Wanting to stop breastfeeding

That's really tough and a lot of feeding for you. I've just switched one feed for a bottle of formula and hoping to do another one so I'll just be breastfeeding first thing, before bed and then any night feeds ahead of going to nursery. Is little one having any problems with weight gain and are they also having any solids? Could you try consolidating some of the day time feeds to start with? Like maybe just push each one by 15 minutes until you end up with one less. I found my little boy took the bottle eventually when we'd reduced the number of day feeds and he was a bit hungrier in between.

@Simone thank you 💗 I think my problem is we are in the habit of feeding to sleep and we are still doing 3 naps a day so those feeds add up. I also put her on the boob a lot in the afternoon and evening in the hope she will stock up for the night which she used to do when she used to sleep through the night. We get on average 2/3 wakeups in the night for milk now so I should try and cut back on the day feeds since it’s not helping her sleep through anymore anyway 😆. She is gaining weight well and is having 2 meals of blw a day, sometimes 3. Which formula have you switched onto if you don’t mind me asking and how has your little boy handled the transition? Do you think the formula is filling him up more? Also how long between feeds do you go? I’m normally offering boob every 2.5-3.5 hours in the day atm x

You’re not alone. I think this is a really common feeling and if you’re ready to add in formula that’s absolutely ok. You’ve done amazing feeding your child for 8 months. Breastfeeding is such a journey. It’s something I was really passionate about doing but I must admit I was somewhat jealous of all my friends formula feeding who could leave their baby with someone else and have a date night or mee time. I was feeding on demand about 2h up to about 7.5months. At 9months Now she’s doing 4h much more predictable feeds and it’s a lot easier. I just started slowly stretching her feeds. Made it a lot easier to schedule food around them too because she is actually hungry she eats a bit more.

Oh I've definitely been there as well! I found as he dropped naps he dropped feeds too which kind of works for us. I tend to feed him roughly ay 7.15 then a bottle at 11ish then breastfeed (to be replaced) at 4ish and then one about 7.30 before bed. He has 3 meals a day although one is more of a big snack. He wakes up in the night once for a feed at the moment but it feels like that's so close to going now. We tried for ages when he was younger to get him to take a bottle and it was horrible and he never took one so we stopped and tried again about 6.5 months and he just took to it. Not sure if weaning helped. We use Mam bottles with a size 2 teat and apatamil one (we use the ready mixed stuff as we're just doing the one feed) and warm it up to 37 degrees. He's now taking between 150 and 200ml at that feed (it started at like 50ml and built up). I was breastfeeding him after at first but ive stopped now.

I wouldn't say it's reduced the feeds but he'd already reduced them massive with weaning and I'd moved from feeding before naps to around 10 mins after waking which felt like he took more food as he wasn't sleepy. I really hope it goes well for you as its so tough being the only one who can feed them. Its such a mental load!!

I was the same. When my lg turned 6 months and was ready for solids we started the routine of offering solids for a mealtime and ending it with offering formula. It didn’t take her long to be honest and that’s now three feeds a day substituted (as we’re doing three meals as my baby goes to nursery soon so needed to wean her off for the whole day time as quickly as possible 😞). Now I’m trying to judge when she’s hungry between mealtimes to offer formula on its own. Want to end up with a morning feed and the night feeds as breast milk. I know everyone seems to say offer the milk first and solids after, and after a gap, but I found the above worked for us, my lg is still getting milk mainly in the day and she knows when formula is offered that is the end of mealtime when she’s done with that.

Thank you so much everyone for your advice 💗