Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How to stop a determined breastfeeder? - Mamas Uncut
With all 5 mine I had do cold turkey and kept offering bottle beaker. Took eventually takes few days all around 18month
I feel like it could be more the sleep association than the actual breast feeding itself. So if you’re feeding her to sleep, then when she wakes in the night, she thinks she needs that to be able to go back to sleep. Same as kids with a dummy, if they wake up and the dummy has fallen out, they won’t go back to sleep unless the dummy is put back in. Or if they’re rocked/patted etc. Their brain believes that is what they need to go to sleep.
As hard as it will be, I would go cold turkey. It will definitely be difficult, but hopefully won’t take long to adjust.
Good luck Mama!
My daughter was that age when weened and had exclusively breastfed because she would not take a bottle, any food, or sippy cup until she was weened. She was up every 45 minutes as she got older and I was not doing well mentally. I ended up with the flu and my husband weened her over two nights so I could take NyQuil and get some sleep. She did everything you said but I got out of bed a few days later and she was sitting at the table drinking from a sippy cup and eating table food. My husband said he slept on the floor by her crib and she eventually stopped crying. She’s an incredibly compliant child, not at all strong willed but she was just really attached to comfort feeding. My son actually is strong willed in every way and stopped breast feeding on his own around 6 months and always took a bottle. Night and day difference between the two.
Yeah she is using it to soothe her back to sleep. She isn’t going to like it but just don’t give it to her and offer her some water or something. It may take a few days of you guys not sleeping well but she will get used to it.
Remove your breasts from the equation
This one might be necessary for resistant or stubborn toddlers who aren’t particularly interested in explanations of why you’re cutting back on breastfeeding. How you handle this depends on your circumstances.
If your little one likes to nurse off and on all night, try putting on a sleep bra or extra layers of clothing before bed. When they wake, you can reassure them and rub their back, but let them know that your breasts aren’t available.
Some moms cover their nipples with large bandages and tell their children that they’re unable to nurse as a result — but count on your babe demanding some bandages of their own! Other moms rub vinegar onto their nipples so that the taste is unpleasant when an insistent toddler attempts to feed.
And sometimes you have to remove yourself from the equation. Encourage your partner to take over the bedtime routine, whether for a night or the foreseeable future. Go out of town or stay with a friend for a night.
I cut out one feel at time. For example we started with nap time. The first couple days were a struggle then she did great. Now onto morning feeds
Do it when it’s in signs use method with both my children,now my daughter and daughter in-law uses it for my grand babies.
I have no advice that is personally know works, bc my milk just stopped coming in at 6 months. Maybe tell her no more milk, or just start to cut back the night feeds, maybe it’s she’s drinking from a bottle you can give her that?
If you want to stop cold turkey I don’t blame you but I was able to night wean without completely stoping. Just go check on her, pat her back, tell her you love her, and tell her it’s night night time. I would walk away and he would cry but after about 3 days of that he stopped wanting milk at night. Be he was also younger I think.
I cut 1 feed at a time and added an extra snack/meal in the day. Also used formula at night so my l.o would stay fuller longer.
Eventually he gave in.
Hang in there mumma!! You got this!
This kinda sounds crazy but look up when to wean by the farmers almanac…I did it when I was taking pacifiers and bottles and never had a problem. It’s just starting it on a certain day recommended by the almanac so I thought why not?
Don’t give her the tit…title… will be hard for a few days…but she will get over it
She’s only 16 months. Two of mine quit at 15 months on their own. One had to be “encouraged to quit” at 23 months.
Only thing that helped my last was band aids over them. I had boo boos. It worked
She isn’t throwing a fit. She’s expressing being upset because you’re taking away her comfort and bonding. She’s 18 months old she can’t throw a fit over something she doesn’t understand. Try having more compassion for what your kid is going through. She knows nothing about life, she’s just going on feel right now.
It won’t be an easy few nights. Just stop and offer water at night in a bottle. I always let Dad to do this… good luck x
First, it’s no one’s business why the OP is weaning and children who are old enough to talk are very capable of learning to express themselves without tantrums over not getting their way every time. Funny it’s usually the ones hollering about being accepting and not bullying that seem to do the most of it. The OP could very well need to start a medication that could get to her child through breast milk or she could just dang need a full night’s sleep to function. If you can’t just offer the advice she’s looking for, just keep scrolling. To the OP, if your child is using breastfeeding for comfort rather than actual nourishment, try offering other means of calm comfort like reading and rocking instead of offering the breast. It’s one thing to breastfeed to provide nourishment and quite another to just feel like a human pacifier. Mine weaned on their own at around 18 months after gradually cutting back on feedings for a couple months. It wasn’t an immediate halt which made it easier on both baby and myself. If you are ready to stop and baby is taking in both solids and liquids other than your breast milk, you will not be hurting her by stopping the breast milk if it’s what you need. What she needs most is a happy, healthy mom who provides love and attention and that is always easier when mom gets her rest too. Hugs and best wishes mama.
Put bandaids on and say they’re broken, no more milk, and offer hugs and water.
Literally just went through the same thing with my 18 month old. Three nights of letting him cry & telling him mamas boobies are broken and he’s been sleeping through the night since. I’m not going to tell you it was easy to let him cry for those three nights, but it’s definitely been worth it since!
My daughter nursed for naps/bedtime until a month shy of her 2nd birthday. I literally just stopped giving in and it took like 3 days and she didn’t even notice.
I’m in this same predicament right now, even the same age. My baby girl won’t take a bottle or use a pacifier either which is both a blessing and a curse. She eats regular food but she still wants to nurse and with her not using a bottle I feel bad trying to wean her off breastfeeding for fear she’s actually hungry. Thankfully she does sleep in her own bed for nap and bed time.
Ignore the hateful comments… Breastfeeding is amazing but it gets to point where you want you body to finally be your own again. I stopped breastfeeding my child at two and it was hard but I just told her it was all gone and would cuddle with her instead… a lot of the times it’s just about the comfort of breastfeeding that they miss.
Is there anyone else available to come and put her down for bed? I was told by my doctor that it helps the weaning process if they do it with someone other than momma. My son is 16 months as well and also won’t give up the boob so I feel you momma!
World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding until 24m.
Same with my 21 month old son. His screaming bloody murder fits last 1-2 hours in the middle of the night waking up everyone in the household. It sucks but I have to keep strong and not give in. I have a 5 yr old, 3 yr old, and a baby on the way!
I never had to go this route for an extended period of time but it helps to rub something bitter or sour on the side your little one likes to nurse on. That way they associate it with an “unpleasant” taste instead of going cold Turkey and they are encouraged more so to wean. It works 
You could run a bit of lemon juice right before you’ll know your kiddo will ask to nurse. More often than not, you’ll get pushed away. And once you get pushed away, offer some sort of comfort item like a blankie, toy or perhaps some water if thirst is what they’re going for. Try it 
I gave a sippy cup, said no, and went on estrogen birth control. My milk dried up.
Hugs, water …because she won’t wake up for water it’s boring 
milk is yummy and sweet! And preserve, its tough but they know exactly how to play it xx
Gosh I’m following for the advice. 
I am in the same situation you are in and my Queen is just Bossy, I feel ya tantrums snot noses and all the blubbering teeny messes with sad tears just wanting comfort and nursing from the boob but omg, I looking for any great reply’s coz geeeez my lil lady expects mine to stay out so she can come back and fourth whenever she would like thank you. 3-4 times a night and yeah I’m feeling like I need to be in control somewhere of the boobs she owns.
I put stop and grow on my nipples, stopped breast feeding in 24 hours
My bubba liked boob through out the night.
We have started giving him a massive bowl of solid food then a bath then boobie top up while reading a book and he sleeps through the night now. my bubba has a fit when he wakes up in the morning until he’s sees his food then he settles.
Just give less milk through out the day or wean to cows milk. Even try sending Bub to bed with a bottle
I stopped my son at 19 months. I told him it was all gone and cuddled him it turns out he just wanted the skin contact. What he called rubs where he would rub my neck and upper chest. It was comforting for him. You have to find what works for you.
I took benedryl so I dried up my milk, no milk = no more nursing.
Let her nurse for as long as she wants. Enjoy the bond that you guys have bc she clearly is 
Use cabbage leaves to help dry u up, once ur dried up the milk scent will no longer be there.
Try not hitting her with it cold turkey, make a calendar pick a date and talk about it, work up to it just like Santa or the Easter bunny. And then figure out some symbolic way, on that date, to put the boob away for good (maybe a fancy bra) and then stick to it
I had to put bandaids on my nips and say they were hurt, which wasn’t a lie. Breastfeeding had become really painful. She was almost 3 years old though. She understood
Just saying…stopping breastfeeding at night doesn’t mean they automatically sleep through the night
I put the nail biting polish in my nipples the grow stop or something? And my son weaned within a few days, no tears. Because instead of saying ‘no’ I would let him try and because it tasted horrible he wouldn’t want more booby.
The reason kids throw tantrums like that is because it works, eventually they get what they want. Kids have been throwing tantrums for as long as time has existed, not giving in to that says “You’re not in charge here. I am.” Giving in now, to tantrums, is teaching her no matter how many times you say “No” to anything, if she throws a big enough tantrum, you will cave. You CAN get past that.
You can also try and have someone else lay her down. Let her know you’re leaving (as you normally would) and leave, really leave. Let someone else lay her down. Make sure she has real solid food before sleep so she has a full tummy, she won’t be hungry. Her crying for you it’s just out of habit, and habits are hard to break. As a matter of fact research “how to break habits” and I’m sure you will find something that works for you.
Fix her bottle with oatmeal that will hold her all night
Put vinegar on your nipples to turn them off
I let grandma babysit for a few days, then she wasn’t even interested.
So I have a question to add to this…my son eats blueberries, doritos, cheese pizza, and fries almost every day. He eats muffins, apples, applesauce, fruit and yogurt pouches. Corn beef hash and apple juice. Strangely he’ll also eat Jimmy John’s some times and mashed potatoes.
Same at age with my son. What time are you feeding her dinner? I learned that if my son didn’t have much to eat or we ate too early he would wake up hungry every hour for milk. Feed her something like oatmeal before bed. I stopped co- sleeping. StArted a bed routine with a nighttime bath. Nurse him before bed while unwinding and it’s been 7 great nights. He wakes up and I kay him back down with no problem. He’s almost 23 mths- hoping he’ll weaned himself off.
Take Her to the store and let Her pick several different sippy cups ( toss those bottles ) and get some chocolate milk… try it .
Following bc mine turned 2!! Nov 29th and i cant get her to stop 
If you can suffer through about three nights if the screaming fits, she should be over it. She has to realize that no matter how long she screams it isn’t going to wirk!
See if you can find the book “The No-cry sleep solution” or call La Leche League for non-traumatic weaning ideas.
I had the same issue . Had to do
It
Cold
Turkey . It was rough.
Leave over night for two days.