Week one of starting to wean BB off the boob is drawing to a close, and I’m afraid to say we haven’t got very far. The ‘official’ advice in my books on how to go about it all seems to apply to babies under 12 months, and I’m afraid we’re a bit beyond that (BB is almost 18 months old).

So I’ve ditched the so-called professional advice and decided to go about it my own way: starting with dropping day time feeds and offering her a beaker of cow’s milk instead. You’d think I was suggesting she drink from a poisoned chalice.

Monday started quite well, and by going out in time for her 11am feed she happily glugged away in the push chair. We didn’t do so well after her nap, and I’m afraid I gave in at around 4pm (it had been a long time since her 7am feed, after all). Tuesday wasn’t so successful, largely owing to the lashing rain rendering us housebound, but I vowed to start afresh on Wednesday. Now Wednesday and Thursday went quite well, but only owing to the fact I was working and Granny was on duty.

And here we are, Friday already. The problem is me, rather than the beaker of milk. If it were Misery Guts or her Granny offering her the beaker she would happily take it and drink it. But with me, she knows there’s some hot stuff on tap to be had. ‘Why drink wine when you can drink champagne?’ a friend helpfully pointed out. Quite.

So there’s only one thing for it: I need to go away for a week, leave BB in the capable hands of Misery Guts, and come back when she’s forgotten the boob exists.

Since that’s not going to happen, any thoughts on how to up our game next week would be much appreciated.