Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

When did you stop breastfeeding, and how?

43 replies

MintGreenLife · 05/05/2022 18:11

DS is coming up to 10 months old, and I’m starting to think about how much longer I will breastfeed for. I’m thinking I’ll continue to around 12-14 months, but I don’t really understand how you even stop? I know from 12 months he can have cows milk, but as he doesn’t take a bottle (tried, flat out refused) what do you do about any night feeds? He’s settled into a one wakeup a night pattern now, and can be rocked to sleep, but I always choose to feed to sleep, apart from on nights with multiple wakeups, then maybe I’ll rock him to sleep once or twice, but surely I can’t rock a 14+ month old to sleep, and if I gave him milk in a cup in the night, surely that’s likely to end up with milk all over him. I’m probably being silly, but would love to hear what others have done! X

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

miltonj · 05/05/2022 18:23

I haven't actually stopped Bf my 19 month old but I don't feed her at night so I can answer that!

From about 14 months ish we started putting her cup of water in bed with her (360 so doesn't spill). If she wakes she often just helps her self and goes back to sleep. It's usually empty in the morning. If water doesn't work then one of us goes in to put lullabies on and just gently talk to her until she falls back to sleep. Luckily we don't have to do that as much these days! It's hard for the first few days as they'll be pissed off you're not feeding or rocking them! If you have a partner, they need to be the one to do this for the first few weeks as they will associate you with feeding. It's worked well for us, with less wake ups as the weeks go on.

Don't ask me about the day time though

MsChatterbox · 05/05/2022 18:33

Literally just stopped on Monday! She will be 2 next month. First I got it down to 3 routine feeds in the day (she was having it on demand prior to this). Then I night weaned (started by cutting down the length of feeds, then not accepting until a certain time. Then I just told her she's drank it all and distracted with something else whenever she's asked! It's gone fairly well. Night weaning was the hardest as she was previously latched all night. But no tears this week at all!

underneathleaf · 05/05/2022 18:37

Do you mean you'll not be able to rock a 14 month old because they're too big? I can very easily rock my 16 month old and know various friends who were rocking 2 year olds. Following the bf question with interest as I don't know how I managed it with my first but want to wean my second! I do remember reading that habits are harder to break after 18m but don't know how true this is. The only people I know who truly let their babies self wean were still feeding at 2.5-3 years.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

9-12 months old Babies & sleep Families General parenting

Concestor · 05/05/2022 18:39

I stopped when my children wanted to stop. My eldest was 8 and my youngest was 6 when they self weaned.

PrincessSpanky · 05/05/2022 18:44

Mine stopped on their at 4 and 5.

weegiemum · 05/05/2022 18:47

With all 3 of mine I waited until they were going through the night, and I was lucky as they were all doing that by 1 year. Dd1 I just stopped, no idea why, just after her first birthday, she never looked for it again and we introduced a cup of cows milk early in the morning (had a leak proof toddler cup in a cool bag by the bed).

Ds was stopped by me becoming pregnant with dd2 at 15 months. We hadn't planned the pregnancy and it took me a few days to figure out why he had started head banging while suckling. Was one of the things that made me test,

Dd2 was just shy of 2. One morning she got into my bed and said "no more mummy mok" and that was it. She went on to the morning cup too and it was great, really easy. I didn't really get any engorgement with any of them as I'd cut down slowly.

Now they're 18, 20 and 22. I'm awfully glad I got to feed them for so long, it was a real help as I had bad pnd with all 3 and this was something I was sure I was doing right when I was so unsure of myself! Good luck with your weaning journey xx

jackstini · 05/05/2022 18:51

Dd was 2.5 and self weaned during my pregnancy with ds
Ds was 2.9 and I did 'don't offer, don't refuse'

After 1 yo they had so much solid food plus milk in a cup they were only feeding 2/3 times a day. After age 2 only at bedtime really. More if they were ill or had hurt themselves

Both were gradual so no issues with supply

cptartapp · 05/05/2022 18:55

I stopped at three months both times as I was going back to work and wanted more sleep. I'd got them to take breast milk from a bottle from about ten days each time though, so as not to end up with a bottle refuser. I think I just reduced the bf gradually over several days until they were on formula. No big deal IIRC. They're late teens now.
They did sleep much better. Everything seemed a great deal easier thereafter too.

PumpkinsandKittens · 05/05/2022 18:56

Mine self weaned, don’t want to say what age as received judgement on here for it

katieealexa1 · 05/05/2022 18:59

Whatever age you decide to stop, don't go cold turkey like I did. I stopped at 15 months my DD, decided to just stop and WOW it was painful

Svara · 05/05/2022 19:06

DS stopped on his own at five. I stopped offering and occasionally refused when inconvenient from about 18 months and nightweaned him at two and a half. He first started skipping days at three and he was feeding about once a week when he weaned.

MadameDragon · 05/05/2022 19:08

First self-weaned at 16 months. Second I weaned aged 3. It’s so much easier over one that it wasn’t much hardship to carry on until 3, just mornings and evenings only.

Verbena87 · 05/05/2022 19:17

Mostly self-weaned with a bit of don’t offer/don’t refuse and distraction thrown in. He was 3 and 3 months. I thought he’d never stop tbh, and then within a week it just sort of happened.

Original poster

MintGreenLife · 05/05/2022 19:32

That’s amazing so many of you have carried on for so long!

I’m in two minds about when to stop really, as I now find it very convenient and love feeding him, and I had to fight tooth and nail to make it work in the first place, but I did always intend to stop around a year.

Those of you that have just ended up feeding at set times in the day (someone mentioned morning and evening), does baby really understand that BF is only for then, and that they have to have cows milk or whatever in between? I would hate to think of him getting upset and confused if I allow it sometimes and not others x

OP posts:

AmberHeardsTurd · 05/05/2022 19:37

I breastfed both of mine for about 10 months. By then I was only feeding before bed and maybe in the morning, it felt right and they were quite happy to take a bottle instead. You'll know when it feels right for both of you.
In terms of stopping, I just used to pump out excess milk in the shower (not too much, literally just enough to ease discomfort).
I wouldn't put a time limit on it. Just stop when it feels right.

Collardgreens · 05/05/2022 19:38

I am in the same situation as you! Dd is 8 months old.

I stopped bfing ds at seven months, but I really can’t remember how!

I think the approach should be dropping one feed at a time. Get dp to do the bedtime feed with a bottle. I have managed that. And the dream feed at 11pm. I don’t feel engorged when I wake up, so that must be ok.

I will follow this thread carefully and hope that someone brings the solution!

NamechangeFML · 05/05/2022 19:40

Im still going at 13 months. Hadn't really considered stopping until last night where my DC was latched all night and today im so tired !
so i may cut down gradually as last night was a battle of wills!

livinthedream1995 · 05/05/2022 19:41

I stopped with my middle just after his 1st birthday. I started out with set feed times (morning, afternoon, before bed, sometimes 4-5am feed to get him back to sleep for an hour) and then dropped the feeds one by one. Morning feed was last to go! It helped I went back to work just before he turned 9 months so wasn’t there for chunks so he quickly got used to not having milk on tap. Good luck.

katienana · 05/05/2022 19:42

I fed till 2 and my ds used to feed to sleep at bedtime. I thought it would be really hard to stop but I just got dh to put him to bed for a few nights, then wore really inaccessible clothes when I started doing it again. It was fine.
My older boy I remember the night weaning being quite hard but I was back at work and struggling with the disturbed sleep. Again got dh to step up and settle him while I slept in another room. Best way to stop is to drop a feed at a time.

workflowers · 05/05/2022 19:45

I fed until just after two, but around 11 months I night weaned. And I think around one, we moved to just a morning and a bedtime feed (with odd exception such as if DC was sick). They quickly got used to knowing that BF was in the morning and at bedtime, I guess like they get used to meals bring three times a day. We weaned very slowly from just before two. Changed up who did bedtime etc, did don’t ask, don’t offer, used distractions etc and gradually it could go days without a feed, then a week, then 10 days and finally no more! It was very gently and worked for us

SpaceChocolatel · 05/05/2022 19:48

Mine gave up day feeds at about 8 months, but would feed frequently overnight. At 13 months he went through a stage of biting and I was done. DP had him in the spare room for a few nights and offered a bottle, which he largely refused, and then that was that. When he started sleeping in my bed again he was happy with a cuddle to settle him instead of boob.

He did refuse any milk at all for another month or so, so I focused on making sure he had yoghurt or cheese everyday, then he stated accepting milk. We always used a 360 cup or open cup for drinks. He can take or leave milk now really.

JoeGoldberg · 05/05/2022 19:58

Mine all carried on until they were over 2yo. By that time it had dropped to just night time/comfort feed and then they weaned themselves off completely by 2 1/2

ystaberia · 05/05/2022 20:03

Just before 2. Was only really feeding at bedtime by then. Went on holiday, and "unfortunately" there wasn't a suitable chair to feed in 😜 so we had to stop. Turned out to be surprisingly easy to stop.

Original poster

MintGreenLife · 05/05/2022 20:25

Thanks so much for all of your replies! There’s a lot of really helpful advice here. Also really helpful to understand what BF might look like from 1y+ as I didn’t really have a clue what this would be like in terms of how often etc.

You're all right too, I probably shouldn’t put a time limit on things. I’ll just see how we both feel ☺️

Over the last month he’s actually slept through for the first time 3-4 times, so I know he can do it, and perhaps night weaning might not be too far off anyway!

OP posts:

Thursday37 · 05/05/2022 20:30

26 months, but from 13 months on when I returned to work it was minimal, only before bed on nursery days and when ill/tired/upset on other days. We just gradually stopped when it felt right for us. DD just had water instead.
i loved the reconnection after work so wasn’t ready to stop until 2, and then it was a really easy no tears end.

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread