I want to stop feeding my 20 month old - help!

[tummytickler]

Hi all.
My ds is 20 months old and i think i have reached the point now where i really would like to give up. HOWEVER, he really enjoys it, and feeds at least 12 times a day (including through the night), even if it is just a 'snack'! He eats quite a bit, and i offer him a beaker constantly, but he just enjoys watching it pour onto the floor - he wont drink it!
The nights are wearing me down as dh and i sleep in the loft conversion which means i have to go up and down the stairs all night and i have 3 other children to look after too, so pretty shattered.
Should i just stop, or do it gradually? I had hoped to be feedinf just morning and bedtime by now, in which case i would have carried on until he was 2 1/2 years, but he is not having any of it!
Any advice would be much appreciated

I would do it gradually.
have you tried distracting him? if he asks just say "oh, let's just read this book first" or whatever you think might work and then hope he forgets about it.

I try to distract him as much as possible but he is a determined young fellow! I have even started wearing clothes that are more difficult for him to get into.
He goes to nursery for 6 hours on a Thursday and is fine there though, so he does not need it when i am not around, In fact he stayed with my arents for two days when we moved house and was fine!
The trouble with doung it gradually is that we have never really had a schedule, so it is hard to drop the 7am feed or whatever, because there sometimes is one and sometimes not!
It seems to be the minute i sit down he is on me trying to get my boobs out!

oh god. i am having this too. I thought he would self wean. At 14m it is about 20 times a day/night.

watching with interest. i'm debating going back to work full time to break this but worried he will bf all night, which he does pretty much any way.

have you tried Dr Jay's Night weaning?

my dd is 21 months old and is exactly the same .. i feel for you. we don't have a schedule either and she also feeds many times during the night. i'm also trying to distract her .. i've had enought of bf .. its also wearing me down. let me know how you go