As your gorgeous baby zooms quickly towards toddlerhood, something may be on your mind (and your chest!). Hopefully, feeding your baby will have been a smooth and rewarding experience, but even if you’ve sailed through with nipples unscathed, babies come with milestones. And weaning off breastfeeding is one of those milestones.
If you’re wondering how to wean your baby off breastfeeding, then you’re in the right place. Read on to find out more about timescales, my top tips, and where you can get further help if you need it.
When is the best time to wean off breastfeeding?
There may be many different reasons why you’re considering weaning your baby from the breast. You may be struggling with milk supply, you may be returning to work and pumping isn’t going to be an option, or you may just be at the end of your breastfeeding journey.
The NHS and American Academy of Pediatrics both recommend exclusive breastfeeding, where possible, for the first 6 months of a baby’s life. But, ultimately, the decision on whether to continue breastfeeding your baby is a personal one.
If your baby is around 6 months, you’ll have started to add solid foods into their diet. The older they get and the more solid food they eat, the less they rely on your breastmilk. This often means it’s easier to wean an older baby than a younger one. But, at the same time, by the age of 12 months your baby may have a greater emotional attachment to breastfeeding.
Either way, if you’ve come to the conclusion that your time is done there are some things you can do to help.
How I help my mums wean their babies
Unless there is a medical or practical reason to go cold turkey, I recommend that my mums drop one feed at a time. Starting with the midday feed is often best, as there is more going on to distract your baby from milk than there is at night! This way the whole process is gentle on you and your baby, and the transition is smoother.
Speaking of a gentle process, if your breasts are feeling so full that they’re painful, the breast pump is your friend. Be sure to pump until you’re comfortable enough to deal with the fullness until the next feed, but not so much that your body thinks it needs to supply more milk. It might take a few goes to get this balance right. This also reduces your risk of mastitis.
Some other tips to reduce discomfort include:
- Wearing a firm, supportive bra
- Applying ice packs to reduce inflammation, and
- Pop some large cabbage leaves in your bra to help stop your milk supply (yes, really!)
Over time your body will get the message and adjust to produce less and less milk. Then you can move on to the next feed and continue the process.
What if it’s not working?
Remember, babies are creatures of habit, and they breastfeed for comfort as well as for food. If you’re struggling with dropping feeds try and find other ways that your baby can self-soothe – relish in some long snuggles, or introduce a safe soft toy. This can particularly help as part of the bedtime routine.
And if your supply isn’t getting the message?! Thankfully, there are medications that can be prescribed to shut off your milk supply if you’ve tried everything else, so it is worth approaching your doctor if you’re struggling.
Need more support?
If you’re struggling with how to wean off breastfeeding I can’t emphasise enough that you should be gentle with yourself.
Part of that is being realistic about the weaning process. If you have a deadline in mind, then What To Expect recommends starting a month beforehand. As we know, nature sometimes doesn’t play ball, so giving yourself some breathing room will make the whole process less stressful for everyone.
For more tips on feeding your baby, have a look at my feeding a newborn baby blog post.
If you’d like to talk about how I can support you through the weaning stage with your baby then I’d love to hear from you.
