How and when to wean off comfort feeding (I'm dreading it!)

[Elisanah]

So the title pretty much says it all but I'm looking to wean my lo off night feeds as I don't think she is genuinely needing a feed. She usually wakes up 2x nightly for a feed but when she's teething or feeling unwell I may well feed her 4-5x night just to offer comfort and settle her back to sleep. I also sometimes have to near enough feed her to sleep for naps and bedtime when she's under the weather. She has so far always gone back to waking twice nightly after things have settled.

I can handle the upset that cutting out the habitual night feedings will cause but I'm just dreading cutting out the comfort feeds! The boob is a truly magical thing when it comes to settling my lo and nothing else will calm her when she's upset at night, I feel mean depriving her of it when she's so sad from teething etc. I think I've become as dependent on it as her as I feel clueless about how to settle her if all she's looking for is the security and comfort of a breastfeed.

So...I would love to hear how people weaned off of comfort feeding their lo's (especially while you're waiting for calpol to kick in) and when you decided to do it. My reasoning is that I'm going to have to stop comfort feeding if I want to wean her off of feeding at night.

Also - any tips on how to wean at night would be welcome 

Thank you!

[jessmum46]

How old is your LO?

[Elisanah]

Sorry I forgot to mention that! She is 10months old. She is on 3 meals and 3 breast feeds in the day, plus the night feeds.

[jessmum46]

No problem

My feeling would be that you can't really 'wean' comfort feeds as such - you either give them or not.  I'd just wait for a time she is well and plan to wean the night feeds then. Once that's done you don't go back to offering at night.  There are plenty of other ways to comfort your LO when she's unwell-cuddles, reassuring words, a gentle hand on her etc and you'll just have to see what suits you best.

With the night feeds there are a few options - cold turkey, gradually reducing minutes then stopping when at 2 mins or so and using other ways of reassuring, delayed feed (so each night you push a little later before you feed, resettling earlier wakings) or any combination. You could always offer an extra BF in the day (or two) so you can be confident that she is having ample milk.  What are your thoughts?