Stopping breastfeeding at 12 months - Please help

[MummytoMatildaX]

Hi,

I am looking for any help/advice anyone can offer on stopping breastfeeding. My daughter just had her first birthday, and although drinks water during the day (with an occasional bf before naps), I still bf before bedtime, and if she wakes during the night. I am really struggling now as she is biting due to teething, it is causing me so much pain that I have been in tears. I would really appreciate any help or tips at all. Thank you

Ouch! If she's biting she's not latched on. Would you want to continue if you could stop the biting, or has it come to an end for you either way?
My DD went through a slightly bitey phase when she was teething but did stop - I had to be super alert for the signs and if she hurt me at all, the feed stopped immediately and with a firm 'no'!

Hi op, when she bites you,you take her off straight away, she'll soon learn not to bite. Also bongella or teething powders can help, rub on her gums. I fed mine until 23 and 26 months. You will get through it, be firm though, they bite no booby.

I had this with DS. I went through two phases where he was feeding them would bite lasting for a couple of days each, by the third I'd had enough. It brought me to tears!
To be honest the last time was when he was about 13 months and he pretty much just weaned himself. Weaned down to pre bed feed only, then my DH started sitting with him and he had some cow's milk before bed. DH would put him to bed so he didn't see me at all. Really didn't take long to wean him off, he was ready for it.

Thanks @Beamur, she is feeding a lot less, and when she bites, it hurts so much that I’m then scared to put her back on. I am trying to wind down on feeding now, as we are expecting our second baby in November (16 month age gap). She is happy to drink water during the day, it’s just night time that we are struggling with.

Thanks for your comment @Dawninglory, I do take her off and apply anbesol, or sometimes I take her off and give her a teething toy instead. That’s excellent that you managed to feed for so long. I think that’s what is also upsetting me, that I know she’s looking for a feed for comfort and I’m really struggling to as it can be so painful, I’m almost scared to feed her as I know I could be bitten.

Thanks @Elmo230885, it’s really difficult isn’t it. Can I ask what you did during the night if DS woke up? I’ve always fed her during the night if she wakes, now I’m unsure whether to replace it with milk/water or try and just cuddle her/settle her back to sleep. Thanks all

I'd suggest that your DP/DH settles her at bedtime for a little while if you want to stop. High neck tops too. Gently break the association.
If you've another baby due I can sympathise with wanting a break before you do it again.
Feeding for a year has given her a great start. I never had a 'last feed' but just said 'not now, later' but my DD was a little older. So it didn't feel so final for either of us. It can be quite emotional when you stop.

I've got a 13 month old and am trying to phase out his breastfeeds. He only has between 1 and 3 feeds in the middle of the night now. My current plan is to try to make sure he is well fed before he goes to bed. I recently had the idea of putting a cup of milk with a teat in a cool bag with ice-blocks in my bedroom. When he stirs for a feed I give him a bit from the cup before settling him off. Only done one night of that but I hope in time he will either sleep through or will be happy with the cup and not need a breast feed.

Hi
I’ve recently (like 2 weeks) stopped feeding my 15 month old..
Re night feeds I these stopped when he was aged about 13 months. My partner settled him at the 10/11pm wake up and then he didn’t wake for another feed for 2 nights...so I knew he didn’t need the feed so then I had 3/4 nights of him waking and I settled him by cuddling /shushing...then he slept through the night. I continued with the feed before bed but introduced books after and he started to seem more keen on the books-so planned to stop one night and tbh I didn’t offer it and he didn’t seek it! It’s been 2/3 weeks and like I never did it!! 😭 but I really think he was ready. He does sometimes take longer to settle to bed but sleeps roughly 11/12 hours and I never thought I’d get to that point!!

Btw I found it very emotional and was so tearful for about a week which I was not expecting xx

I had have an operation when my DC was 14months. He was feeding to sleep and waking up multiple times at night. I hadn't planned on stopping feeding but ended up away from him for 3nights and when I came back he was sleeping through the night and never asked for boob again
My partner says the first night was pretty bad but after that he was fine.

I don't think I would have been able to stop any other way at that age as he never took a bottle of any kind and refused all milk apart from boob.

I was engorged for a week but then settled down. I did miss feeding and felt sad but was so glad for the extra sleep and he started eating properly too. Good luck on what you decide to do.

@MummytoMatildaX I continued feeding him if he woke in the night, think it was mostly for comfort by this point, he was always too sleepy to bite in the night. I was lucky though as by one he rarely woke up in the night. After a few weeks I was able to just sit and cuddle him for a few minutes and put him back down.

Thanks @Elmo230885, I do find this, she is too sleepy to bite during the night, sometimes she sleeps through and then other nights she can be up maybe twice, and I will feed her to settle her. It’s just really before bedtime that we have problems with biting. My husband put her to bed last night, she was a bit later going down but did eventually settle. Fingers crossed. Thanks so much everyone for your help

Fingers crossed for you