I want to stop breastfeeding

[LanguageAsAFlower]

18 month old DS.
I'm just at the tail end of another night of breastfeeding almost constantly.
I am getting such an aversion, it is making my skin crawl. He was fine and practically sleeping through the night and recently got chicken pox, whilst he had that he refused his dummy and now I think I'm his constant dummy at night. I've tried, covering up, saying gently "no, all gone" , I've tried suggestions from Sarah Ockwell Smith with using a comfort blanket, he eats loads in the day, I give him extra snack when he gets back from nursery, so he can't be hungry. He'll take a bottle but he drinks it all and the lunges in for boobs. There's a drop in at my HV this morning so I'm going to go talk to them but to be honest I feel like I've tried everything (apart from going away and leaving him with my partner) but I don't want to traumatise him. It's really affecting my relationship with him as I just don't want him constantly pulling at my top and trying to feed. I know it makes me sound like a shit mum, but I know he doesn't need it for nutrition now, he really just wants comfort and I'm trying to give that in other ways but I'm at the end of my tether.

Oh just to say, I'm a teacher in summer hols now, so I really want to crack this whilst I've got the time and energy. I've been back at work for a year already, breastfeeding every night and it's killing me sleep wise.

You've done an amazing job breastfeeding for this long! I made it to 20 months before weaning for the same reason- suddenly my skin just crawled and I wanted my body back!

I weaned my DC in one week by buying a cappuccino foaming gadget and letting DC press the button to whip it up and then add sprinkles to their 'coffee'. DC went from waking up asking to be breastfed, to waking up asking for 'coffee'.

I let DC make their own little drink for a few weeks until the jar of sprinkles ran out, then didn't replace it because I wasn't wild about the sugar consumption. But it did the trick! No tears, we were both ready I guess.

Good luck.

Oooh what a genius idea!
To be honest we're currently watching so much Paw Patrol to distract him and give mr a break I'd swap that for a bit of sugar...

Mine was 11.5months and refusing solids because he ate every two hours at night so we went cold turkey. My husband did first night we gave him water in case thirsty (I guess current heat an issue if you’re in SE, we were August heat wave). He cried for 90mins first night while hubby held him then hour next night, 45 mins, 30 mins and thereafter bit of grizzling. First few nights were horrid but he never asked again even though he woke very frequently.