Help, not sure how to stop breastfeeding

[MamaT1992]

Hi 8 month old DS is exclusively breastfed (although has been having solids also for a couple of months but doesn't have a massive appetite for meals yet). I was hoping once he started weaning he would gradually ease back on the feeds but it doesn't seem to be happening and he still feeds a similar amount and usually twice in the night. I am starting to feel quite anxious and panicky about it all as it means it often all falls on me and I'm exhausted and just not sure how he's ever going to stop wanting it. I would really like to stop breastfeeding soon or atleast cut back but he will only take a bottle with water in and not milk (expressed or formula). Also, I go back to work in a few months and I am very conscious I would like to have stopped before then. Has anyone any advice as it is getting me down and I feel a lot of pressure like he is very reliant on me still. Thanks

Following as I'm having similar issues except DS is 15 months! I presumed he would naturally seek less milk and eat more solids but this hasn't happened. He picks at meals and nurses all the time so hopefully some wise mumsnetters have tips...

My baby is 9 months and never taken a bottle! Going back to work next month and I'm losing sleep thinking about what the hell im going to do. She will have porridge made with full fat milk so we can replace one feed a day with that, but we obviously can't do that with them all! Following in the hope someone has advice!

I think it's very normal for kids to still want to nurse regularly as they get older. Natural term weaning is much much later than people generally think. My son weaned at 4y4m. Around 2yo he seemed to want to feed all the blimmin time!

If breastfeeding isn't working for you anymore for whatever reason there are different approaches to stopping.... for example...

1. don't offer, don't refuse...slowly weaning them.
2. Choosing one feed at a time to cut out, maybe one feed a week.
3. Make sure someone else tries to feed the alternative milk, not you. They can smell your milk and will hold off for the good stuff.

There is a wealth of support and guidance on a facebook group called 'breastfeeding babies' and/or 'breastfeeding older babies and beyond'

Thanks @tiredybear. That's really helpful. Its all feeling quite daunting at the moment but hopefully it will go ok 🤞.

DD has never taken a bottle and I’m back to work now.

What we did was give her milk when she woke up, breakfast, milk before I started work. Then milk when I saw her again after work and before bed.

If I’m around / WFH I’ll offer it to her at 3pmish but she rarely takes it now. We switched straight to cow’s milk as it’s the only thing she will drink in a cup.

She seems fine and eats plenty of cheese, milk in porridge etc and yoghurt during the day. She’s 11 months.

Following for suggestions also...I have a DS aged 7 months and is EBF and refuses a bottle. Ive tried numerous bottles and teats and followed all the suggestions I can find eg putting him in a different position to feed, someone else trying it with me out of the house, different setting/environment, tried sippy cup etc...he will now put the bottle in his mouth (hooray!!) But wont/struggles with sucking...goimg back to work soon and dont want him to go 'cold turkey' but really want to stop breastfeeding now!

Also following for suggestions. My 15 month old wants to bf all the time when I am with him and I would love to cut down. I think he is teething though and it helps with the pain. Over the last few months the amount of feeds he wants has increased. He is happy though to go without when I am not around.

I would start trying to get DS to drop night feeds, they can go without them and they can become a habit. With DS1 I would let him have a tiny bit then unlatch him and put him down, that didn't work so well with DS2 and I fed him way longer but eventually the exhaustion was ruining time with both DS during day so I finally managed to stop it, he cried the first time and after that he just slept through and I wondered why I hadn't stopped sooner! For the 15month olds...I don't understand why they would BF all the time? I gave a morning and and evening feed at that age, I guess you have 2 choices, offer breast all the time or choose when child gets a feed and stick with it!

I recently stopped breastfeeding.
DC was 7.5 months and waking 8-10 times a night sometimes to feed and sometimes for comfort. I was exhausted (and 6weeks pregnant) so decided to stop feeding at night. Just offered water, he took it a few times but then went back to sleep. Same happened next few nights then he started sleeping longer. It seems there was no point waking if there was no milk.

Then I switched to formula about a week later, he had the odd bottle of expressed from DP so I knew he would be ok. I was scared at first, it was daunting, but definitely the best decision for us. I only wish I’d done it a few weeks earlier.

What do you want from this? To stop BFing or to reduce the amount? If you’re not around does DC take a bottle?