Fed up with bfing bottle-refuser 8 mth old, feel trapped - help!

[Umlellala]

Hope you can give me some common sense, both my kids have just had chicken pox and I can't think straight.

Intended to feed ds til at least a year, found it easy and convenient (and he has no teeth yet!) BUT lately, am getting fed up with it. He seems to still want nursing every couple of hours, if not doing something else, should I be offering a cup? He eats well but sometimes just wants nursing. If I hold him, it's the first thing he wants (obv cos it's the best comforter he knows )

At the moment, he usually feeds to sleep (or rocks, or sometimes I can calm him back to sleep with a hand) but he won't take a bottle (though he is learning to drink from a cup) so it's only me who can do it. Doesn't have a dummy.

Feel trapped and fed up and don't like him wriggling and squirming and grabbing to get to my boob (not sure why), but don't (and can't) stop bf as he won't take a bottle - and I wouldn't be so harsh to go cold turkey. Plus I like the convenience of milk on tap

Mumsnet mums, please give me some common sense and wisdom. Thanks

Hi Umlellala,
I'm probably not the best to dole out advice as a have a 12 month old who feeds quite a bit at night... however...
I bet the total fed-upness (new word) has a lot to do with the chickenpox. That may also have a lot to do with the constant requests for nursing. Because of that, I'd try hard to just go with the flow for a couple of weeks to try and see how things settle down.
In the meanwhile, when he next sits on your knee you could try a bit of distraction - the old 'round and around the garden like a teddy bear' and a few tickles works well for us.
FWIW it was around 9 months that my (totally BF dd2 (no dummy and BF to sleep), started to reduce her feeds in the day. Now she only has about 3. I persist with the tommy tippee free flow cup at meal times. She seems to be spitting most of it out, but obviously some must go in.
Sorry ot to be more help. But you have my sympathy. Sometimes it can seem like they're permently attached, but as you say it's more than the milk for him (and for my dd).

HELLO MY LITTLE GIRL ALSO ADDICTED MY BOOBS AT NIGHT,WANTS TO FEED EVERY TWO HOURS. I DID GET HER TO TAKE A BOTTLE IN THE DAY ,IT TOOK AGES AND LOADS OF DIFFERNT TYPES .BUT FOR SOME REASON ONE DAY I PUT INFACOL ALL OVER THE TEAT AND SHE LATCHED ON .I FOUND SHE LIKED TOMME TIPPE CLOSER TO NATURE BOTTLES BEST .STILL WONT GO NEAR A BOTTLE AT NIGHT ,JUST WANTS TO USE MY BOOBS AS HER DUMMY WHICH IS EASIER THAN WARMING BOTTLES IN THE NIGHT-I NOW JUST GIVE HER BOTTLES DURING THE DAY SHE IS 7 MONTHS OLD.MY PROBLEM IS SHE WONT GO NEAR A COT SLEEPS IN OUR BED, HUBBY NOW IN SPARE BED!I HAVE TRIED THE CONTROLLED CRYING NO JOY THERE.AND SHE WANTS TO FEED EVERY FEW HOURS IN THE NIGHT EVEN THOUGH SHE EATS LOADS .

Thank you, that is exactly what I needed to hear (I ff dd and she still doesn't usually sleep through - so not blaming the bf for lack of sleep )

You are prob right it's the chicken pox. Ds had a chest infection, then antibiotics, which caused HIDEOUS thrush and got chicken pox. Then 10 days later, dd has got it. Agh.

Will try the distraction, I do mainly just give in for an easy life...

Oh Dingledell, ds sleeps in our bed too. With dd I worried about it, but I love having them with me. We bought a huge bed from Ikea and we can all sleep happily .

YEAH I DID SUGGEST WE GET A HUGE BED FOR US ALL .WILL LOOK INTO IT.