Weaning DS

DS is 15 months old and is still b/f an average of 3-4 feeds a day. It's gotten to the point where I'm just utterly exhausted and drained between DS feeding, both kids not sleeping, working three days a week and just general life. I know that it is not going to help DS sleep better/longer/more but I will be able to share the settling with DH now and hopefully get a bit more blocks of sleep.
I am sitting here bordering on tears feeling so incredibly guilty. I've given him an amazing start to life and I always said that I would let him choose when he wanted to wean but I've cut him off :(.
DD and DS are having a special weekend at nan and pa's to try and start the weaning process but how am I going to keep it going when I pick them up tomorrow? Do I just not let him feed - keeping refusing him when he 'asks' for it? Do I distract him with a drink or food?
I don't know if I'm going to be strong enough to refuse my gorgeous little boy.
I'm just trying to get an idea of what to do in regards to weaning when DS is home tomorrow.
TIA,
Dan.

Just a quick reply...

If you are going with the line of no more feeds then you have to be prepared to say no and not backdown :hug: cause I know how hard that is. Is there 1 feed you wouldn't mind still feeding for? say the one before bed or on wake up? so when he asks you can say yes you can have a feed but at such and such a time (this is what we are currently doing, have gone from 4 + feeds to 1 overnight almost).

Goodluck

What a great idea. Keeping one feed could work and give us both the best of both worlds. I absolutely love our bedtime feed. It's such a beautiful way to finish off our day and a cuddle to sleep together. I was worried that would give him mixed messages. That is definitely worth a try for sure.

DS is a bit older then your DS but I tried to be really clear that 'boo' was for only dawn (in our case). So whenever he would ask I would try and sound happy and positive that he still get's 'boo' but only at dawn. I would occasionaly get the odd grizzel but mostly when he would wake up for the old 12/2am feed. I was really surprised cause he seemed to drop the afternoon nap feed and before bed feed really well.

Just wanted to offer a bit of support, cos I totally understand where you are coming from hun. I've been able to get DS down to just a first thing in the morning and a before bedtime feed. Basically he had three days in a row where he was at CC or with DH and then I decided that it was time to cut back to just the two feeds a day. TBH it was nowhere as hard as I thought it would be and actually happened pretty easily...

If you're thinking that's where you'd like to go, then I'd probably suggest picking the LO's up late in the day so you can give DS dinner and a bath (or whatever your routine is) and then just offer him a bedtime feed. You might find it easier that you think.

But that said, if you think it is time to stop completely, don't beat yourself up. You've done a fabulous job, 15 months is a fantastic effort and one you should be proud of :hug:

yep also agree with MissE that if you want to stop completely you have achieved sooo much feeding until now :D