I'm ready to stop now... But DS isn't

[essexlemon]

DS2 is just over 18 months old now and only feeds once a day, first thing in the morning. We generally do it in my bed as when he was younger he was too distracted downstairs with his brother. It makes our morning a bit disjointed for a variety of reasons but I wanted to carry on through the winter to try to give him some added protection against coughs and colds but now that spring is supposedly here I'd like to stop while I feel I can.

I had decided to give him a tippy cup today with cow's milk and praise him being a big boy like his big brother (I'd rather not introduce a bottle as we had terrible trouble getting DS1 to give up his bottle) but he got very, very upset and clawed at my shirt etc. this is new territory as I weaned DS1 at 13 months and he wasn't at all bothered at all.

Are there any ways to ease out of just one feed or is it just a case of gritting my teeth and being firm with him. He isn't prone to long tantrums (if I say no to something he will stamp his feet and throw a mini tantrum but usually short lived but this was more like one of his brother's mammoth strops).

Thanks for any advice.

[Shiv52]

Where did you give him the sippy?  Were you downstairs or in bed?

[bexandlucy]

Hi, well done for breastfeeding so long!

Will he take expressed milk in the sippy cup? I would perhaps try a cup of ebm perhaps at a different time of the day so that he gets used to it, and then transition onto him taking this for his morning feed. You might find it helpful if someone else was to to this. Then you can mix the ebm with cows milk, slowly eventually to it being just cows milk. Isn't such a big shock for him then.

Also L really liked to take her milk out of a beaker with a straw, it gave her the sucking comfort she lost with breastfeeding.

[essexlemon]

Thanks ladies.

I gave him the sippy cup downstairs which probably wasn't the best transition but I thought it might be less confusing as he wouldn't associate the sofa with boobies.

Ebm wasn't much success in a cup but the whole idea of someone else doing it helped us hit on something else. DS loves bananas, so I got DH to get up with him and immediately give him a banana and then give him a cup of milk and FX it seemed to work. We had no tears at all this morning.

Thanks so much for your suggestions. Can't believe I didn't think to get DH to get him up the first time.

[Shiv52]

Thanks ladies.

I gave him the sippy cup downstairs which probably wasn't the best transition but I thought it might be less confusing as he wouldn't associate the sofa with boobies.

Ebm wasn't much success in a cup but the whole idea of someone else doing it helped us hit on something else. DS loves bananas, so I got DH to get up with him and immediately give him a banana and then give him a cup of milk and FX it seemed to work. We had no tears at all this morning.

Thanks so much for your suggestions. Can't believe I didn't think to get DH to get him up the first time.

I was going to suggest taking him downstairs!

Glad today was easier. Hope tomorrow is too x

[cuckoochick]

Hugs, I was going to say exactly the same as Shiv. Change up your routine a bit to shake those associations and get DH to help as far as possible.

We had a few days of whining for "boobies, pleeeeeeeease," but it very quickly got easier.

Vibes you all adjust to this new chapter quickly