Help: need an exit strategy for BF

[tinymeteor]

I'm desperate to give up BFing but don't know how to do so. DD2 is 8 months old. It's been a struggle from beginning to end. I'm currently at the walk in clinic with mastitis, which I've had about 8 times now. Her latch is shit and it's not going to get better now. I've tried so hard but I'm exhausted, sore, and ready to stop.

Trouble is she is a total bottle refuser, including sippy cups. I don't think she'll accept them unless I go cold turkey and force the issue, but that's guaranteed mastitis. What do I do? I can't go on like this.

I fed her sister very happily for a year and gave up gradually, but I just can't keep going that long now. I need some sleep, I need someone else to be able to give her a bottle, and I need to not be on antibiotics all the time. All the advice on the NHS site is geared to persuading me to keep going. Really need some support.

Bump?

Hi!

Sorry, I only have a 4 week old so am not too knowledgable in this area but wanted to reply.

Firstly, well done for breastfeeding for 8 months!! I'm only 4 weeks in and want to give up!

On the bottle refusing issue, big long shot, but do you use any nipple creams? I was a bottle refusing baby and my Mum found that I'd take a bottle only if it had the taste of her nipple cream on it.

Also, going cold turkey would be less likely to lead to mastitis if you expressed. Would that be a possibility? I had to do that for the first two weeks because my baby had tongue tie and never managed to empty my breasts effectively. I had many blocked ducts but managed to massage them out while pumping before they hit full blown mastitis.

I'm sorry you've got mastitis. You had it with DS once and it was awful.

In terms of giving up breastfeeding ice not done it suddenly myself but while you've got mastitis it is probably best to try and keep feeding as much as possible to clear it and then gradually reduce. I know how tempting it is though to just stop feeding when you are feeling so Ill.

In terms of a bottle have you tried a doidy cup? They are meant to use the same action as breastfeeding.

Good luck I hope it all works out. Don't feel in the slightest bit bad about dropping the breastfeeding. 8 months is fantastic.