What should i do? Please Help!

Please help if you've tried to wean but then started again.....


Ive enjoyed my baby so much and have loved breastfeeding.. but i decided it was time to start weaning him being 10 months (mainly from other people's influence). I started to give him formula during the day and only breastfed at night to put him to sleep and also gave him the early morning feed around 5ish, than he'd have a bottle aswell..

He has been sucha content baby, until i went away for a week and decided to stop altogether. I gave him a dummy to get to sleep and he cried lots but i figured that was normal and perceviered with it...

Now 2 weeks later he is very whingey all the time, and im an emotional wreck!

Since ive stopped breastfeeding ive lost a lot of weight and im very slim again, which is what i want..but my milk hasnt dried up yet, im still producing..

I have been feeling really down and really feel like ive lost a connection with him...
Last night he woke at 2am and i put him to my breast, and he got on and went to sleep.

Should i start again, i think i really want to... i should have never stopped? Has this happened to anyone? Can anyone help me?

Stacey, I have not yet chosen to stop bfing. DS1 self weaned at 14months and I was devastated. DS2 is just hanging on with 1 short bf a day and I will be sad when he stops too, but less so I think. So I'm sorry, I haven't been there, but from your post it sounds as though you already know the answer to your question. If you are feeling that way, I think you should restart. You are still lactating so it won't be too hard. You might need to keep up with some ffs as well until your supply builds up or he reaches 12 months.

I wish you all the very best. If anyone tells you that you should wean, just tell them that the World Health Organisaion recommendation is to bf for at least 2 years. Hopefully that will keep them quiet!!

Hi, Stacey,

Put your baby back onto the breast straight away! You have every chance to continue to breastfeed. You may need a little patience at the start, he might be thinking "what now? I thought she didn't want me breastfeeding" but he'll get back into it in no time. There are huge advangages in breastfeeding to 12 mnths or more. One of the most important that they can go straight to cows milk from a cup. If you introduce a bottle - then you end up having to wean from a bottle.
Don't worry about the quantity he is getting from you - he'll drive up your supply.

Warm Regards
Barb

Sounds like little Kai loves your milk! And you will both be happier breastfeeding again. As already said, just pop him back on and he will be on to it in no time at all. You will know when the time is right to wean and Kai will let you know too. But it doesn't sound like now.

My daughter self-weaned at 2 years and 1 month and I loved every minute of our breastfeeding time. She almost weaned herself once when she was 18 months old because she had a throat infection and sucking and swallowing hurt but I wasn't ready so I didn't let her. I have gotten a few funny looks from people who have seen me bf an almost 2 year old but I haven't let them get to me. Thankfully nobody has said anything to me but if they had I would have told them about the WHO recommendations as well as giving them my opinion on modern western desire to trust multinationals, like formula companies, who are only interested in making money but we trust them to tell us what is best for our health and our lives.

Sorry about the rant but I got sick of the fact that when I was having problems bf after DD was born nobody would support my desire to stick it out and they kept saying, "just put her on formula." So I went and informed myself and now I don't care what anybody thinks I just do what is best for my baby.