Weaning: Recommendations for breast-feeding mothers

Weaning isn’t going to have to be difficult. Uncover out how to pick the proper time and what you can do to simplicity your kid’s transition to the bottle or cup.

By Mayo Clinic Employees

If you’re breast-feeding, you may have concerns about weaning. When is the proper time? Will weaning upset your little one? How can you steer clear of engorgement? Get the points about weaning and how to make the method a a lot more beneficial a single for you and your little one.

When’s the ideal time to begin weaning?

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests exceptional breast-feeding for the very first 6 months after beginning — and breast-feeding in mix with solids foods until eventually at least age one. Breast-feeding is recommended as extensive as you and your little one wish to carry on.

When to begin weaning your little one is a personalized conclusion. It can be normally best to commence weaning when your little one starts the method. Alterations in breast-feeding patterns primary to eventual weaning normally commence obviously at age six months, when strong foods are normally released. Some kids commence to seek other kinds of diet and ease and comfort at all over age one. By this age, kids normally consume a wide variety of strong foods and are able to consume from a cup. Other kids may not initiate weaning until eventually they turn out to be toddlers, when they’re considerably less keen to sit still for the duration of breast-feeding.

You may also come to a decision when to begin the weaning method your self. This may be a lot more difficult than following your kid’s guide — but can be accomplished with excess treatment and sensitivity.

Whenever you begin weaning your little one from the breast, focus on your kid’s wants as perfectly as your own. Resist comparing your circumstance with that of other family members, and look at rethinking any deadlines you may have established for weaning when you ended up pregnant or when your little one was a new child.

Are there sure times when it wouldn’t be good to begin weaning?

Contemplate delaying weaning if:

  • You might be anxious about allergens. If you or your kid’s father has food allergy symptoms, look at delaying weaning until eventually after your little one turns age one. Investigate suggests that exposing a little one to opportunity allergens although breast-feeding may minimize his or her risk of creating allergy symptoms. Converse to your kid’s medical doctor.
  • Your little one isn’t emotion perfectly. If your little one is ill or teething, postpone weaning until eventually he or she feels far better. You may also postpone weaning if you’re not emotion perfectly. You might be both equally a lot more probably to deal with the transition perfectly if you’re in fantastic wellness.
  • A big improve has transpired. Stay clear of initiating weaning for the duration of a time of big improve. If your loved ones has lately moved or your little one treatment circumstance has transformed, for illustration, postpone weaning until eventually a considerably less demanding time.

If your little one is struggling with the weaning method, look at seeking once more in a month or two.

What’s the ideal way to commence weaning?

Slowly but surely tapering off how extensive and how normally you breast-feed every working day — over the class of months or months — will result in your milk provide to step by step diminish and avoid engorgement. It may be best to fall a midday breast-feeding session very first. Following a lunch of strong food, your little one may turn out to be interested in an exercise and obviously give up this session. The moment you have dropped a single feeding, you can operate on dropping yet another.

Must I refuse feedings for the duration of the weaning method?

Refusing to breast-feed when your little one would like to nurse can increase your kid’s focus on the exercise. If your little one would like to nurse, go in advance. Then, carry on functioning to distract him or her with new foods, things to do and sources of reassurance — this kind of as a favourite stuffed animal — all over the times of your standard breast-feeding sessions.

What about diet after weaning?

If you wean your little one from breast-feeding just before age one, use expressed breast milk or iron-fortified formulation. Don’t give your little one cow’s milk until eventually after his or her very first birthday.

You can wean your little one to a bottle and then a cup or immediately to a cup. When introducing your little one to a bottle, pick a time when he or she isn’t very hungry and may have a lot more patience. Use a bottle nipple with a sluggish movement at very first. If you use a bottle nipple with a speedy movement, your little one may turn out to be accustomed to that and get disappointed with the pacing and distinctive movement rate of milk for the duration of breast-feeding.

How extensive does weaning consider?

Weaning could consider times, months or months. Even after you properly wean your little one from working day feedings, you may carry on to breast-feed in the morning and just before your kid’s bedtime to keep up that emotion of closeness.

Breast-feeding is an personal expertise. You may have blended emotions about permitting go. But by getting a gradual tactic to weaning — and giving a lot of passion — you can enable your little one make a clean transition to a bottle or cup.