Weaning (from the breast)

When to wean from breastfeeding your baby is entirely up to you, the mother. If your baby doesn't show signs of wanting to stop the nursing routine by around 18 months old, he/she may not take the initiative to wean themselves. On the other hand, some babies will wean themselves without any help from you. Try not to start the weaning process during change in your baby's life (things like illness, teething, moving, your return to work, changing sitters, etc).


It is said that: 
A 5 month old who seems disinterested in nursing may actually just be really interested in their surroundings.
A 7 month old may be more interested in their physical activities.
A 9 month old (or older) may be becoming more independent.

When a baby becomes less interested in nursing, do not take it personally. They aren't less interested in you, they're just less interested in meal times. Some babies can be convinced to concentrate. Try the following: 

• Try nursing in a nice and quiet place. Don't have the TV on or animals in the room. Dim the lights, cuddle up, and try to get your baby to relax.
• Nurse your baby when he/she is sleepy (first thing in the morning, before too much activity is starting, after a warm bath, before nap time, etc.). 
• Some babies prefer to nurse during all the action. You can try a sling and nurse while walking around. 

If none of these options work, your baby may just be ready to wean. If you're able to pump enough, pumping until that 1 year mark is ideal.

If your baby has been receiving bottles in addition to breastfeeding, weaning to a bottle (before a year) will probably be an easy task. If you've waited about this long, and your baby has never had a bottle, then you'll probably skip over the formula and the bottles and just move directly to the cup and the whole milk. If your baby has only had the breast, never a bottle or a cup, you'll have to wait until your baby has mastered either one until you wean completely.

If you will be continuing with the breastfeeding past a year, know that night-time feeding can, like prolonged bottle feeding, lead to dental decay. Also, sucking while lying down can lead to ear infections. You can avoid these things by nursing at bedtime, but not in the middle of the night. 

While weaning, be aware that your baby may need extra comfort in order for the process to go smoothly.
Nursing provides love, comfort, and food, so you'll need to provide a substitute. Cuddling, rocking, reading, or playing together can help the process of become successful. Weaning can go quickly or it can take much longer for the baby that is especially attached to the breast.  
You will find that the morning nursing and the night nursing will be the hardest to break. 

Weaning the toddler (over a year): 
You may want to keep a record for a few days to figure out your child's nursing needs; then you can develop a plan.

• Time: 
• Place: 
• Interest level: 
• Reason for nursing: 

In addition to hunger, you may find that your toddler is wanting to nurse out of boredom, sleepiness, the need to be comforted or get attention, etc. When you figure out what feedings are due to actual hunger and what ones are due to less crucial needs, you can identify which feedings you can start to eliminate. Some of these nursing sessions could be easily replaced with a snack, a walk, playtime, reading, or a play date.

Though my son isn't a year old yet, his morning nursings have now been replaced with getting up and having a cup (sippy) of formula (he's 10 months old right now) and some play time. Then we move on to breakfast foods in his high-chair. 

You may also notice that your toddler wants to nurse when you talk on the phone - this is for attention, so you could try to replace it with something else, or keep your conversation short.


Starting the cup:

1. Wait until your baby can sit up with support. 
2. Be sure the cup you choose isn't breakable or crushable. 
3. You may have to experiment with what cup your baby wants. Each child is different. 

The first cup I tried (with handles) my son hated. I tried two other ones, each shaped differently than the next, each with a different top. He hated those too. I went back to the first cup, but I took the handles off. Wa-la!

1. Be prepared for messes! 
2. When starting a regular cup that isn't a sippy, use the "sip-at-a-time technique:" Hold the cup to the baby's lips and slowly pour a few drops into his/her mouth. Stop each session when your baby tells you he/she has had enough (turning head, pushing cup away, or fussing). Know that a lot of liquid will probably fall out of your baby's mouth at first, but eventually he/she will get the hang of things.
3. Eventually your baby may grab the cup from you; let him/her. There may be plenty of spills. I'll say it again - there may be plenty of spills. It happens, don't get upset, its all a part of learning.
4. Once your baby can drink from a regular cup well, ditch the sippy cup just like you did with the bottle.