Stopping breastfeeding toddler

[becca3210]

Can anybody share positive stories of stopping breastfeeding toddler? My DS is nearly two and has two feeds a day (morning and then evening pre bath). He loves it and although I want to stop I am dreading making him upset and confused by saying no. He is a real comfort seeking kinda child doesn't really have any else he is attached too like a teddy/comforter. Did you replace with milk in a cup or do a different routine? Thanks.

Hi @becca3210, I let it take it's course with my DD until she stopped asking for it herself so I probably took the easy way out, she was a bit older than your son (3-4 from memory). Have you tried the 'don't offer/don't refuse' approach to see how he responds?

Thank you he has milk first thing and never forgets 😂 quite a 'routine' kinda child so think it might be hard for him to not ask but perhaps possible for the early evening one.

With Dc1 I let him decide when to stop, just came to a natural conclusion. With Dt I wanted /needed to stop. So I did don't offer but don't refuse for a while. Then I stopped morning feed by being busy, not sitting down, getting them milk in a sippy cup and then breakfast as soon as they got up. It was the change in routine that helped after a few days they stopped asking. Evenings were a little harder but again a slight change in routine /filling them up on cows milk helped. All in it probably took 4 weeks, I could have done it quicker but I was worried about mastitis which occurred every time the twins dropped a feed as essentially it was dropping two feeds at once. I also think mum guilt played a part as I'd fed Dc1 for much longer and let him decide on time frames, in hindsight actually I shouldn't have been guilty because a happy, healthy mum is much better than a tired mum.

Thank you that's very helpful. Definitely going to decide on a new routine and hopefully he will get the hang of it.

I bought DD a special cup and offered her water in it instead of milk. Daddy did the bedtimes consistently for a few days and took her in the mornings.
I also explained that there was no more milk etc.
She asked for it once, and that was it! She took to it much better than I thought she would

My DS's understanding was good, so I just told him that he was too big and he could have an alternative drink. For the next year and a half he kept trying to get me to feed him again. My milk had dried up and I told him that. It was the comfort, not the milk.

They actually forget about it really fast, in experience. It's all about you, but it's only possible to see that in hindsight. Good luck!

Going through the same thing right now expect mine is boob obsessed so is feeding 10+ times in 24 hours and I'm finding it exhausting. I am thinking about just going cold Turkey to be honest.

Take dry cereal.and water in to say good morning and then be busy...but present. If toddler is loosing milk them it's a double whammy to lose mum too.

Think about making the usual.times he has milk different...don't sit in the chair you normally do to have milk. Cut down or stop totally. Very much up to you.

They all stop in the end. It is very normal.to be wondering how to stop and ambivalent about carrying on, for ages and ages. When you have definitely had enough you will know...and you will stop.

Thank you all reassuring to hear they mainly adapted quickly.

I stopped at 27 months. We were doing morning and evening at that stage. I just didn't offer anymore (did morning first, then evening 2 weeks later) and he didn't really notice! I was shocked!

I got mastitis, randomly, when DD was nearly two and a half and still feeding to sleep. I just decided at that point that it wasn't working for me anymore and said no - we swapped the milk for an extra story and that did the trick.

I don't recommend the mastitis, by the way, but the whole just saying no more thing worked fine - she took it really well and stopped asking after a few days. Toddlers can be quite accommodating when they feel like it!

Thank you all