Cutting back feeds at 16mo - advice please

[fadingfast]

I am still Bfing my 16mo DD twice per day - once first thing and once last. I am planning to stop completely in the next couple of months or so, and would like to do it as gradually and as painlessly (for DD) as possible.

I want to cut out the morning feed first, but I'm not sure whether to just cut it out completely one day, or whether to start only feeding perhaps every other day, or two out of three?

Yesterday I didn't feed her in the morning and DH took her straight down for breakfast. She was initially a bit upset but very soon distracted by a cup of milk. Today I got cold feet and fed her. DH thinks it will confuse her if I don't feed one day but feed her the next, and thinks it would be better just to cut it out.

Any views on how to go about doing this?

I agree with your DH. You should just cut it out and not reintroduce it. She may have been a little upset the first time, but within 2 or 3 days she will no longer expect to BF, but will be happy with a cup of milk. The evening feed is a little harder to stop because of the link with the sleep routine, but you shouldn't have such problems with the morning one. Good luck!

when I cut it I cut it completely and, like you, took her straight downstairs for breakfast

after a couple of days she would leap out of my arms to rattle the stairgate and shout 'cereal! cereal!'

same deal with the evening feed when we dropped that - dh did milk in a cup after the bath for a week and after that she just didn;t expect it any more.

Thank you. I think part of me knew that DH was right, but I keep having wobbles about giving up and she always wakes up desperate for milk. I do feel ready to give up now but it still feels very hard!

Don't worry. It sounds like you feel ready and want to do it. I'm sure it will be far easier than you think. Good luck.