Weaning creams?!

Kayla84 · 2024-10-05T08:03:46+00:00

Can anyone recommend a cream / balm that I can apply to my nipples to get my boob monster off the breast? Tried all the usual strategies like distraction, "don't offer don't refuse" etc, and they don't work. I've seen Suckerbuster on Amazon but it's £50 for a small tube. Any other ideas or home remedies?!

Garman · 05/10/2024 09:07

How old is your child?

TeddyBeans · 05/10/2024 09:08

I've seen videos of apple cider vinegar work on dummies? Maybe you can put some on your nipples before a feed and see if it puts them off?

Singleandproud · 05/10/2024 09:09

Well anything that you can buy will be non-toxic and probably bitter or at least unpleasantly flavoured. If you really want to go down this route then a mild soap/small amount of a baby shampoo or similar/pepper would likely do the same thing without doing harm but it's not a great approach. But it would be much better just to refuse to feed baby and give a bottle instead you just have to be firm and perhaps wear inconvenient clothes so it's not an option, eventually they'll get the point.

rubyslippers · 05/10/2024 09:11

How old is your child?

PollyDactyl · 05/10/2024 09:14

You'll need to taper down feeds to avoid mastitis.

Original poster

Kayla84 · 05/10/2024 09:35

Garman · 05/10/2024 09:07

How old is your child?

She's 17 months

OP posts:

Original poster

Kayla84 · 05/10/2024 09:37

Singleandproud · 05/10/2024 09:09

Well anything that you can buy will be non-toxic and probably bitter or at least unpleasantly flavoured. If you really want to go down this route then a mild soap/small amount of a baby shampoo or similar/pepper would likely do the same thing without doing harm but it's not a great approach. But it would be much better just to refuse to feed baby and give a bottle instead you just have to be firm and perhaps wear inconvenient clothes so it's not an option, eventually they'll get the point.

Edited

I've tried tapering, she just screams blue murder all night asking for it, waking the rest of the household. She won't take a bottle.

OP posts:

LittleBearPad · 05/10/2024 09:47

At 17 months give her a cup. There’s no point introducing bottles now.

Singleandproud · 05/10/2024 09:48

Why do you want to stop?
Because you've had enough? Perfectly valid reason
Because you think she's too old? Nor true at all many toddlers feed until 3 and beyond. So if you are feeling pressure from others ignore it.
Because she's starting childcare? Many toddlers will happily go all day without but makeup for it in the evening.

I breastfed till DD was 3. What I found out was between about 16 months - 2.5 years there were times when feeding almost went back to being a newborn. Not all the time but roughly weekly episodes this would coincide with new teeth coming through - or the worse ones when her molars were popping up and down for months before emerging properly so it was almost definitely comfort based rather than a nutritional need. Outside of these weekly episodes she would barely feed at all, perhaps a couple of times a day at the younger end then once at bedtime and that tapered down as she got older. The last 6 months she 'fed' for about 30 seconds once a week, before declaring the night before her third birthday "I'm a big girl now, bye-bye booby!" And gave it a little pat 😆

So from my experience it might actually be worth checking for teeth first before you stop and then either offering pain relief and a bottle / sippy cup or feed her through this teething episode and try again when she isn't in pain. It's also worth seeing if someone else can give her the bottle / you wear someone else's top that smells like them rather than you giving the bottle as you smell of milk and why would she have formula when she could have her favourite drink?

Original poster

Kayla84 · 05/10/2024 09:50

Singleandproud · 05/10/2024 09:48

Why do you want to stop?
Because you've had enough? Perfectly valid reason
Because you think she's too old? Nor true at all many toddlers feed until 3 and beyond. So if you are feeling pressure from others ignore it.
Because she's starting childcare? Many toddlers will happily go all day without but makeup for it in the evening.

I breastfed till DD was 3. What I found out was between about 16 months - 2.5 years there were times when feeding almost went back to being a newborn. Not all the time but roughly weekly episodes this would coincide with new teeth coming through - or the worse ones when her molars were popping up and down for months before emerging properly so it was almost definitely comfort based rather than a nutritional need. Outside of these weekly episodes she would barely feed at all, perhaps a couple of times a day at the younger end then once at bedtime and that tapered down as she got older. The last 6 months she 'fed' for about 30 seconds once a week, before declaring the night before her third birthday "I'm a big girl now, bye-bye booby!" And gave it a little pat 😆

So from my experience it might actually be worth checking for teeth first before you stop and then either offering pain relief and a bottle / sippy cup or feed her through this teething episode and try again when she isn't in pain. It's also worth seeing if someone else can give her the bottle / you wear someone else's top that smells like them rather than you giving the bottle as you smell of milk and why would she have formula when she could have her favourite drink?

I'd absolutely love to continue and would love to self wean, but I'm back at work full time with long hours and I can't take the 6 times a night wake ups and then the screaming the house down when I refuse. I'd happily still feed once or twice a night and on weekends during the day, but I can't take the screaming when I refuse at night. Husband does try to help soothe her in another room but she just screams all the more. Any tips welcome we would love to continue breastfeeding really

OP posts:

PolaroidPrincess · 05/10/2024 10:05

Have you tried Dr Jay Gordon's Gentle Night Weaning Method?

How many times are you BFing in the day too? Are you feeding in the morning, when you see her after work and before bed?

Agree with going to a cup too rather than a bottle.

Neither of mine would really accept cows milk until after BFing had stopped completely but if you want to try replacing a daytime feed you could offer her a smoothie made with whole milk, banana and berries or a hot chocolate?

Singleandproud · 05/10/2024 10:18

This isn't intended to guilt trip you or anything so please don't take it that way. But I suspect the night feeds are less about the feeds and more about the time with you. You have to go to work to put food on the table but could you reduce hours so you have more time to rest and be with her? Maybe stagger your return a bit more? So earning something but not the maximum? She won't be like this forever, it is just a phase and in 6 months you'll have an entirely different baby.

If you can't flex your hours but still want to feed feeding morning and as soon as you get in for what will likely be mammoth feeds so settled down with a drink and a book. Putting her in a sling for some skin to skin type time when you get home but at 16 months that could be an issue as she's heavier.
Co sleeping - I co-slept this wasn't an issue as I was a single parent but it isn't for everyone and I think it's the only way I made it through the early years or I would never have slept. But having you in touching distance maybe enough to get her back to sleep without a feed or she can help herself without you even knowing.

Remember though change takes time. Its going to take a while for new habits to form you need to be consistent for at least a month so if she is screaming the household needs ear plugs.

Just remember that this is a phase and this too shall pass!

Original poster

Kayla84 · 05/10/2024 10:48

Singleandproud · 05/10/2024 10:18

This isn't intended to guilt trip you or anything so please don't take it that way. But I suspect the night feeds are less about the feeds and more about the time with you. You have to go to work to put food on the table but could you reduce hours so you have more time to rest and be with her? Maybe stagger your return a bit more? So earning something but not the maximum? She won't be like this forever, it is just a phase and in 6 months you'll have an entirely different baby.

If you can't flex your hours but still want to feed feeding morning and as soon as you get in for what will likely be mammoth feeds so settled down with a drink and a book. Putting her in a sling for some skin to skin type time when you get home but at 16 months that could be an issue as she's heavier.
Co sleeping - I co-slept this wasn't an issue as I was a single parent but it isn't for everyone and I think it's the only way I made it through the early years or I would never have slept. But having you in touching distance maybe enough to get her back to sleep without a feed or she can help herself without you even knowing.

Remember though change takes time. Its going to take a while for new habits to form you need to be consistent for at least a month so if she is screaming the household needs ear plugs.

Just remember that this is a phase and this too shall pass!

Thank you for your advice! Definitely the feeding is for comfort, which is obviously normal and I'm happy for that. I do co-sleep and have done since day 1. I went back to work at 7 months part time but now unfortunately there's no way I can sustain that so went back full time 2 months ago. I know some people can sleep through their baby waking and latching on, and I so wish I could do that because I really don't want to stop! But equally my colleagues are noticing my constant exhaustion at work and this just isn't sustainable.

OP posts:

Singleandproud · 05/10/2024 10:52

That's really tough.

Will she take a dummy instead? It's not ideal to introduce one as teeth are coming through but it may be the best option and as long as it's just used at night won't impact speech development.

Have you tried plasters on your boobs? That can work as you can say it is ouchy and hurts and they sort of get that at that age.

Pickledprawn · 05/10/2024 12:16

Is it more of a sleep issue rather than a breastfeeding issue? Maybe you need to sleep train? Seems a shame to stop if you don't mind it (nothing wrong with stopping if you do want to of course).