How to wean off my 20 month old

[User1437957]

Hi I want advice please. I want to stop breastfeeding. I have been trying for 2 weeks but my baby is so obsessed. He cries and cries until I feed him. He refuses to eat proper food. It is such a battle. I am so frustrated and need help!

Sorry that you haven't had any replies @User1437957.

Is LO currently having feeds at night as well as in the day?

Are you weaning to a deadline like a Wedding or a trip away?

Just commenting as I'm in a similar position with my 17 month old. He loves my milk so much and as a result he really doesn't eat much. I'm sure it must be because he isn't hungry enough as he's always asking for milk. I haven't tried weaning him off yet so will be interested in any advice you get x

Have you tried some gentle Night Weaning @PurplePetalPip?

Once they're one it's fine to offer good before a BF too

Sorry @PritiPatelsMaker I should have said that he doesn't feed at night, finally got him sleeping through a couple of months ago. It's just during the day when he's a milk monster! Sometimes I can distract him with food but it doesn't always work. Also if we are out then he's fine and doesn't ask for it at all, it's only at home!

Ok DS was really easy, I could say "not now, I'll feed you at nap time" and offer him something else and he'd accept it. DD however was a different story. In the end we went out, a lot and when I was at home I only ever fed in one chair and tried to never sit it it.

Thank you. It's probably the fear that's stopping me more than anything, guess I need to just do it and go cold turkey!

Oh god no! Don't go cold turkey! You'll give yourself mastitis.

If you really do want to give up quickly, give one of the BFing Helplines a call and a BFC will be able to help you to come up with a plan to help you avoid mastitis

No advice but here for the comments! I’m in the same boat with my nearly 2 year old.

Have you read this from LLL @drmartinee?

Sorry, don't think they worked. Try here

This is what I did: choose a feed to drop - let's say afternoon. At this point, leave the house. Keep child strapped in buggy far away from the boobies, or running around engaged at the park or similar. Do not sit down anywhere! When you get home go straight to meal time/offering food. If they asks for milk, say 'in a minute' or similar and carry on distracting. Do not cave until you reach the point you were aiming for!!!

Do this for all day feeds - gradually, over time. Just keep first thing in the morning, last thing at night. Hopefully food intake will then improve. Then you can think about how to drop bedtime (get partner to do it) or morning (more distraction, tell him it's all gone!!!).

Have read of people putting horrible tasting stuff on their nipples 😂

@PritiPatelsMaker thank you! I'll give that a read. I’m not as affected by the feeds during the day, even though it is full on especially if we're at home! It's the night time that is getting to me. Night weaning before daytime weaning feels like the wrong way to do it, but I’m not sure how much longer I can last.

www.laleche.org.uk/thinking-of-weaning/

www.nct.org.uk/baby-toddler/feeding/practical-tips/how-do-i-stop-breastfeeding

I think I had to night wean for my sanity @drmartinee. DD was really good in that she only ever fed for 5 minutes each time but I was exhausted.

Have you read Dr Jay Gordon's gentle night weaning method?

I weaned my 26 month old boob monster recently. I started to limit the length of feeds by saying it was hurting and to swap. Then I introduced the idea that the boobies had got old and tired from all the milk when DD was a baby. Then I rubbed some fresh ginger on them and DD said they were yucky… It’s gone real well. We had tried all the other weaning techniques and I was so worried she would kick off but she totally seems to understand. I’ve given her continued free access so far so she sometimes gives them a kiss and says they are going to the doctor, or holds them when she’s going to sleep. I introduced special tummy (skin-skin) cuddles so she still gets to feel close to me.

12 alternatives for the all night nurser might help as well

Hi thanks for the replies. I didn’t check back after I didn’t get replies for a few days.

So in the night I have stopped feeding him as I was getting no sleep and couldn’t function. it was horrendous and he cried for days but has thankfully now stopped getting up in the night. He still feeds to sleep and on waking up comes straight for a feed.

in the day time there is no set pattern if he sees me he is asking for it constantly but if I am at work he goes the whole day without it. I did try cold turkey but he was having none of it and was beating me scratching and crying so I lasted 1 day.
i don’t have a deadline as such but I am really hating the sensation of him feeding now and the nursing aversion is getting worse with time.

If he's coming straight for a feed in the morning, have you hit a DP/DH who could take him straight downstairs for breakfast instead?

unfortunately my partner leaves very early in the morning for work . I am going away for two days from the baby so I am going to use this as an opportunity to just stop cold turkey now . He is just so persistent .