Weaning a toddler off the boob

[Gingerninja01]

DD is 2.5yrs, am expecting baby 2. DD is still breastfed - I’m fully aware this is a comfort thing only (I don’t even think I have any milk left!) but she is very, very attached to “booby” and asks for it several times a day plus uses it to settle to sleep at night. I had always loved feeding her and was always pretty relaxed about letting her self wean when she was ready, but since expecting I have really grown to dislike breastfeeding to the point where I actually feel a bit of rage as she suckles. I am desperate to fully wean her but she is so insistent on having a boob and I’m so knackered I end up giving in.
Has anyone been in a similar situation and is able to offer advice on how to stop this constant feeding?! Although I’m aware feeding a newborn and a toddler are very different, I’m also worried that I will struggle to feed the new baby as I am feeling so anti breastfeeding at the moment. Any advice would be appreciated!

She is at an age where you could just stop and make your boobs unavailable. Make it part of her transition to being a big girl and you could buy her something instead. If bf is part of a night time routine then get your DP to do it for a bit instead . Eventually (and probably really quickly) she will stop asking.

Have you had a look at Lucy Ruddle on Facebook? She has a few gentle suggestions.

I’m sure you’ve tried the don’t offer, don’t refuse route, but if not it’s worth a go. Another idea is to put a time limit on each feed and do a countdown, gradually reducing the time allowed for each feed.

Best of luck!

My friend told her lad her boobs were broken. Worked for them!

I have same issues that I want to stop with my 20 month as it's keeping us both up at night as he can't resettle without me. It's harder when they are older.

With my 1 year old I have to stop as I was pregnant and the sensation became unbearable, one night I just couldn't take it any more and my husband took over bed time. A lot of rocking for first few nights, thrn gradually he went to sleep in his cot himself with dh sat there, then he did gradual retreat. Was a hard first week but worked well. I shoukd say I only fed at nap time and bed time before that. I'd remove one sucking session at a time and explain what's going to happen...e.g. this is your last time after lunch , 2 weeks later this is your last time at night.

Thanks for your suggestions. No I don’t offer, and I try to distract her when she asks for boob/tell her she’s a big girl etc but not always successfully! I’ll give the “boobys are broken!” idea a go! Thanks!

I went away for two nights on my own to wean DD when she was 2yo and her dad took over bedtimes for a week or so. I took sudafed to dry my milk up as I still had loads, I explained before I went away that she was having her last bf and she took it well having been a very enthusiastic feeder. However a year later she still sometimes tries to stick her hand down my top for comfort!

Omg i remember this well. My dc1 stopped bfing the day my dc2 was born. She said it was disgusting. She was 22 months. With dc2 at over two years old i was so desperate to get him to stop i considered having another baby since that worked witb the first