or formula. 2-3 bf until a year is plenty. I found DD was really thirsty for anything else until I stopped bf.

Original poster
Addictedtohotbaths1 · 01/04/2015 12:16

We have done three nights of cold turkey no night feeds and she is still waking multiple times and has to be cuddled back to sleep by my dh. He sometimes has offered water too which she will take.

Should we give it more time or do we now need to start some controlled crying to stop the multiple wakings?

OP posts:
2boys2girls · 02/04/2015 06:02

Stay with it for awhile I'm sure with in a week Itll come good, iI would still comfort mine in night as dp just made her more upset, I would just say "all gone"

AnythingNotEverything · 02/04/2015 10:20

Just priced a dreadful typo it last post - one ant that I WOULDN'T worry about supplementing with formula or cows milk at this age. Must've sounded like a right formula basher. Sorry!

I'd give it a few more nights. If she's settling back to sleep without milk that's a good start. At least you can share wake up duties now.

Original poster
Addictedtohotbaths1 · 02/04/2015 14:54

Anything - I promise I didn't think you are a formula basher!

Yes you are so right about sharing the night duties now, except I went one step further and let him do it all for the first three nights and put my ear plugs in. He had enough of it by the fourth night...

OP posts:
Manzanita · 03/04/2015 12:56

Hi I am having similar issues. My DS is now 13 months and I've just switched from breastfeeding to cows milk. He is taking it fine in the daytime but at night he really needs to comfort feed. I have tried to get him back to sleep but after an hour I cave in. He gets so worked up, stands up in his cot and starts going mental, shaking all over eventually.

After trying to stop breastfeeding at night, he is now waking up more often than usual (e.g. at least 4 times per night). He was recently in hospital and has had vaccinations, so perhaps this isn't helping matters... He has always been a little underweight and so it doesn't help that whenever he showed any interest in breastfeeding I gladly offered him the breast.

I can let him cry a little (1 hour absolute max, generally 30 mins is my limit if he gets more worked up), but we couldn't manage the cold turkey way, and I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to cut out the night feeds? It's only been a week, so perhaps it's not long enough.

Im happy he's taking the cows milk in the day and my priority is that he'll gain some weight.

Selfishly I really just want to be able to go out for an evening with the DH and not have to rush back for 10pm. Any ideas of how to get your one yr old back to sleep without breastfeeding, please let me know! Oh and the DH works very late so is not home to help.

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