How to wean off breastfeeding

So you have mastered the wonderful maternal art of breastfeeding. Your child has flourished and grown strong from your milk. You have developed a beautiful bond between your baby and yourself. But there comes a time when your child needs to come off the breast and find nourishment in solid foods. It can be tricky to know how to wean off breastfeeding, but our tips and tricks will help you through this next stage in your baby’s development.

When to wean off breastfeeding?

This is a common question many parents ask. Some mothers wean their baby off the breast after six months when their baby is able to start on solids. However, the parents tend to give their baby follow-up formula milk. Other parents wait until after a year when their baby is able to digest cow’s milk. Solid food and cows’ milk can give sufficient nutrients for the baby to grow and develop. However, some mothers continue to breastfeed their child when they are a toddler and even longer.

Many health organisations recommend breastfeeding after a year. They say that a baby can still benefit from the additional nutrients and antibodies that breast milk gives to boost your baby’s immune system. It is also recommended that you continue to breastfeed as you introduce solids to your baby’s diet as breast milk can help aid digestion.

The World Health Organisation recommends breastfeeding up to two years old.
The Academy of American Paediatricians suggests breastfeeding until age one.
The UK National Health Service (NHS) also suggests breastfeeding until age one.

All these organisations recommend exclusively breastfeeding up until 6 months. In addition, the only drink a baby should have until they are one year old should be either breast milk or formula milk.

Why wean off breastfeeding?

The answer is simple: you don’t want to feed your child when he’s a grown adult so you have to stop at some point.

Some mothers wean off breastfeeding once they return to work as it is more convenient. However, if you want to continue to breastfeed once you return to work you have the right to a private space to express milk and should be allowed to store milk in a fridge at work.

The NHS provides an excellent booklet on Breastfeeding and Work.

Other mothers stop breastfeeding because they have developed a common breastfeeding problem such as mastitis. Read our post on the Benefits of Breastfeeding for advice on tackling common breastfeeding problems.

Many mothers allow their babies to lead the way when it comes to weaning. A parent can offer some solid foods during the day such as mashed-up bananas for the baby to pick up and try, but the mother will also offer breastmilk during regular feeding times so the baby is still getting essential nutrients.

Baby-led weaning is a slow gradual approach to weaning. The more solid foods your baby can eat the fewer times you need to breastfeed.

Some mothers want to wean their child off the breast because the child is too attached to that form of comfort and they are really too old to be asking for “mummy’s boobies”.

Other mothers want to wean their baby off breastmilk because they are sick of feeling like a milking factory, and that is fine too.

Whatever your reasons for wanting to wean your baby off breastmilk they are perfectly valid reasons because only you know your baby’s needs and your own needs.

How to wean your baby off breastmilk

Now you know when to wean your baby off breastmilk and you know why you are doing it, here is how to wean your baby off breastmilk.

• Go slow: For the first 6 months, your baby will have been fully reliant on your breast milk to survive and grow. But at six months old your baby’s digestive system will be strong enough to take in a few solids. But take this part slowly. Once a day offer your baby new food. You don’t need to mix ingredients, just blend a carrot or a banana and place the dish in front of your child. Then allow your child’s digestive system to learn how to digest that new solid food. This can be a good way to test for allergies too.
• Have fun: Weaning your baby onto solid foods is really quite fun. Messy, but fun. You can play aeroplane with a spoon. You can lay the food before your child and let him or her pick it up in their hands and smother their faces with it. Let them lick a lemon and take a picture of their face. Daddy can get involved too. Make feeding time a fun positive experience. It doesn’t matter if they don’t eat any of it, initially. At this stage, they are just exploring tastes.
• Start dropping breastfeeds. If you feed your baby around 6 times a day drop one feed at a time, replacing it with solid food instead. Drop the first few feeds when your baby is wide awake such as at breakfast time or lunchtime. Don’t try to feed your baby if they are tired.
• Give your baby another form of comfort. Breastfeeding is one of the main forms of comfort you can give your baby at the start of their life. They feel safe and secure whilst breastfeeding. This means you are meeting two of the basic needs of your child at once. But at some point, they will need to self-soothe and weaning is a good time to offer a different form of comfort that is not your breast, such as a pacifier (babies love to suck) or a toy, or blanket.

Equipment You Need

The great thing about breastfeeding is that all you really need is your breasts. But when it comes to weaning your child on to solid food you may need the following equipment:

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High Chair – This high chair comes highly recommended and is a best seller. It is easy to store and keep clean. It is perfectly secure and stable to enable your child to wiggle and squirm safely in their high chair, (because that is what babies do).

Sippy Cups – These simple Tommy Tippee cups are perfect to offer your baby as they are learning how to drink from a cup. They are easy to grip and easy to clean.

Bibs – I recommend wipeable bibs over cloth bibs. They are easy to clean and the pockets catch all the food that will inevitably drip from your baby’s drooling mouth.

Baby Feeding Set – This feeding set comes with an adorable owl shape plate with dividers, a spoon, a bib and a bowl with a suction base. You will need a suction base as babies love to pick up their bowls and fling the contents around the kitchen.

Ice Cube Trays – The most efficient way to prepare your baby’s first meals is to batch cook them and freeze them. Ice cube trays are fantastic storage units to measure portion sizes and store the food in the freezer.

Useful Websites

Weaning | Start 4 Life (www.nhs.uk)
NHS
National Childbirth Trust

Comments

Weaning babies is a bit of a sensitive topic. There can be a lot of judgements out there on when to wean your baby off the breast. I started weaning Sops at 6 months but stopped breastfeeding just after a year, as I felt she was getting enough nutrients and energy from the solid foods she was consuming. When did you stop breastfeeding your child? Would you recommend tips on weaning for other parents? If so, please leave a message in the comments below or join the discussion in the forum.