Stopping BFing to sleep

[simplelove]

If you previously bf your baby to sleep but have stopped - when and how did you do this?

DD is 8 months old and has never been a great sleeper. She is bf to sleep at bedtime and for naps unless we're out and about. I'm in no rush to break the habit as it's working for us at the moment (just about!) but I'm curious about how others moved on.

Mine both just grew out of it themselves eventually. I breastfed my daughter for a year and my son for 14 months. They both stopped falling asleep at the breast before then though and I was able to just put them down sleepy but awake.

I know it doesn't feel like it now but they will grow out of it eventually.

Took a while but broke the habit at the same time as stopping bf altogether at 14mo. He needed a bit of encouragement. I refused to offer the breast, cuddled instead. He cried the first night for a bit but was fine the next with just cuddles.

I stopped with naps first at about 10 months - knew she was tired and made sure fed and watered before going upstairs. Then just cuddled.

After another couple of months I swapped breastfeed at night for a bottle.

Then about 14 months dropped bottle and do milk in sippy cup downstairs before bedtime routine.

Worked like a dream and wasn't planned - just the way it happened.

I tried offering a bottle instead at about 10/11 months. It didn't work at first, but eventually both of them started to drop the breast.

I also stopped with naps when I dropped daytime feeds around 10 months. I kept feeding to sleep until I stopped bf at 13 ish months. They just grew out of it eg would feed but not fall asleep so I'd set them in the cot with happy full tummies and they'd go to sleep eventually. Feeding to sleep is a bf perk I think!!!!

Thanks everyone, it's reassuring to hear that it's possible!

With DS1 he had stopped all other feeds, the one before bed was the last to go. He just grew out of it himself and we had cuddles and stories instead. I'm hoping DS2 will be the same.