End of breastfeeding - feel emotional

[doadeer]

My DS is 10 months. I've had a rocky BFing journey... I lost a lot of blood and no colostrum or milk came through for a while. Managed to get BFing established and 100% at day 7 through a lot of pain(and humiliation from the midwives and HV who were just awful manhandling my boobs). At 8 weeks my period started and every month just before I would have horrendous pain in my Nipples. On top of this I've still got very bad pelvic pain and the physio thinks BFing is playing a part in this. I can't even walk without pain. My son is a terrible terrible sleeper and we've been giving formula as I just couldn't do it alone anymore.

I decided last weekend that I was going to wean off breastfeeding as he's a good eater and we can give formula for the 2/3 milk feeds he still has. This week he has had a terrible cold and had no appetite. He doesn't want to breastfeed at all. My boobs aren't even getting full, I think my supply is disappearing.

I said I wanted to stop but now the thought of having no milk is making me feel so emotional. I know it's ridiculous but I feel like I'm being selfish. Please talk some sense into me.

I have just stopped feeding my 8 month old. I planned to do it gradually so it wouldn’t be stressful when I went back to work. I was actually thinking I could still feed AM and PM to “reconnect” when I was back at work. But actually DS weaned in two weeks and my supply nosedived really quickly. I didn’t even know my last feed was my last feed. I’ve not fed now for 3 days and my boobs are absolutely fine. I feel a bit sad about it all and almost envious when I see my Mum friends feeding.

I've done one 10 min feed today but they don't even feel full. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it seems to just be disappearing.... Maybe it's good that you didn't know it was your last feed? It's so hard to know! I don't blame you re work!

Yes probably. Towards the end I had a little cry when he was feeding as I realised it wouldn’t be much longer. It was a shock to me how quickly he weaned when he had been EBF for so long.

I feel awful now for depriving him of milk, he has a snotty nose and I’m thinking about the antibodies he isn’t getting. If I’d have known it would be so easy I’d have gone on longer. But didn’t want the start of nursery to be more stressful. He used to hang on for me the whole time we were apart and that was my worry.

Same here. DS is 10 months and I've been gradually weaning him and am going to stop altogether in one week. Feeling sad about it but this was always the plan. He also has a really snotty nose

It's normal to be sad about it, but does seem like it's time for you to stop and you've done amazingly.
I fed my DS until he was 16months and found it very emotional when we stopped. I also found my hormones were all over the place and I felt a bit depressed so be kind to yourself. Although my period didn't return until I stopped so it may have been down to that.

I was about to say that @platform9andthreequarters I felt really depressed when I stopped. DH suggested I might have PND. It did pass but good to be aware it might hit you OP.