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Baby weaning seems like a simple thing, but there’s not one universally-accepted method to accomplishing it.
After many months of a formula or breastmilk-only diet you may start to wonder, “is it the right time to wean my baby”?
Or you ask yourself, “how will I know when my baby is ready to wean?”
While sometimes it’s nice not to have “rules” to follow about something so natural, for new mothers, having a bit of guidance can be a good thing.
What is Weaning?
Weaning your baby means changing his food source from formula or breastmilk to other fluids and foods, depending upon his age and readiness.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that a baby should be fed only breast milk from birth to six months, followed by solid foods and breast milk until age one.
Nonetheless, the weaning process is a very gradual and personal one, dependent primarily upon your lifestyle and your baby’s readiness.
Signs a Baby is Ready to Wean
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends weaning your baby between four and six months of age, but again, the decision is a personal one.
In some countries, babies are not weaned until they’re two — and some keep breastfeeding until they’re four or five years of age.
While that’s not the norm in the U.S., it doesn’t seem to have any adverse effect on the children or their mothers, so you needn’t be in a great hurry to wean.
Weaning — from the bottle or the breast — can be initiated by the mother or the child.
For most mothers, however, it’s better if you see the signs a baby is ready to wean before you start the process. Some typical signs of a child that’s ready to wean include:
- She’s breastfeeding or drinking her formula often.
- Her birthweight has more than doubled.
- She’s interested in solid foods.
- She puts her hands and toys in her mouth often.
- Her mouth opens when she sees other people eating.
- She can sit without support.
- She can hold her head up steadily.
If you notice these signs, you feel you’re ready for weaning to begin, and your pediatrician is okay with it — it’s time to give weaning your baby a try.
Weaning Your Baby the Right Way
As we’ve expressed earlier, how and when to wean would be a decision all moms must make for themselves.
If you decide you and your little one are ready for the weaning experience, then let’s take a look at some simple methods that will get you started.
How to Wean Your Baby from Nursing
Weaning a baby off the breast is a little bit more complicated than weaning a formula-fed baby. This is simply because of the emotional closeness that breastfeeding engenders.
Remember, weaning from breastfeeding is a natural progression for children, so don’t stress too much about it — even if you’re the one that needs to start the process due to returning to work or some other reason.
You can begin the weaning process in several ways:
- Skip a feeding so baby’s hungry — then offer a bottle.
- Shorten nursing time — offer a bottle if he’s still hungry.
- Postpone and distract your (older) child to reduce feedings and offer solid food.
If you’re going from the breast to a bottle, make the transition easier by adding some breast milk to the formula to get your child interested in the bottle.
Try not to wean during other big changes in a child’s life, such as
- a new sleep schedule
- a new home
- while starting daycare for the first time
- while he is sick
Keep the process slow and gradual if you can — not just for your child, but to avoid weaning breastfeeding pain from engorged and painful breasts.
A long, slow weaning process helps reduce the chance of breast engorgement and mastitis, a painful condition caused by clogged milk ducts.
If you feel pain from engorgement, express your breasts by hand or use a breast pump just until you relieve your pain.
During weaning, your milk supply will decrease gradually over several weeks, after which engorgement isn’t an issue. Avoiding engorgement is another good reason to keep your weaning process gradual.
How to Wean a Baby from a Bottle
Babies are sippy-cup ready by six to nine months, so if you’re ready to wean from the bottle at that point — so are they.
Weaning to a sippy cup can be accomplished easily with a few tips:
- Start gradually, just like how to wean a baby off breast milk.
- If she loves to suck, let her — just not on her bottle. Offer other toys she can suck on in between feedings.
- If she can’t hold a sippy cup or doesn’t understand it — demonstrate by pouring a bit of the formula or milk into her mouth so she knows it’s in there.
- Don’t worry about your baby not getting enough nutrients if she’s resistant to weaning. She may drink less formula, but she’ll be turning her interest in solid foods to make up for it.
- For older babies who are solid-food ready, offer tasty snacks in between feedings to help pique her interest in new flavors and textures.
- Turn a nightly bottle-feeding into a sippy-and-snuggle to give your little one comfort during the transition.
Just like weaning from the breast, weaning from a bottle to the sippy cup can be done gradually. If your child shows resistance, take it slow and have patience — you’ll get there eventually.
Are You Having Difficulty Weaning?
Sometimes, babies (and moms) are resistant to the weaning experience. If this is the case with your little one, be patient.
As long as your child is not refusing to eat at all, you don’t have to worry. However, if your baby refuses all foods and drink, you should call your pediatrician immediately.
Babies going from the breast to bottle may experience some gas and cramping, as well as changes in bowel movements.
A weaning baby may also be more tired and cranky. Therefore, it’s important to provide a lot of soothing contact and plenty of opportunities to nap.
If you’re a little emotional due to weaning, have patience with yourself as well. Spend extra time with your little one and find other ways the two of you can bond.
Experience the Joys of Weaning
Weaning is an emotional experience — for moms and for babies.
Whether you’re weaning from a bottle or the breast, there can be some bittersweet emotion in watching your little one move to the next stage.
Allow yourself — and your baby — time to adjust to your new routine. Increase your snuggle-time and be considerate of your baby’s emotions — and your own.
Before you know it, you’ll both have adjusted and be excited about the new freedom that weaning will bring to your schedules.
Can you share your journey of weaning your baby with other parents?
Post in the comments below!
Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
