I am so low

[Luci667]

Hello guys , first time poster here.

I am so low at the moment it really hurts. Im currently breastfeeding my 17 month old and desperate to stop as it is making me physically ill and in experiencing hairloss ( had bloods done im not low in iron ) and i just feel like a bloody dairy cow now.

The average day goes like this wake up at 5 work st 9.10 finish at 4 and then home with the kids, baby attacks me for boobs, pulls my hair pulls my top cries hysterically etc it literally drains the life out of me, so i usually give in. If i dont give in she just continues the facade until i do. Im a single parent with a 4 year old too so im trying to do a million things at once while having a screaming boob monster swing off me like an actual chimp. Tea time and bedtime routine are horrific times.
Bedtime itself is even worse. Baby will sleep from 8pm until 10pm and after that up hourly if not more all night.. yes ALL night. Every single hour.. until i get up again the next day.

I have tried cold Turkey as advised by health visitors. That was just awful baby pulled own hair and became extremely distressed. Tried distraction that doesnt work. Tried staying up all night rocking baby to sleep that doesnt work.

She just will not stop, im so ill my face has a huge rash and liaisons and so does half of my body, i suffer with migraines foggy brain and hair loss. My teeth are brittle. My mood is low and i have just had enough guys it might seem pathetic but i just cant go on like this its horrific im literally just trying to get through each day at this moment and that isnt what i want from life. I want to be happy and i cant be right now

It's not pathetic at all! You must be exhausted. Do you have any family support? I'm wondering if a day or two apart from your daughter might help stop her reliance on breastfeeding, but I understand as a single parent that's probably not possible.

Can you take any holiday and use that to go cold turkey and persevere through the tantrums, then at least you don't have to go to work while trying to wean her off? She'll be furious I'm sure but it seems imperative for your own physical and mental health.

Google the Jay Gordon method. I did it with both my DD's at around 22 months. It's a slow gentle method. Your dd might handle this better than cold turkey.

She copes during the day while you are at work so it's just a matter of teaching her a new routine of not feeding.

I won't lie, she'll not be happy, she'll cry and get angry but if you stick to it, it will work.

You've fed for a long time and congratulations for going so long. But it's ok to look after your own health now.

Both my DD's were sleeping through the night within a couple of weeks of night weaning.

I stopped nights first. Then moved to days after a couple of weeks.

Oh poor you. Sounds really tough. I got to a point with both my DDs where I just hating breastfeeding them and tried weaning. Problem is that it is hard to muster the energy to make changes when you are so bloody tired! I would recommend trying to get a few nights of as good a sleep as you can. Go to bed with the kids. Have your main meal at work and porridge for dinner so dinner and bedtime is as easier as possible. Take magnesium (great for nursing aversion) and a good multivitamin. Give in to feeding during the night while you catch up on sleep but try to sleep through as much of it as you can. Maybe let her sleep in your bed. Then after 4 nights or so when you have a bit if energy back, attempt the Jay Gordon method. It worked for me but obviously lots of tears.
With regards to when you get home, can you distract her with some food, anything she likes, let her have some crap food for a bit.