How to stop breastfeeding

[Carbis]

I’d like to stop breastfeeding by the time my LO is 12 months old, he’s 10 months now. He loves it so much and I want to minimise upset but it’s going to be tough. I just don’t know where to start!

At the moment, he feeds to sleep for naps and at night time. He wakes 6-8 times a night and probably feeds for half of those wakes. He wants feeding a lot during the day too but I can usually distract him with oat milk (he has CMPA and won’t take formula) from a sippy cup but he only has little sips. The best he manages is a cup over the course of a whole day.

Where do I start? Cut one feed at a time, starting with bedtime? Or night wean? Or reduce the time of all feeds? I’m totally lost!

I forgot to mention that he starts nursery in a months time. Is there any chance if I wait he’ll go off it because he’ll be having oat milk during the day then? Or is he likely to want even more feeds from me to compensate?

I would try to night wean first. If you have a partner he can really help with this. Mine helped me a lot.

Then cut day feeds one at a time. Use distraction techniques.

At the same time to avoid engorgement etc i used cabbage leaves in my bra/nightie. Super sexy I know.

It wasnt as bad as I imagined. Best of luck.

When mine went to nursery I had night weaned - had cut day feeds to morning and bed time only. She was was 10-11 months at the time. Bottle refuser so sippy cups used like you for water - just offered it a lot.

We’ll try night weaning first then. My partner weaned our first in 3 nights but he was on bottles and only having an ounce or 2 a couple of times a night by then. This will be a whole new ball game!

It’s good to hear it wasn’t as hard as you expected @DoItAfraid. We just need a break from sickness and teething now.

Not to be the bearer of bad news but nursery was a game changer for illness and not in a good way 🙈

@DoItAfraid he’s sick all the time anyway as his brother is at nursery. I’m hoping it can’t get any worse but it probably will.

Night weaning is not going well. He just gets so distressed with his dad and I end up going in.

Is there any way I can put him off? Is there something I can eat to make my milk less palatable? I feel awful thinking that but wish he would just decide he didn’t like it anymore.

@DoItAfraid can I ask how the weaning went? My DD is 16mo and still BF before naps and a couple of times during the night. I'm so desperate to give up I'm so exhausted and sick of not seeing friends/having a life!
I need a plan before I tackle this. She constantly teething and I feel like it's a bit cruel but she's only got 4 front terth so far so I think there's a long way to go!

@Carbis I am so sorry I didn’t see your post on the thread - I imagine you are not still breastfeeding now 2 years later! 🤣

@Geranium1984 if you are desperate to give up then you just have to be resolute. There will be an uncomfortable transition. For me it was 3 days of hardship but it unlocked full nights sleep, return to work etc. You just have to be sure that you are done with it and then power through. A lot of it for me was my own emotions (guilt, feeling I was being mean vs being totally DONE with someone on my boobs all the time, needing to go back to work for financial reasons). I just had to be pragmatic.

We did it over a bank holiday weekend to night wean. Agreed before that the Fri Sat and Sun only husband would go in at night - offering water and milk in sippy cup.

For breeding to sleep before naps I just stopped - drove in car at nap times or pushed pram or rocked - anything - just no breastfeed. Distracted distracted while also trying to dry my milk up
with the cabbage leaves in bra. 4 days and it was all done. I didn’t get engorged.

Good luck.

@DoItAfraid thanks, I think that's our Easter plans sorted then 😅
Need to muster up some energy from somewhere x

Yep - Bank Holidays will never be the same! Best of luck. You've got this. @Geranium1984

Just found this thread too - also planning on weaning my 13 month old this Easter.

I'm so done with having being kicked in the face and boob acrobatics 🤣

Here with you in solidarity!!