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How do you prepare yourself for giving up breastfeeding?

H is almost 21 months and still bf.  He mainly feeds in the eve/ at night but occassionally in the day if he's out of sorts.  He's not offered it but asks when he is tired or if he wants comforting and then he has it.  But, I think the time may come soon when he will start to ween off or i will have to encourage him not to have milk as i need him to settle easier and also he is q a big boy now.

 

but i feel its such a wrench giving up feeding.  I've loved it and the bond we have and I worry how things will change when I stop.  So how do you prepare yourself?  is it hard?  Will it be easier than I am expecting?

 

how did my boy get so big I have to take this decision?!?

Replies

  • I actually found it easier than I expected. We stopped at 17 months when I was 4 months pregnant (he's 19 months now).

    At that point we were down to only feeding in the morning.  A had stopped his night feed (by himself) a month or so before that, but would still get into bed with us for a feed in the morning.  I think it was partly due to me being pregnant and the taste changing, as a few times he looked disgusted and would refuse his night feed, which I kept offering for another couple of weeks, but he wasn't interested. He'd spend the time trying to grab a book to read!

    He then just stopped showing any interest in it in the mornings.  I'd offer and he just had no interest, he'd just give me a cuddle instead then go back to playing.  It wasn't something I planned, and I would have kept going longer, but he's had no interest in it since.

    We still do cuddles and stories at bedtime, and he often comes into bed with us for a story and cuddle in the morning, so we still have that bond.  I don't think it changed a lot between us, although I did miss it for a while but it's ok now, and it's actually nice to have cuddles without having to think about BF.

    Also, because we were down to one feed a day I had no physical problems with stopping, which was something I'd worried about as I had oversupply.  So on that side of things it was quite easy.

  • I stopped feeding at 18 months (mainly so I could start ttcing as I'd read it can help). By that stage I was only feeding 1st thing in the morning & last thing at night. When I stopped my H took on bedtimes so she'd get milk in a cup with dinner then he'd take her up. It did feel hard at 1st, especially if she woke in the night. But I do think it was harder for me then it was for her!! Yes, I missed it but it was ok. I didn't have any phyiscal problems but I have to admit I'm really looking forward to feeding my new baby & really hope he takes to it as easily as his sister did.

    Good luck x x

  • A is just 18 months and I have all but stopped. She has only had a morning feed for the last 3/4 months, and she does really like it as it helps her wake up properly. I've just recently spent my first night away from her and she was fine in the morning without me, and I've been busy at work so going in early and not being there when she's got up. My main worry has been her calcium intake as she is allergic to dairy, but I have found a supplement that contains calcium which I have started giving her, so that helps to ease my guilt a little. Since this weekend I have been employing the theory of 'don't offer, don't refuse', and she hasn't asked for it at all and has been happy enough with cuddles and cbeebeies to wake up. Plus, since AF eventually returned about 4 months ago, feeding has been painful around that time of the month, and I can't be doing with sore nips at this stage!

    So, I suppose what I'm saying is it's been a slow gradual process for me so fairly easy to deal with. Don't rush yourself, and just see how it goes and I'm sure you'll get to a point where it just makes sense to stop and LO probably won't even notice.

    Although having said that, it would be nice to have 'one last BF' to cherish as I can't actually remember the last feed I did lol

  • Thanks everyone, it does sound like its harder for us than them.  I think as we probably won't have any more children it just all feels so final and I will just miss that bonding time and the 'me & him' time as its the only thing noone else can do for him.  I think I will carry on with the only giving when he asks but might try and stop the night feeds and take it gradually like that.  

    I guess I just need to make the most of these last few days/weeks of feeding :(

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