Stopping breastfeeding

[HM]

My daughter is almost 8 months old and I am breastfeeding. However she is starting to chomp! I have switched two of her feeds to bottles (the second of these about 10 days ago) and she is happy with formula but am currently still feeding her at bedtime. I would like to stop this soon but am worried it will hurt - does anyone have any advice?

[ummmm]

It didn't hurt me when I stopped. If you have cut down to just one feed a day it shouldn't be a problem.

[Goodsoulette]

Good bra and breast pads. The tighter you can keep your boobs bound the less milk you will lose. Its surprisingly easy to stop really. With my last child I just stopped cause his teeth came through really sharp and he was wrecking my nipples. You might leak a tiny bit for months and months.

[Pippa68]

Good replies already given!I

In my experience when I dropped feeds and gradually went down to just one bedtime feed it didn't hurt at all when that one stopped. Breastmilk production works on supply on demand...the more you feed, the more milk you make ~ therefore the opposite works too :o)

[Goodsoulette]

and personally I found that my boos only went really full for a day, with both children. Its nothing like when all your milk comes in on day three.

[Pippa68]

Good point, Goodsoulette..I found that I still had some milk for months afterwards ~ although they didn't actually leak, I only found this out when I squeezed my nipples to see if there was any milk there!

I forgot to mention that my son got his first tooth at 14 weeks. I breastfed him for 9 months, so it was painful on occasions...I had to take him off the breast and say 'NO' in a stern voice until he eventually stopped chomping.

[ganesh]

I had to stop suddenly at 9months when my daughter suddenly decided she'd had enough and prefered her thumb!
I was huge,hard and swollen and it was painful. My doctor told me it would stop after a week or so-and it did.Take pain killers and put up with it is what he said.
Maybe it doesn't hurt if you can do it gradually. Good luck.

[meltoadhall]

i ended up going cold turkey after getting it down to a bedtime feed with all 3 of mine at about 9 - 10 months. you may get lucky and it will just stop, but you probably ooze for a little while
just a question though, why have you put her onto formula and bottles? normal milk and a cup will be just fine.

[cy marven]

It may hurt a bit for a day or so but not as much as a good chomp thro the night and a lot less than giving birth. You have given your baby a great start . Cutting down a bottle at a time will help your breasts adjust gently
Cy Marven

[HM]

Thanks for your responses everyone, I'll give it a go.

Meltoadhall - children aren't allowed cows milk as their main drink until they are 12 months now, although it can be used in cooking, which may be different from when yours were small?? - they keep changing the rules!!!!!!!!!!!! She already uses a cup for her water, just a bottle for milk.

[femmemama]

stopping breastfeeding soon will hurt your daughter the most. it's normal for babies to try out their teeth. gently remove her when she bites and try again in a few minutes. she'll learn quickly (if there's no shouting or punishment, just an abrupt end to feeding) not to bite. she may take formula, but it's not best for her.