Help! We need to stop breastfeeding!

My 18 month old still wakes up during the night to feed at least 3 times and I’m really done. We’ve stopped daytime feeds and she just feeds before nap or bed, but I’m so tired!! I really loved bf for the first 12 months and wanted to push to 2 years but the past few months have been steadily feeling like such a chore and I am so touched out! I hate not being able to sleep through the night!! I hate having my boobs touched even after the bf session has ended, I jsut want my body back! I just tried to tell my toddler when she woke up for her usual middle of the night feed that no milk, milk sleeping, and she had a full blown meltdown, smacking me, scratching, screaming until she wasn’t breathing it seemed like! I held her and she calmed down a bit but as soon as I put her down again she demanded the milk! When I repeated she went into full hysterics again! In The end after trying rocking and calming to a third time, when she still became upset about no milk I gave it and she went back to sleep. But I know she’ll wake again for another feed! There’s at least 3 feeding sessions still!!! I’m so tired. She will not settle for bed with anyone else except me either so I don’t know where to even begin with weaning the night feeds. I need my boobs back, I need my sleep back!!!! Does anyone have any tips??? 😣

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I'm still breastfeeding, however he has successfully gone down for our church nursery, his grandparents and dad for nap times so I know he is capable and really just does it for comfort. As long as you are offering plenty of meals, snacks and water I think it's do able to wean. I have seen a lot of people do pure aloe vera on the nipple, I guess it's a bitter taste and baby hates it, I'm sure you could do this with other edible but not great tasting foods (possible apple cider vinegar?) I'm going to be trying it this weekend and will have cabbage leaves on hand to dry up my milk so there's no engorgement. Hoping for a smooth transition for both of us!

How does she have her milk in the day? Cows milk in a cup? Maybe give her breastmilk in a cup initially, and then swap it for cows milk

It might be a rough few nights, but try settling her without the boob at night. You could prep her for a few days before hand saying “milk all gone” etc or tell her the boob is broken. Whatever you think she might understand. There will be an adjustment period but she will settle without it eventually. You could try cuddling her, offering her a drink in a cup etc.

I know this is extremely hard but have your husband put her down for bedtime. Like leave the house so she knows you're not there. And when she wakes at night have your husband go in there and settle her. Do this for 2-3 nights and it should help break the cycle. I know it's hard! Maybe do it on the weekend. My son was the same way with only wanting me. Once my husband went in there for a few nights my son stopped with the middle of the night wakes. Also make sure to give your daughter plenty of daytime calories so she isn't hungry at night

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