Stopping BF'ing at 18 mths - how???

[chocbutton]

Don't want to stop but may need to in order to be able to take certain prescription drugs as am suffering greatly with back pain
How do i do this? Currently feed DS in the morning (unless he is still asleep when i go to work) and then at night. Maybe wakes once in the night and I'll BF, and occasionally more at weekends.
any advice? and what will he have instead, just cows milk?

thanks for this, the link is excellent. Tried heat packs etc and am trying acupuncture today as I'd rather not have drugs, and feel very sad that my BF may be coming to an end through neither mine or my DS's choice
Doctor didn't help by just saying "oh, surely he'll take a cup of warm milk now" as if it was as easy as going home from the surgery and stopping there and then. I'd planned to BF for a while longer, in fact no plans to stop so this has come as a bit of a shock to the system!

Am bumping this am thinking about weaning DD2 (27 months) but have no idea how I'm going to do it - she is booby mad!!!

Chocbutton - did you find out on that link whether you can actually bfeed on your drugs?
And yes, if you do have to stop then cow's milk will be fine.

got a prescription now that should be fine - checked on tiktok's link, with my own GP and my BIL who works at another GP's checked with their GP so feel ok that these drugs are fine!
Just feel a bit surprised that the GP was so matter of fact about stopping, as if it was incredibly unnecessary to 'still be BF at 18 mths'

my GP was also very matter of fact about stopping when dd was about 18 months and he prescribed some asthma steroids. I phoned the Breast Feeding Network drugline and they said they were fine to take so i'm glad i didn't stop. Few GPs seem to know anything about breastfeeding
Am wondering if dd will ever stop we're still going at 25 months.

Very few drugs are really not compatible with BFing, but doctors don't have the education on it to be able to give you information or they just use the pregnancy information. I think that mostly they are scared of come back on them.

The drugs that are a problem with BFing are going to be the sort that you would need a consultant to prescribe, not a GP. They will be serious life or death medication.

Just looked up the painkiller I was given for my back and it is apparantly given following C-Sections. My GP said she would only give it me if I promised to take it after morning feed and not to feed her in between!

seems like this is an issue for lots of us. I am so fed up with my surgery (not just because of the comment) but they are so unorganised and just don't seem to care. They have given me a prescription before with someone elses details on and this week they have been a nightmare. getting my dob wrong three times, asking me how many months pg I am (no i didn't even mention being pregnant!) spelling my name wrong ALL the time, and then asking me if I was sure I was spelling it right . i think I may write to the practice manager and comment (constructively) on all these issues but perhaps just mention the BF issue as well. Right, moaning over.........

choc, someone on my peer supporter course was devastated to learn when her daughter was six months that actually the drugs she was on for her thyroid weren't contraindicated. Her daughter had been premature because of her thyroid problems (which was how it was found) and same problems had meant she couldn't breastfeed. She retried at six months, but it was a lot of effort and she eventually decided it wasn't worth it at that stage.

It's not unheard of for a mother to give up so she can go on medication.

I just seen that Ibuprofen is safe I was told very strongly not to take it! Next time I shall be checking on there before asking a pharmacist!

This is so common. With DD1 I didn't take ADs as was told I'd have to stop bfing. I take them now with DD2 as know they are fine.

Couldn't survive without Ibruprofen, never heard that one before, can cure mastitis so is a must!

idon'tbelieveit - our DDs are the same age and we are in the same situation...sometimes I still reallly like bfing but others I get cross when she asks for booby in the day(always after nursery). I don't know what to do really. Am worried that my boobs will be even more droopy when I stop! They are already loooow but at least they aren't spaniel's ears yet due to having a bit of milk in them.

Droopiness is more about genetics, age and having been pregnant than breastfeeding.

Mum didn't feed me for long because I was sick and they didn't have the support in those days (plus I was kept in a separate room with a window for Mum to gaze at me) with my brother she lasted about 6 weeks but no one told her constant nursing is not abnormal and doesn't mean she was doing it wrong (she had an abundance of milk so she couldn't have been doing that bad) and with my sister she nursed her for most of her first year (roll on another oldie, stop when baby bites). She wears a G cup and she looks like she is wearing a bra when she isn't

I've been told lots not to take Ibuprofen when nursing. I can't remember why I wanted it, I remember something was causing me a lot of pain and pharmacist said no because babies can't have it and most definitely not as she was only 38 weeks (gest).