What is Weaning
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months if possible and supports breastfeeding for up to 2 years and beyond if desired by both mother and child. However, there comes a point in each mom and baby's breastfeeding journey when they will need to wean from breastfeeding. Whether from desire or necessity. Weaning is how you decrease your milk production by either gradually or rapidly reducing how often you breastfeed or pump.
When to Wean
Each baby is different, and so is each weaning journey. Weaning is always a very personal choice and can include many factors. Issues like physical or health concerns, work or lifestyle considerations, milk supply issues, a new pregnancy, or simply their thoughts and feelings, can have moms thinking about weaning.
Some babies will show no signs of wanting to wean, while others may start to show signs of self-weaning between 9-12 months of age. At this age, if you notice a lack of interest when the baby is offered the breast, baby is very distracted while nursing, taking shorter feeds, or rejecting feeds altogether, the baby may be telling you that they are ready to start weaning. It is best not to try and wean if the baby is sick, teething, or if there is another stressor going on in their little life, like a move, vacation, or other change to their routine. It will also be easier to wean if the baby has already been drinking well from a bottle or a cup.
Contact a Lactation Consultant
Many difficulties that mom and baby may face with breastfeeding can be solved with the help of a lactation consultant or other care provider, so if you are struggling, but would like to continue breastfeeding, please reach out to your lactation consultant or doctor to discuss possible solutions. The decision to wean can be a difficult one to make and is always a very personal decision for mom and baby. This decision should not be influenced by what others think or say, including care providers, family, friends, or colleagues. Ultimately, the decision to wean comes down to what works best for the mom and her baby.
How to Wean
1. Child-led Weaning
Likely the easiest way to wean, this is a natural way of weaning older babies and toddlers. Your child will gradually show less interest in nursing over time and eventually stops nursing on their own. Your milk production will gradually decrease if the baby gradually cuts back on feedings but if the baby stops nursing suddenly, you may need to pump or manually express milk for comfort. This will help you avoid painful fullness, mastitis, and other complications.
2. Parent-led Weaning
- a. Gradually increase the time between pump sessions and pump to comfort
- b. Gradually cut down on the amount of pump to comfort time per session
Dropping Nursing Sessions
In this method, mom initiates weaning by dropping breastfeeding sessions gradually over time. Begin by dropping one feeding at a time, usually starting with the feedings your baby is least attached to, like midday ones. Wait a few days to a week until your breasts and baby have adjusted, and then drop another feeding. Over 2-3 weeks, plan on cutting back to just two favorite feedings a day; these will likely be feedings that give the most comfort for both of you, like first-in-the-morning and/or bedtime feeds. Then cut down to one. Bedtime feeding is usually the last to be dropped. Continue this process until you are done breastfeeding. During and after this process, if your breasts feel full or uncomfortable, pump or hand-express for comfort.
Cutting Down on Nursing Session Length
Instead of cutting out feedings, mom would wean by cutting down on the amount of time in each feeding. First offer baby a snack, along with a cup of formula or whole milk if baby is older than 1 year old, and then offer the breast. Your baby should begin taking more from the cup or bottle and less from your breast, and will eventually wean completely.
Weaning by Pumping
If mom has been primarily pumping or needs to stop breastfeeding more immediately, they can wean via pumping.
One method is to gradually increase the time between pump sessions and pump only to comfort, not to complete emptiness of your breasts. For example, if you usually pump every 3 hours, you can try extending that time to every 4 hours and then pumping only until comfortable. Pumping only to comfort will leave milk in the breasts, which will signal your body to decrease milk production. Once comfortable with the extended gap between pumping sessions, then you can extend the gap further to 5-6 hours, and then beyond. The goal is to be comfortable without excessive fullness before increasing the intervals between pumping. With this method, most women can wean over a 2-3 week period.
Another method is to gradually cut down on the amount of pumping time per session. For example, if you normally pump for 20 minutes per session, pick one session that you would like to eventually wean from, and cut that time down to 15 minutes for 2-3 days. Then cut down to 10 minutes per session for a couple of days, and then to 5 minutes for another 2-3 days. At that point, you should be able to comfortably drop that pumping session altogether. Then move on to the next pumping session you would like to wean from and repeat the process.
If weaning before 12 months of age, make sure to replace feedings with formula or previously pumped/expressed breastmilk if you have been able to store any. After toddlers are 12 months old, they should be able to replace feedings with water, whole milk, and/or a snack. If you have any difficulty weaning, especially if you have a high milk production, please reach out to your lactation consultant or care provider for assistance.
3. Staying Comfortable While Weaning
4. Weaning the Toddler/Older Child
The older child breastfeeds for many reasons, not just nutrition, including comfort, security, relaxation, and bonding time with mom. There is no age at which breastfeeding is inappropriate, but these are some tips that can help if you are ready to wean your child:
- A. If still nursing on demand, it may help to schedule your toddler’s feeds so that they are nursing at times that are more convenient for you. For example, you could schedule the first feed upon awakening, then before and after naps, and then at bedtime.
- B. Once on a nursing routine, you can start dropping nursing sessions (see section on Parent-led Weaning for further tips). Your toddler or child may need different distraction strategies, like playing together, reading a book, offering a special snack or treat, or going outside to play during the time that you would have been breastfeeding.
- C. Some children will adjust better if mom is not around during the time of the dropped nursing session. For example, if dropping a feeding before or after nap, it may help to have someone else put the child down for nap or be the one to get them up after nap. The change in their routine can also help them with the transition.
- D. If a child is older than two years old, they may adjust easier if you discuss with them the timeline for weaning and ask them what will help them wean. Letting them in on the planning can make the transition much easier! As an example, if trying to stop feeds before bedtime, it may help to choose a future date that makes sense to your child (like when they start preschool or when a family member is coming to visit), and then ask what might help them fall asleep without breastfeeding (like music, reading a book, or a back massage).
