Wanting to stop bfing. How?

[Nessamommy]

My 8 month old bfs 4 times a day (1 breast when he gets up, 2 before his morning nap, 2 before his afternoon nap and 2 before going to sleep at night). So I am kind of using bfing to get him to sleep as well, although sometimes he does not fall asleep this way and can do it on his own. He never took a bottle though and my doctor said that at this point there is no point in trying to get him to take one. We have been working on the sippy cup for some time...he does pretty good but still needs a bit of work. I want to keep the night time feeding but want to wean him from the rest. How should I do this?

I'm in exactly the same boat so I'll wait and see if you get any good answers I've been told to try dropping feeds one by one and to stick to your guns because if you don't bf one day and then you give in and bf the next your LO will get the message that if he refuses the cup he'll get the breast eventually IYSWIM.
I'm having the same worry about the bottle/cup.

hi my ds is also 8 months and am starting to stop breastfeeding if you know what i mean.he normally has 3 or 4 feeds a day and 3 meals.
he has a breastfeed roughly first thing, mid morning, mid afternoon and before bed.
I am replacing the mid morning with a bottle at the moment. once my boobs have adjusted, i will do the same with mid afternoon and then do the morning and the night feed will be the last to go.
plan to do it a week at a time and yes, you do have to be consistent.
did this with my daughter (now 2) and it was fine.

not concerned that i am going to use a bottle as he drinks a cup of water with meals.
later on i remember it was the mid morning and mid afternoon times that i also introduces small snacks.

still having a slight prob getting him to nap on his own though as i usually feed him to sleep.

That's part of the problem I think is that I'm using the feeds to get him drowsy and relaxed for sleep. I feel like I have to rearrange his whole schedule...but I guess I don't. I don't really know how much to be giving him for a feeding. I'm debating about getting rid of the mid morning or mid afternoon feeding. I was thinking about getting rid of the first one in the morning, as I know he's hungry and if he refuses the cup it's just because he wants the boob. The thing is is that this is my second favourite feed next to the night time feed because it at least gives me a chance to fully wake up. I'm finding this kind of hard on my part as well...it saddens me in some ways but yet I'm excited about it.

Nessamommy,
just to let you know i feel the same - sad about starting to stop. it's perfectly obvious ds knows it is different milk and it's a hassle to remember to make the bottle well before (out of the habit i suppose).
And i'm using bibs! (i NEVER use bibs!)

luckily for me this time it is easier as so far ds has no problem takinf the milk whereas his sister only tolerated soya milk (massive projectile vomiting incidents! - made me feel awful).

So what i'm trying to say despite the waffling is that it gets easier and unless there are absolutely pressing reasons - do you rrally have to stop now if you enjoy it so much?

hth

p x

I more want to stop than not...It's just kind of sad how time goes by so quickly, that's all. I do have to stop within 4 months anyways b/c I'm going back to work. I'd like the freedom too (not to sound selfish).

You don't need to stop BF to go back to work you know. My DS is 14 months and has cows milk during the day at nursery and breast morning and bed time. It can be done if you want.

I know georgiemama...but I do feel like it's time to stop daytime feeds right now. I do want to keep the night feedings until he's a year old though. I feel like he's been cutting out the mid morning feed over the last couple of days...that means he'll be bfing 3 times a day instead. Is that normal for an 8 month old?

I wasn't try to stop breastfeeding during the day particularly but found that by about 8 months, my DD messed around with her midmorning feed and didn't seem to want it so I gradully phased it out, and replaced it with a snack. Now at 10 months she is not particularly fussed by the midafternoon milk so this will probably go in the next month. So what you are doing sounds fine to me (and all my nct friends did something similar)