When To Stop Breastfeeding

Hi

In response to Amy-I had the same problem with my first two babies. They wanted the best of both worlds! I went through a stage of feeling trapped with all of them and then I felt so guilty that I wanted to stop.

I didn't offer a bottle at all with my third baby until the day I chose to stop. And then I just went cold turkey and spent all day only offering a bottle. He took it and we have never looked back. He is now 7 months and happily taking four bottles and three solid meals a day.

With all three, just giving up the breastfeeding and only offering a bottle has worked. My health visitor told me (off the record) just to do it. You might have a couple of bad days but once he know there's no alternative you both will be ok! Good luck!

Hello- I have an 8 month old who was excl breastfed for 6 months and is now on 3 solid meals a day but still seems to want up to 5 breastfeeds.....I am starting to feel like I want to stop, and have tried to intro a bottle for 11am feed and he finally took one, but recently I have found he seems to make up for it later in day and BFing is only way to get him to sleep- feel so trapped now- how can I ever stop??? Can someone give me advice- he takes aptamil but only when hungry....but feel at mo I will be Bfing forever............

Oh and in response to Lisa - i have used Aptamil - and she took to it straight away... its a little bit more expensive.. but worth it i think

hey all

I have decided to stop breast feeding after 11 weeks - for a variety of reasons really.

I haven't really had a problem as we introduced bottles of expressed milk in week one.. and gradually increased the bottle - slipping in the odd formula.

I also find it helps to get other people involved in the feed, as when you are engorged you smell of lovely sweet breast milk! Her dad and grandparents have enjoyed this quiet time with my little girl, and although i do miss our time together, from reading the stories above i'm glad to have done it this way.

I do feel a little guilty that i have stopped so early, but i have given her a good start, she is more than happy with formula and it is time to claim my boobs back! oh for the days when i don't need 4 breast pads in each cup!!!!

Anyway hope this helps some of you - i think i have been lucky from all accounts!

hi ive been reading some of your stories and wondered if anyone could offer me some advice..
i am a mother of 5 i have four sons and a daughter.. i have breastfed all of my children the boys all fed for just over a year.. but my daughter who is now 3 years and 4 months just wont stop! she wont go to sleep unless shes on the breast and she has me up half the night screaming for breast milk im getting pretty worn out now and feel like i just havnt had much sleep in a long time.. as u can imagine with 5 kids to look after and im seperated from my husband at the minute..
ive tried to tell her no but she screams and kicks so half the time i just give in so she wont wake the boys up as they have got to go to school
so i wondered if anyone could offer any tips thanks x

My health visitor told me that Aptamil is the closest formula to breast milk, so that may be one to try.

I think the key is to do it gradually and suppliment one or two feeds a day with formula, then gradually increase the frequency.

I hope everything goes well:)

Hi,
I've been breastfeeding for 5 months and have decided i want to stop, i'm confused about what to give her as far as formula goes, there are so many to choose from, i don't know where to start. or how much she will need, can anyone gve me some tips please!!

Hi
I got to the point where my baby would only settle in the night with a breat feed. So as hard as it was, I started just civing him a quick cuddle and then I ignored him. The first night he cried for an hour but after a couple of nights he settled with a cuddle and he fed more in the day. I have just stopped breastfeeding him (my third baby in four years!). He is 6 months and although I fed my others for longer, I felt that the time was right for a variety of reasons. I have been wracked with guilt though and cried throughout the last breastfeed that I gave him. We went cold turkey and after 10 hours of trying he finally gave in. My only tips would be - feed in a different position (in our case facing away on my lap), use expressed milk and then over the following days gradually add formula or follow on, set aside a day to do it and cuddle your baby when you're not trying the bottle. Well it worked for us, thankfully. He didn't want to take the bottle from my husband, I think he wanted the resassurance. Anyway, whilst I do feel sad as this is it - no more babies no more breastfeeding - I do feel liberated!

Hi, I have been breastfeeding for 5 weeks and yesterday i decided to switch to formula as I am getting no sleep at all. She is up every 2hrs for a feed and each time lasting an hour. Also she has a lot of wind so even when she is asleep, she semi wakes up in pain so i have to soothe her. It has been a very emotional 5 weeks for me as I felt guilty even about thinking of giving up. It has also put a lot of strain on my marriage as all we talk about is whether or not to give up because they say breast is best and my hubby wants me to carry on. I have now put my foot down and last night she slept for 3hrs between feeds and now it only takes me half hour max to feed her!

Hi, I've been breastfeeding my daughter for two whole years, she's my 3rd child but the only one I have breastfed. She doesnt breastfeed during the day, and hasnt for some time, she has never had a bottle and always refused even trying them. The problem I now have is I'm finding it so hard at night to wean her off.I just dont know what to do and I'm being driven to despair with it, she wont settle without it and throughout the night my breast will be out ready to feed. I just want some advice from somewhere about what to do???? Please help???

I am so fed up with hearing these poor mothers suffer unbearable guilt as they are forced from circumstance to formula feed their babies.
Please remember girls its swings and roundabouts, whilst breast is best, the number of chemical contaminants such as parabens which are found in breast milk would never be present in something as sterile as formula, especially if organic.
I breast fed for 6 months but stopped due to all the medicines that are rattling around in my body that invariably ended up in the milk. So guess where my worries lie!!!
Every mother usually tries her utmost, don't forget guilt is something you'd have whether you breast fed or not! well done to all of us for trying whether successful or not.

Please don't get yourself all upset. Only you know what is right for your baby. It is common knowledge that bigger babies can be more challenging to breastfeed. All mine weighed over 9lbs when they were born and they fed constantly. I know how tiring it can be.

The only thing I would say is make sure it isn't a snap judgement. On a few occasions I came very close to giving up BF, but then decided to wait for a few days and see if I still felt the same way. Often I did change my mind.

You have done so well to stick at it for so long, and if this is something you have thought through, and you believe it is right, then you have no reason to feel bad. Your baby is very lucky to have a mother who thinks so much about their welfare.

My Baby is 16 weeks old and i have made the descision to stop breast feeding him as he is still waking frequently in the night and feeding every 2.5 hours during the day, he weighs 20lbs already and seems to need so much food! I am feeling very emotional at the moment and not sure that i am doing the right thing but i feel that i need to start getting my life back! am i wrong to feel like this?!

Please don't feel guilty! You tried your very hardest and that is what counts. Anyway don't they say that the first three days are the most important, and you surpassed that by far.

Hi, I have just stopped breas feeding after two weeks. I feel such a failure. My milk was not providing my new born with enough calories. She was born at 7lb 15oz, and by two weeks old, she is now 7lb 2oz. She has lost so much, and look very pale. She was pooing green, and generally always unhappy. I gave her the first formula and her eye lit up, she made contented noises when drinking and slept for 4 hours. She has now had 4 feeds on formula and looks like a different baby. Im finding it hard to accept that I could not give her the nourishment, but on the other hand Im happy that shes happy. x

In my humble experience the worst of the pain will go within the week, although you can expect minor leakage for as long as a few months afterwards.

How is Lonan doing on formula? I wouldn't worry about what other people say. If he is happy and you are happy then thats all that matters. And as you say, you had cut back on feeds anyway, so its not a complete shock to him.

Well done for lasting so long!

Help... I've made my descion to stop breastfeeding Lonan as he no longer sees me as a source of food but also play impliments, and at 7months feel as though I've done well enough. I returned back to work in June when he was five months old and had cut my feeds right back, however I have now gone cold turkey and having looked at few websites and now feeling very bad as they all say don't it is to traumatic for both of us and painful (I can agree with both as I am soooo very sore, but have been using cabbage leaves) I would like to persit as I've gone 48hrs since the last feed and to go back will in my eyes be silly. I just really wanted to ask as to how long to expect to feel full and sore and when to expect the milk to go?!

Hannah, glad I was able to help! 8 and a half months is fantastic, way more than most people manage...well done!

As for the over full and sore boobs, my HV told me that it is better not to just stop breastfeeding all at once. This can lead to blocked ducts and mastitis. You might find it easier if over the next week or two, you express some milk, cutting down the amount of 'feeds' every few days until you have decreased the amount of milk your body is making.

Other than that, green cabbage leaves are supposed to grant ome relief, but I never fancied it!

im so glad i found your page i had to struggle with the "when to stop" problem.my 1st child was formula fed and i have been breastfeeding my 2nd(def the best way!)but after 8 and a half months i had enough.there was no routine as she was on demand and would only sleep in my bed with my boob out!last night she had her first bottle of follow on milk and slept in her cot all night!!!just after any advice on sore over full boobs and if you know anyway to speed up getting rid of breast milk.