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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

How do I stop BFing 10 month old?!

17 replies

soggycheerios · 09/10/2022 10:19

DD is 10 months old and EBF, she has never ever taken a bottle. Eating pretty well now, 3 meals a day, and usually 3 BF a day (morning, mid morning and bedtime). I’m so ready to stop BFing now, her teeth are starting to rub and I’m just generally feeling like I’ve had enough of it! But she refuses to drink milk! She drinks water really well out of her beaker at mealtimes but whenever I give her a beaker of milk she throws it away as soon as she realises it’s milk. Im scared to go cold turkey in case she still doesn’t take from a beaker, then my milk might dry up and she would have nothing?! Any advice please, I’m so desperate to stop but just no idea how to get there :(

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Original poster

soggycheerios · 09/10/2022 10:20

I should add, I struggle to pump so I’ve been trying with formula, have experimented with different brands and even tried normal cows milk/mixed part cows milk and part formula but always the same result.

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thejadefish · 09/10/2022 10:41

I can't offer advice from experience (I stopped bf my daughter completely for a few days because I had a vomiting bug and I was scared that I was going to be sick on her during a feed - after that she refused to bf - she was a year old though). All I can think of is gradually reduce the feeds/start by dropping one. If she's eating well the lack of milk might not be a problem- have you asked the health visitor for advice? Also apparently breast milk is quite sweet - maybe try making the formula/cow milk slightly sweeter to start off with and if she accepts it gradually reduce the sugar?

Original poster

soggycheerios · 09/10/2022 14:24

I’ve tried phoning my HV but they never pick up, I will be trying again tomorrow!
The thing is I don’t think she would even mind if I dropped feeds, she would happily just go without rather than take a cup. But she is too young to have no milk! She has missed the mid morning feed a few times when we’ve been busy and she’s not been bothered. The only one I think she would probably miss is the bedtime one (she’s not fed to sleep or anything, but it’s part of her routine).

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Youcancallmeirrelevant · 09/10/2022 14:27

Have you tried milk in something other than a cup? Like a sippy cup or straw cup or something? My DD had water out of one type of cup and we did milk out of something else to differentiate (milk was always bottles for us but we introduced them at 2 weeks old alongside BF).

marvik · 09/10/2022 14:32

I would stop if you are that fed up and if your baby is generally taking solids, drinking water and feeding well. I am assuming that of your own milk dries up then you baby may take formula when she has realised there is no alternative.

I went cold turkey for similar reasons at 13 months, though this meant I could give my daughter cow's milk.

Original poster

soggycheerios · 09/10/2022 14:33

I’ve been sticking with a basic free flow sippy cup as I know she can use it, but I use one for water and a different colour one for milk. I have lots of other cups and straws but she has never got the hang of them, she won’t suck. Reason why I could never get her to take a bottle when she was little either 😫

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Original poster

soggycheerios · 09/10/2022 14:35

@marvik did your daughter start drinking milk out of a cup after you stopped? I think this is what I will need to do but just so worried about her getting no milk at all. Maybe if I go on for a bit longer until she’s nearer a year that will ease my conscience!

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mumumumumumm · 09/10/2022 14:49

I would gradually drop the feeds one at a time to allow your supply to adjust. It should be easier to change your mind then if you do it gradually.
Maybe you can get milk into her via her food? Porridge for example?
I found it really difficult emotionally to stop breastfeeding so kept the bedtime feed as part of her routine as long as I could after dropping all other feeds.

marvik · 09/10/2022 15:46

She drank milk out of a sippy cup. I did have a chat with the Health Visitor before stopping, but Health Visitors were rather easier to get hold of in those days.

I honestly think she didn't get the concept of 'You can still have a feed but not so often'.This is rather a difficult concept for a 1 year old! It was easier to stop and I was getting fed up. (Teeth growing and I felt as if she was just checking to see if she could feed, rather than having the longer feeds that she had before she had graduated to solids. The equivalent of snacks if you see what I mean.?

Barleysugar86 · 09/10/2022 15:49

Have you tried offering a shot glass with some water/ formula milk in? I found my daughter loved this little cup before she could get on with the bigger ones. It's easiest straight after a meal when shes thirsty.

TooMinty · 09/10/2022 15:52

I weaned off bf a bit later on at 13 months but my DS1 initially refused to drink any other form of milk. HV wasn't concerned, she just said to get dairy/calcium into him via food (porridge or cereal with milk, cheese, yogurt etc.). So not so daunting if they are a good eater and will drink water x

RidingMyBike · 09/10/2022 16:58

You can just stop or reduce them. By this stage milk takes absolutely forever to dry up - it's about a week for each month of BFing. So easy enough to get back if you need to. I stopped BFs that I wasn't happy about doing (hated BFing) and left the ones that worked for me eg first thing when she woke up and we were in bed.

RidingMyBike · 09/10/2022 17:49

You can also boost the amount of dairy in diet - milky cereal, porridge, yogurt, cheese, cheesy sauces, rice pudding, custard all help.

Hadalifeonce · 09/10/2022 17:54

My DD never drank milk after I stopped feeding her, I just made sure she had extra dairy in her meals. She is now 19, and still doesn't drink milk.

Sunshinegirl82 · 09/10/2022 18:01

To be honest formula doesn't taste the best, she probably just doesn't like it. I could never get either of my bf babies to touch it.

Have you tried a bit of cow's milk? See if it's the taste of the formula she doesn't like or if she just isn't interested in anything other than water from a cup?

Maybe see if you can drop down to two feeds (morning and evening) and work towards moving to one (bedtime)? If you do that slowly over the next 6 weeks or so she'll be nearly 12 months and then you can try swapping in cow's milk.

They don't desperately need loads of milk if they are getting calcium in other ways. Will she eat yogurt, cheese etc?

Sunshinegirl82 · 09/10/2022 18:04

Just seen you've tried cow's milk! Have you tried oat milk? It's sweeter and what they recommend for babies who can't have cow's milk. Oatly Barista is the best one.

Original poster

soggycheerios · 09/10/2022 19:23

Thanks everyone for the advice. She eats plenty dairy, breakfast is either porridge or Weetabix and she has a good portion of yoghurt with her lunch everyday too. Will try and speak to the hv tomorrow and get their opinion before changing anything but I feel cold turkey is going to be the way to go. I get so irritated at every feed, I’m all red where her top teeth were rubbing tonight, she spent the whole time moving her head, kicking, fiddling with my hair etc!
I wonder if she still won’t drink milk after a week or 2, could I give her a small amount of yogurt or milky weetabix at bedtime? Anyone done similar?

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