Your experience when stopping breastfeeding

[Ju2017]

Hello, my LO was EB until 6 months. She's now 8 months and is very good with solids but won't take any milk at nursery during the day and wants to breastfeed aaaaalll night!! I'm exhausted and wanted to try to breastfeed just before bed and morning (or maybe even stop completely) but feel she's still so dependent on it for soothing and milk that I don't even know where to start (or if I should try weaning at all in view of the situation).

It would be AMAZING though if she was able to sleep without needing the boob and also be able to rest all night without having to feed so many times. At this age everyone says they should be more than capable to take all their nutrients during the day and her body would benefit from not having to digest food during the night.

She hates bottles and when when her dad tries to settle her during the night it takes 30mins or more of crying VERSUS 10 minutes of happy feeding from me, so I'm always the one to do it....

Anyone has any tips on weaning their babies off the breast (specially night feeds)? Anyone in similar situation where baby would resist taking milk during the day and successfully managed to revert the situation? thank xxxx

My experience is stopping night breast feeds at 15 months so a bit different really.

The key is how you feel about it. 8 months is pretty young for no feeds in the night. Try not to compare to those that are bottle feeding as it's so different. It sounds like LO is enjoying the comfort of having you there. This is the nice thing about bf but if this feels too much you may need to think about supporting LO to learn other ways to comfort. For us a comforter worked well with my smell on. I think at times I got into the routine of feeding straight away without trying other things. The other sleep training takes a lot longer especially at the start so you need to be up for it.

Wait until 12 months. They still need it really, 8 months is very little.

I might weaned at 15 months, it was fine but didn't stop the waking at all,

Well milk should be the main food at 8 months, I really would wait until she’s 1. She’s probably just catching up during the night.

My first was like this. I didn't crack it just stopped feeding her at 2 when I was about to crack myself. DH would go in and offer water only and eventually she gave up as there wasn't anything worth waking for.

2nd self weaned as my milk changed due to pregnancy with 3rd so no help there.

When I had my third I found latex teats which feel more like a nipple than silicone. He took bottles from DH when I went to work or needed sleep. Pre-empting waking and feeding while asleep got him used to taking the bottle. He finally stopped the bedtime feed at 3.

I wish you luck it is not easy.

I night weaned both of mine at 7 months - but I was still on mat leave so I could fit in 4 bfs and 3 solid meals during the day to fill them up. Plus they were both large babies and gaining weight well. I think you'll struggle to night wean if nursery can't get her to take milk in the day.

I wish I could continue to breastfeed as many times as LO asked for it during the night but I'm so tired... I have no focus during the day and no energy left! My eyes are red and sting all day long from lack of sleep.

I also wonder if it's good for baby to wake up so many times to feed as she should get a longer sleep by now... Ideally she would be taking her milk during the day but nursery keeps telling me she won't take it. Maybe that would force her to take the milk during the day?

I don't know how many more months I can go on like this as it's been 8 months now with no sleep and worry that if I don't try something the night wakings could go well into toddler years :(

Can she drink from a sippy cup? Maybe could get her to take milk that way rather than a bottle? It's tricky though as I think most babies prefer bf to bottle if given the choice! I was lucky I could take over a year off work each time so just weaned straight to cups of cows milk at 12 months old. 8 months is still little and reliant on milk for calories.

Hi
My baby did exactly the same (at around the same age) when I went back to work and had to put her into nursery. Point blank refused to take milk from anyone at nursery but then fed all night. A friend suggested I get some pjs or a top that I had worn and wrap it around the bottle just before feeding so that when the bottle was offered, all she could smell was me. It worked! I know it might sound a bit off (believe me my clothes were not dirty! They had just been worn for a few nights), but as soon as she could smell my scent she started taking the bottles which meant she was not so hungry when i picked her up and she didn't wake so many times during the night to feed. So i sent in the bottles and a cosy top I had worn a few times in the bag and it worked a treat. Might be worth a try?

I stopped breastfeeding at night around 9/10 months I believe. BUT I made sure to still do a 'dreamfeed' at 10/11pm just before I went to sleep. She slept all the way through and has done from 9 months consistently unless unwell/teething.

She started nursery at 12 months, so at around 11 months I cut feeds down to 3 times a day in prep for nursery (morning, after nursery, bedtime) but I made sure that from 10/11 months she was awake for all feeds so she learnt how to settle. I kept going with bf due to all of her allergies and her being a poor weaner.

I still breastfeed DD at 19 months and not sure how to stop now actually as we're down to 1 feed only in the AM. I feel mean stopping although she doesn't need it as such as she eats much better now and normally for her age now.

Also yes can they try a cup? Can you try cups at home so she is used to them? I appreciate that your DD has started nursery younger than mine did though so it's very different developmentally 8-12 months.

If she's not drinking all day it 100% makes sense though for her to feed more at night. Rubbish for you though. Can you do her a breastfeed, and then maybe before bedtime do a dream feed to see if it keeps her full.

When I was stopping feeding in the night DH would go in instead of me with water (but tbf I knew she was feeding enough in the day as she wasn't at nursery yet)

Rather than focus on the night waking being the problem, focus on the daytime feeds. If she isn't taking a bottle, try a sippy cup or open cup. If that doesn't work either, give extra snacks like yoghurts to help.

Most 6 month olds are up in the night regularly, often for a cuddle or check in with you... and yes at times it's exhausting. Have you tried the medela bottles? They are the most similar to bf