Breastfeeding:Weaning

At what age should we wean our baby?

Weaning your baby from breastfeeding is part of the breastfeeding experience and something that all breastfed babies will go through. Weaning is a developmental milestone that all babies reach at different times. By definition, weaning is the act of substituting other foods for the mother's milk in the diet of a baby or child.

In order to make the weaning process a more enjoayble experience for both mother and baby, the La Leche League encourages mothers to gradually wean their babies. There is no magical age to begin the weaning process. Your child may wean themself or you may have to initiate the process. Some mothers feel the need to wean after the first six months, while others continue to nurse their babies for the first year of life, or second or third. From the moment you give your baby any other souce of nutrition, other than breastmilk, the process of weaning begins. During the weaning process, make sure that your baby has plenty of water, juice (no more than 3-4 ounces a day) and food. Pump breastmilk and put it in a cup for your child if you are trying to wean from the breast, but still want your child to have breastmilk for nutritional reasons. If your child is old enough, you may offer cow's milk to them in a cup.

While some women do go cold turkey on their babies, abrupt weaning should be avoided for the sake of both mother and baby. A woman's hormone levels drop once breastfeeding stops, which could lead to depression and the breasts will become engorged and sore, which could lead to an infection in the breast. Because the baby relys on breastfeeding as a means of comfort and security, your baby may become fussy and upset if weaning is done to quickly.

While some babies will have no problems weaning from the breast, some babies have a hard time. If you find that your baby is having a hard time weaning from the breast, offer alot of physical comfort to your baby, since that is what he/she is actively seeking. Cuddle your child and give plenty of kisses and hugs. Make a point to interact with only your child during the regular nursing times. Sometimes, the weaning process becomes overly disturbing and stressful for a child. If you notice that your child has a new fear of separation or is withdrawed from you, weaning may be happening to quickly for his level of comfort. Other signs of stress in the child include increased crying, refusal to eat, constipation, stomach ache, night waking and biting. While you do not have to allow your baby to nurse, some mothers allow their babies to nurse once a day, when they notice they need it the most. Some babies simply are not ready to be weaned and the time is probably not right for them.

Comments: Breastfeeding - Weaning

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sherylyn - 14 days ago.
Ok now on that note I have to go pump cause i am at work and want be getting to go home to my LO for another 5hrs. Good luck ladies! You are all wonderful mommies and your babies are blessed to have you.

sherylyn - 14 days ago.
To all us mommys bf, we need to not be so hard on ourselves. Just think there are moms out there that do not bf, either b/c they are to lazy and selfish or because they have health reasons or other stuff that can't be helped. But thier babies will most likely be ok. They maybe sick more often than our babies then again they may not. But at least if our babies get sick we can say 'hey I breast fed so I tried to make my baby healthier'. Even if we only BF a few weeks it is better than none at all. And for those moms who do not bf, it is not our place to judge them. BF is not for everyone. And as far as when to stop bf, there is no right or wrong time. You have to do what YOU feel is best for you and your baby. But try not to stress so much b/c that only makes it harder on you and your baby. I mean if you think about it the docs dont even know when to tell you to stop. Some say a year some say two years. I had a friend who was bf her 18 month old and asked if she should bf till 2 yrs he said 'well they may do that in other countries but not here' He also said if a baby is old enough to ask for the boob than that is to old. So no wonder it is so confusing for us moms. We all need to just lock ourselves in a room by ourselves and think long and hard about what we want for ourselves and our LO. No matter what the decision, rather to bf or not our babies are gonna be just fine.

glowingmommy2be - 38 days ago.
rolliniris- from what I've been told, you should try introducing a bottle to replace 1 feeding a day for 3-4 days and then increase the bottle frequency by one feeding and decrease the nursing by one feeding every 3-4 days until your baby is totally on the bottle. I'd recommend Similac Advanced with Early Shield for formula, it's the most like breastmilk that I've found, unless your dr. tells you something else. Good luck and congrats!

rolliniris - 39 days ago.
Help! I'm 11 weeks pregnant and nursing a 1-year-old. I've lost 10 lbs so far and am very concerned! My little man loves the BB and has never had a bottle. My husband is very anti-dairy. I have no idea where or what to start with, any suggestions?

love-a-belly - 39 days ago.
hi ladies :) i was just wondering : my DS is 10mths now and ive breast fed him the whole time he's now on a good amount of solids 3 meals and two snacks a day but he is still having 4-6 feeds a day he won't drink enough water to the point that i am satisfied that he's had enough he won't need a feed. i don't mind feeding him i'm just worried what people will say in a few months if he's not down to at least two feeds. i'm hoping that i'm pregnant also so i suppose he'll have to be weaned at some stage won't he?

manda-may - 39 days ago.
glowingmommy good for you for sticking at it so long. It is hard work, and you have to do what is best for you and baby. I never had enough milk for my twins so always topped them up with formula after every breast feed, then eventually decided to wean them onto formula only at 9 months, so at 10 months they finished with the whole breast feeding thing. It was getting tricky to fit them both on the feeding pillow, they were pushing each other, etc, and I didn't want to do them one after the other because it would take too long and then I still had to offer them a formula top up and often food too! It was just easier in the end to call it a day. I agree with you that any breast feeding at all is better than none, and some people are just unable to. Good luck with your baby, and don't beat yourself up about your decision. It sounds very logical to me. Pumping and bf are very hard work, and if you are working too, then I don't know how you have coped this long! lol! Well, good luck and all the best!

glowingmommy2be - 40 days ago.
Well, I'm finally giving in and weaning my little guy :( I tried everything you could think of (fenugreek, mothers milk, yeast, medication, etc.) to try and increase my milk to be able to exclusively bf. It worked up until now when his demands are kicking in again! He eats 4-6 oz every 3 hours and I can only get 3 oz every 2 hours if I'm lucky. I mean I've tried EVERYTHING! I had to supplement at about 2 months because I wasn't making enough then either and it gave him digestive problems so now I'm scared to death to wean him, but then I think 'well, I've done it longer than alot of women I know' and 'I gave it everything I could' I just feel like a machine is contantly attached to my boobs! I pump every 2 hrs at work and then again during the evenings when I get home. Now that Hunter gets the bottle (with bm) at daycare, he won't nurse at all during the day. He gets pissed if I try, he'll only nurse during the night, but now he's pretty much sleeping through the night and I never get to nurse pretty much now. So it's really taking away the whole bonding experience! I know that it's so good for him and that's why I feel like I'm failing. I have nothing against mothers who choose not to bf, but I had this great dream of being able to do it for a year and here I am almost 4 months and giving in. I just feel like I am already not able to give my son what he needs and therefore failing him :( I'm so scared too of how bad this might be on my body to wean. I'm excited about the independence again, but it makes me feel selfish to get excited. Ohhhhhh....alright, hopefully I don't start crying again soon. any advise or support is welcomed and thanks for the support already ladies.

jessiezc - 46 days ago.
sigh... I managed to get extremely sick last week with everything. Pink eye in both eyes, strep, upper respiratory infection, 102 Fever, etc. It turns out that the strep was resistent to the antibiotics that they gave me and we were worried that it would get worse and move on to the baby. My hubby is allergic to Penicillin. We decided that it was in the best interests of everyone to stop nursing and just get rid of the infection by stepping up levels and throwing me on the highest dosage. Its working... I feel great and have a few more days of antibiotics left. HOwever, we were planning on waiting to fully wean LO until after a trip in October. She is NOT ready to be weaned and is upset about it. Also a problem... I had a hospital grade rented pump which I used when I pumped, but since she normally only nursed morning and bedtime, I no longer had to pump. I don't know how much longer I can not pump and still produce. I think I'm going to have to find a hand pump anyway. I've given her a bottle at night and morning and held her close in her favorite BF position... its working pretty well. I miss BFing though.

mandarae - 49 days ago.
Hello ladies! I will be 15 wks pregnant tomorrow and am still nursing my twins (who will be 1 this Friday) My Dr wants me to be done nursing by 20 weeks. I am ready to be done myself although I just don't know how to get them to stop. The night nursing before bed is our biggest problem. Breanne will take a bottle but Karissa totally refuses one - but will sorta take a sippy. I just don't know how to stop. It so weird because I remember not knowing how to start - as the girls were 8 wks early and I had to exclusivly pump for the first 2 1/2 months. HELP?! Any tips, tricks, ideas are appreciated here!!!

Bri - 50 days ago.
mollyjs - My son self weaned at 21months. He just was too busy to nurse and then just decided one day not to have any interest anymore. Each child will wean on their own time. Most do wean before 2 but some don't. Honestly, no one can tell you how long is too long. That's for you and Baby to decide. But I can tell you it is much easier to let them lead you in the weaning process. Makes for less tears and heart ache.

mollyjs - 50 days ago.
My son is 18 months old and still nursing. On the days I work it's only once or twice a day but on my days off he nurses at least 4 times a day. Does anyone think this is too much for his age? I feel ready to stop but at the same time it's a calming strategy for us. I'm a single parent and sometimes it's just easier when he's upset, to stick him on a boob. Especially when he wakes early in the morning and I want a little more sleep. I will get him out of his crib and bring him in bed with me. I've always believed in babies self weaning but I also said I wouldn't nurse my son past 2yrs. Just seems creepy when they can ask for it and pull your shirt down. Any advise would be much appreciated.

martam - 60 days ago.
Any help? I have to stop breastfeeding today because my daughter is very allergic to my milk, her symptoms have only gotten worse in the last month. She is 5 months old and the doctor recommened a soy formula. I feel terrible to stop breastfeeding so abruptly, but last night she was up have the night vomitting. So today is her first day on formula. She seems to be taking it well. But my breasts are so lumpy and engorged.. any suggestions?

mountainmama - 71 days ago.
thanks campimama....it's weird to have her not interested in nursing, just a year ago i couldn't get her off me!! ;) how quickly it goes. will i have enough milk if she only nurses 2x a day & 1 pump @ work?

campimama - 72 days ago.
mountainmomma- The disinterest in nursing is the big cue. Keep giving milk in a cup but give other things like cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese etc. Juice and water to keep hydrated too. Some kids aren't milk drinkers. There are lots of foods that you can give that are high in calcium- broccoli for instance. Feed her a healthy diet with a range of foods and things should be good. My son has decided that he wants to nurse once or twice during the day and the same at night...he has no desire to nurse before bed (that just started a few days ago) so I cuddle him and read a book and he goes to bed. Just take the process slowly. Sounds like your little one is ready to start the process.

mountainmama - 72 days ago.
what are some signs that your baby is ready to wean? my little one is starting not to want to nurse when i get home from work, yet she's not drinking that much milk (if any lately) during the day at day care....she's 14th months old...thanks!

campimama - 106 days ago.
We've started the weaning process. I can't believe my baby is almost a year old. He's been losing interest in the booby, so I introduced reg milk in his cup to see how he'd do. He did great. He didn't 'ask' to nurse all day long and just drank from his sippy. We fed before bed and then 2 times last night. It just is a strange feeling not to be 'needed' like I was before. What a big boy he's becoming :)

Bri - 110 days ago.
sydbabe - Your chances are high. Most women can breastfeed. Now that you have this site then with any problems come here! I had so many in the beginning. My son couldn't latch for over two months but we made it work. He is now almost 21months and just now weaning. He's self weaning which I'm proud to say. As for the pain with the first. It can be painful for many reasons. If you had a bad latch and because baby couldn't get it right it just ended up painful or you might be very sensitive. My son was awful and it hurt like Hell. But, after a few weeks it got better. Then there was no pain at all. Another reason could have been a case of Thrush which is a yeast infection that cause pain. It feel like needles on the breast. I've had it before and it hurts. I've never felt that much pain in my life. This time around if you do have pain doctor to your lacation consultant or doctor. They can help you work through what is causing the pain or diagnose Thrush if it happens. A little meds and you are good to go. I got an awesome ointment that literally had my breasts feeling better within one dose. Anyways, breastmilk is so good for the baby. Don't let the previous experience dampen your efforts. Each baby and time is different. This time you may have the best sucker. You may leave the hospital with little or no pain at all. Oh and always remember lanolin is a breastfeeding mom's best friend.

sydbabe - 110 days ago.
I couldnt breastfeed with my oldest son, my breast were way to sore and had me in tears. My second son had a congenital heart defect and was in a coma for the first few weeks of he's life so we opt'ed not to breastfeed him niether, im pregnant with my third boy and due on the 11th of the 11th and was just wondering what everyone thought of our chances of breastfeeding?

Erica93 - 124 days ago.
we are offically done weaning as of three days ago. No more feedings. Kinda sad, but I was so sore because of this pregnancy so I needed to stop. We made it to 13 months, which I am very proud of. The last to go was the middle of the night feeding. When I told my husband that feeding was over, he got up with her in the middle of the night to change her and put her back down with no feeding. The first night she cried for about an hour. The second night only 5 minutes. Last night was the fourth night and she slept the whole night!! Awesome. Cound't have asked for a better weaning experience! I love my girl!

kelly-roo - 129 days ago.
I didn't know there was a weaning section. I'm slowly weaning our girl from my breast and then off breastmilk. I plann on it taking a few months. Shes usually uninterested and is biting(two top/ three bottom teeth). shes going to be 9 months on the 14th and up till now has been only a 'bb' baby.

Erica93 - 131 days ago.
Just wanted to leave an update for those visiting and wanting info on weaning. We are now at one time a night (only one side). This is going to be a hard one to break! We have been good so far and she LOVES her whole milk.

erica93 - 158 days ago.
Well, weaning has been going really well. We are down to three feedings a day. We were at 6-7 a day about two months ago. I only nurse her before bedtime and twice at night. My BB are awful full by nighttime, but hopefully that will go away soon. She is drinking from a bottle her whole milk and loves it if it is warm. I will worry about switching her to sippys for her milk later. Right now weaning is top priority!! Next to go is one night feeding, but that isn't until next week. A lot easier than I thought it would be...

kathy=^.^= - 171 days ago.
argff this weaning is hard... with my first it was way easier!!! but this time around being a sahm its hard!!! he doesnt want anything but the boobies!!!

erica93 - 171 days ago.
Hello everyone! I am 11 weeks preggo and my DD is turning 1 this weekend. I have been in the process of weaning her for about two weeks now . We are going slow. I have dropped one feeding during the day and went down to two feedings a night (used to be three-four). she is getting whole milk with her BM during the day with Nana. My concern is that my BB are so sore right now and my supply is going way down. I dont' want to increase it just hoping to wean her off a little bit quicker. I think I am going to just keep doing what I am doing and if my supply goes, it goes. I am just worried that she won't be fully transitioned to whole milk before my supply goes down. She gets about an ounce and 1/4 in her bottles now and we are increasing by 1/4 every couple of days. I want her to get her nutrition, but I don't have any stored BM in the freezer (except for like 8 oz.). I am not sure what I am looking for here, I guess just advice/support from others who have been through this.

smurfwxmama - 171 days ago.
I weaned my lil guy a month ago and it took a few months as I wanted to do the gradual wean, as I had plenty of time before I actaully had to leave as i stated on here before. Since I've been home lil man has no interest in me as a food source at all and is completely on formula now, but here's my lil weaning experience......I had about 170 oz stored up so we weaned over a gradual time, I think the he cared more for the mommy comfort than the actual eating at night which is evidence in that he now sleeps through the night almost every night... Starting about 2 mths before I was scheduled to leave we introduced him to formula, about a bottle a day to start and then more at daycare as he was to get that primarily at daycare and bm at home. He did great on it, never threw a fit or anything, so we gradually increased his intake at daycare over the 3 wks before I left and decreased my pump sessions accordingly as well, so at the end I would pump once a day, we'd also maybe give a bottle of formula at home at night to see if it mattered to fill him up and not wake during the night, it didn't matter either way he'd wake up. I was set to leave on a thursday so the sunday before I left was the last time to nurse. And that monday I tried to stop pumping, I however had to pump one time on tuesday afternoon as I was pretty uncomfortable but after that I never pumped again. I did take my manual with me on the chance I might have to, did not want any infections or pain while I was away from docs but never had to use it. To help stop the production I used 2 sports bras to keep myself nice and bound up. I think the reason I had to pump on tuesday was because I was not completely emptied at the last nursing so it kind of just increased a bit, but after I pumped I never got the engorged feeling again and it took about a week and a half to two weeks that I was gone to stop making milk. I don't leak at all and my breasts are down to normal size again. Everyone thinks I've lost weight and I haven't it's just that my boobs are not huge anymore!