Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Infant feeding

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

Flip

Original poster

Stopping bf today and going cold turkey...

24 replies

mamachat · 04/08/2008 08:03

I'm meant to be stopping bf today and going cold turkey but I have already bf dd this morning (who is one).

Dp is still at work as has done the night shift but will be here later to help with dd, I do not want to start refsing the breast untill he is here as she is very demanding...

I know its going to be a week of hell put really do have to stop completely as she demands it way too often and it is draining me.

Even tho it was my idea and I really really do want to stop I still feel a little sad. I wish I could cut down gradually or only feed at night and morning. But I know that would never work with dd...

Any advice or tips welcome (apart from saying cut down gradually as have tried to and failed)

OP posts:

littleducks · 04/08/2008 08:17

i stopped as i was pregnant and couldnt cope, dd was 15 months.

It was awful, really horrible for about three days, then she seemed to forget about it and was fine. Just keep thinking that it will be over soon when you are struggling.

And distract, distract, distract dd always used to feed far less on busy days so if this is true for you i would plan some fun things to do

turtle23 · 04/08/2008 08:25

no advice for you, just a hug of support. I am trying to do the same but am too weak-willed.

Original poster

mamachat · 04/08/2008 08:41

thanks turtle - how old is your dc? I am too weak willed to that is why i am doing it with dp here..

OP posts:

Original poster

mamachat · 04/08/2008 08:44

littleducks - i really hope it will only be a few days. did your dd bf lots during the day and night?

dd wakes every 1-2 hours at night and i am worried that i will not have any method of getting her back to sleep, but also think she may sleep better when not bf...

OP posts:

turtle23 · 04/08/2008 09:12

18 weeks. DH promised he'd help this wknd then backed out. I cant stand the crying, and think he may be teething so in too much discomfort to do bottle.

Original poster

mamachat · 04/08/2008 09:20

I hate the crying too and when they are older they pull at your top and are very demanding...

So does your dc take a bottle? DD only started taking a bottle at 10months but only water not milk, and still will not take milk from a bottle...

OP posts:

liahgen · 04/08/2008 09:21

omg, i am weak willed too.

Am feeding dd3 (15mths today) morning and night, last few nights she has woken up in night and i have fed her, she fed for ages.

we are ttc so until she is off, no chance.

turtle23 · 04/08/2008 09:23

It took 2 weeks and got him only BF in night then teeth started and he refused bottle Am back to square one

belgo · 04/08/2008 09:32

I also stopped cold turkey with dd2. I couldn't cut down gradually. Cold turkey worked fine for her, she was over it in about 2-3 days, and slept fine with dh going to her at night if she woke up.

I felt very up and down for two weeks or so, then my hair started to fall out, but eventually stopped falling out. I think that was all due to my hormones changing very suddenly.

It will get better, I promise.

Original poster

mamachat · 04/08/2008 10:55

belgo -

how old was dd at the time? was shefeeding alot day and night?

if i do not feed dd all day breeast are so painful and hard not looking forward to it. Also hope hair does not fall out...

OP posts:

belgo · 04/08/2008 11:59

she was 18 months old, and feeding loads day and night. She had been ill and needed to put weight on, so I let her feed as much as she wanted. But as soon as she got better, I wanted to cut down on how much she fed but it was hard, so I decided to stop altogether.

I used the shower to massage off excess milk, but it disappeared quite quickly.

amner · 05/08/2008 08:20

Well, how did you get on ????

randomama · 05/08/2008 13:44

how's it going? i day weaned ds (13mo) last week although I kept up morning and night feeds but then he was in casualty last night having a piece of metal taken out of his eye - v traumatic so have fed him LOTS today (although not got much milk in em anymore).

do you intend to stop completely or keep one or 2 feeds (eg morning and bedtime) or anything?

we've been trying to wean at night too. He usually wakes at least every 3 hours for a feed but we've cut this down to just one around 3am and one around 5am now. where does your dc sleep? ds sleeps on a futon mattress on the floor in his room so i just lie down next to himm and cuddle him from behind and stroke him, which seems to be doing the trick for the first few wake ups. if he faces me he pulls at my tops and asks for milk though.

good luck and let us know how you're getting on.

does anyone know of ther hair loss thing is just related to cold turkey or whether it will happen if we follow a more gradual weaning approach?

Original poster

mamachat · 06/08/2008 19:15

It was not going to work going cold turkey so I changed tactics. For the past two days I managed to keep her distracted and all day and my rules are only feed before 9am and after 7pm.

If she wakes at night I will still bf back to sleep. But I have found that when she is on the breast at night time she is having a proper drink instead of comfort sucking. Then she rools over and falls asleep .

So things were really improving. But we had a really bad night last night due to ex dp causing problems. So I got very little sleep last night and have let her bf alot today as have not got the strength. Also dd missed out on alot of sleep because of him causing problems so felt she needed the comfort.

Bt tomorrow I will go back to feeding time rules...

OP posts:

turtle23 · 06/08/2008 21:02

Mamachat...Well done you! That must be v tough. I made it through today with no feeds til bedtime. Be here for you tomorrow for support if you want it! My DS is teething v v badly and I think I will crack if I'm left alone (DH works from home but is out at meetings tomorrow!)

Original poster

mamachat · 07/08/2008 20:48

turtle - that is great, today dd had milk in the moring then at 3pm I gave her some more as she had a short nap and I wanted to get her back to sleep. Gave in because I am very stressed at the mo as having problems with ex p. She also had milk from 7pm onwards...

Not too great but could of been worse.

You are doing well tho, how many days have you managed so far?

OP posts:

turtle23 · 08/08/2008 09:18

no idea...the days blur at the moment! I think I have only really done one whole day with no breast. I did crack yesterday, he got a BF in the afternoon as he was so grizzly... Today is a new day and I will be strong...
How are you today?

Original poster

mamachat · 08/08/2008 11:57

well not going good, I think dd may be teething as is very moany and clincly. I have already bf her a few times today as I really can't handle the stress at the moment as have split up with ex p due to violence infrount of dd so she could be upset about that.

Will try my best to distract ect but will not completly refuse as maybe stressful for both of us...

I am so mad with him as we had 2 days of no bf and she was being really good in her pram for the past week.

Now she screams in the pram and wants breast all day long. I feel I have taken 10steps backwards... and i tried soo hard...

OP posts:

turtle23 · 08/08/2008 20:04

mamachat-I'm so sorry to hear that. You are doing brilliantly! I'm impressed that you are coping so well, to be honest. It isn't the end of the world if she has a bit more BF, is it? It will all come right in the end-she wont be 15 and still at it!! Chin up and start tomorrow afresh? Big hugs.
(btw...had a very good day with the bottles but then gave him a 20 min breastfeed for no reason except I just felt like it today!)

Original poster

mamachat · 08/08/2008 23:19

I know how you feel as it is not just the dc's that miss the bf...

as soon as she is better will only feed morning and night, but for now will try to feed as little as possible..

Good luck...

OP posts:

turtle23 · 09/08/2008 15:08

Hope you're having a good day. You're doing well if your biggest problem with DD is the BF given the circs. Well done!

turtle23 · 09/08/2008 21:51

Have stopped pretending that bottles are ok for me. Am going back to BF...I cant take it!!! It's such a relief. I love him so much and just want to do what's best. I feel like a twat for caving to formula. Oh well. I'm still here to listen if you like. You need a bit of support even if it's just here on MN.

Original poster

mamachat · 09/08/2008 22:11

Ah never mind turtle, if you are happy to bf go ahead, he is still young so you have got plenty of time to get him onto bottles... I'm sure you will stop bf before he is 1 like my dd... lol

Just make sure you give hima bottle of ebm or formular very couple of days so he remembers how to drink from a bottle...

DD has been feeding all day really but is def teething so will let her do what she needs to..

Thanks for the support you are very sweet...

OP posts:

turtle23 · 09/08/2008 22:15

Thanks mamachat. I will defo be keeping the bottle in, I'm not going through that learning curve again. It's silly to try and change things unless things are "normal", really, I guess.

Flip

Swipe left for the next trending thread