The decision to wean from the breast and stop breastfeeding will either be made by you or by your child, and you may or may not be happy about the decision either way.
We often talk about weaning in the context of introducing solid food, but the actual definition is about stopping feeding your baby breastmilk, which for the purposes of this article we will assume has been done at the breast, rather than by expressing.
If your child decides that
they no longer need to
breastfeed – nutritionally or emotionally, this is known as child-led weaning. It is very unlikely that your baby will be ready to do this before 12 months (a baby who stops feeding before this point may be having a nursing strike) and before they are getting all their nutritional needs from solid food and are able to drink from a cup. Research suggests that the natural weaning age for humans is somewhere between 2 and 4 years old. Child-led weaning is usually a slow process, with the number of feeds gradually reducing over a period of time, often over months. Children often continue with only morning and/ or bedtime feeds, with feeds getting shorter and less frequent before finally stopping. Although child-led weaning is a gradual process, many mothers will feel some sadness when their child decides to stop breastfeeding. Conversely, some mothers
may feel frustrated if they are ready to
stop breastfeeding but their child is
unwilling to stop.
If you decide it is time to stop breastfeeding - for whatever reason at whatever time, this is known as mother-led weaning. If your baby is less than one year old, they will need to be fed formula milk until their first birthday to meet their nutritional requirements. Mother-led weaning can be a physically and emotionally challenging time for both you and your child, here are a few tips to make it as smooth as possible:
STOPPING BREASTFEEDING
TAKE IT SLOWLY
Wean: 1) accustom an infant to food other than its mother’s milk.
A gradual transition allows you to substitute other kinds of nutrition and comfort for your child. Allowing a minimum of 2-3 days (although ideally longer) between dropping a breastfeed means your body has time to adjust to the reduced demand for milk and you are less at risk of suffering from engorged breasts, blocked milk ducts, mastitis or breast abscess. If you get uncomfortably full between breastfeeds, you can always express a bit of milk to soften your breasts. Try to avoid dropping consecutive breastfeeds and try leaving the times your child most enjoys feeding until the last. As your breastmilk production winds down, your breastmilk actually becomes more concentrated (like colostrum) again, giving your child an extra boost of immunity.
If you need to stop breastfeeding quickly, it is possible to replace all feeds with formula milk (if before 12 months) or other drinks (for an older baby). You will probably need to express enough milk, for as long as needed, to remain comfortable. After a few days you will probably notice that you only need to express 2-3 times a day and once a day after a week or so.
STOPPING QUICKLY