How do I help her kick her boob habit?

[cornflakes5]

My 11-month old loves breastfeeding. She's quite fussy about food and would probably rather just breastfeed all day. She's a poor sleeper so we co-sleep, so of course she breastfeeds all night too.

I'm going back to work next month, and have started cutting down on her daytime feeds to help us both transition. She's down to two between 7am and 7pm, but the problem is she seems to be drinking more at night now to make up for it. This reverse cycling is killing me. I'm not sleeping at night, and she's hard work during the day because she wants milk but can't have it. I offer her food and water regularly.

What can I do? Go cold turkey with her? Try formula?? Anyone been through similar? Thank you in advance.

Anyone please?

I went through similar, although my boob monster was 9 months when I went back to work. When he's not with me he really doesn't miss it so much, although I did send him to nursery with a bottle (had to express at work anyway otherwise I'd explode). He was kept so busy that he barely has time to think about boobs.

My days off are a different story.

Oh I'm happy to hear this! Did your little one up his night-time feeds to make up for it?

I'm fully prepared to be boob servant on my days off. Did the inconsistency in feeding mess with your supply at all?

Hi cornflakes, I had one of those! I fed pretty much as normal until i went to work and she was fine durring the day, and just had a feed in the morning, after nursery and then at bedtime. I had to pump a bit at work at first as my body needed to adjust. Then when we stopped i hid my boobs with high tops etc., distracted her when she went for it, and dh took her first thing when she'd usually have a big feed. She didn't even complain it was so easy and I'd been so anxious about it unnecessarily. Then she started cuddling me properly as breastfeeding had been her way of cuddling prior to that - was lovely.

Good luck!

He did reverse cycle for a couple of weeks but then he tapered off a bit. He's 1 now and still feeds probably once a night, maybe twice if he's not feeling well. I feed him before we get out of bed in the mornings/wake up to find he's helping himself, then again at bedtime. On nursery days that's it. Doesn't even take a bottle anymore .
It didn't mess with my supply, and I had supply problems throughout breastfeeding (ended up in hospital in the early days, had to spend weeks "power pumping" and supplementing). I think once he went to nursery he started eating a lot more (they seem to offer food every 2 hours), so that's when he started weaning himself off the boob to an extent.

Thank you everyone, I feel more reassured now!