How to wean a baby

Weaning means the end of breastfeeding, when your baby no longer has any breastmilk. Strictly speaking, the process of weaning begins when your baby has any food other than breastmilk and ends when she no longer has any breastmilk.

You might decide to stop breastfeeding when or before your baby reaches six or twelve months. For example, you might find that you start thinking about weaning when you’re getting ready to return to work. Your baby might even begin to wean before you’re ready, but this is less common. Here are some ideas to help you make a smooth transition from breast to bottle or cup.

Getting started with weaning

• Take it slowly. It’s a good idea to allow some time for your baby to get used to the change in routine and diet, and for your body to get used to no longer making milk. If the decision to wean is yours rather than your baby’s, you might need to offer some extra comfort as you make the transition to bottle-feeding or drinking from a cup. 
• You can wean to a cup or a bottle. This decision depends on your baby’s age – if your baby is around 7-8 months, she could learn to drink straight from a cup. The first step is to replace the breastfeed your baby seems least keen on, then replace another feed every week or few days.
• Express if you need to. If you stop breastfeeding quickly, your breasts might fill with milk (engorge) and become very uncomfortable. To prevent engorged breasts, you might need to express your milk sometimes. Express just enough for comfort – if you express too much you’ll actually stimulate an increase in supply.
• Take care when replacing the last remaining feed. Some mums need to go from one feed a day to one feed every few days to avoid engorged breasts, before stopping altogether.

• Watch out for lumpy breasts. After your baby has stopped breastfeeding, you might have lumpy breasts for about 5 to 10 days. A lump might indicate a blocked duct or the beginnings of mastitis. If it bothers you, try massaging the lumps or expressing a small amount of milk. This might help reduce the lumpiness. If any lump is persistent or painful, see your doctor. 
• Consider your breastmilk replacement. The age of your baby will help you decide whether to replace the breastfeeds with infant formula or cow’s milk – babies younger than 12 months shouldn’t be offered cow’s milk, so they need to be weaned onto formula.

Things to note

To wean an older baby or toddler, you might want to go slowly, changing your child’s routine gradually.

It’s also quite common to feel a bit down after your last feed, even if you were looking forward to weaning.

Your hormones might take some time to return to normal. Some women begin ovulating as soon as they reduce night feeds or begin to wean, while others find that the return of ovulation and menstruation takes several months.

Weaning and getting pregnant
It’s safe to start the combined pill (oestrogen and progesterone) while your baby is still having some breastfeeds. The combined pill also helps diminish your supply of breastmilk. 

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