About weaning off breastfeeding
Weaning is when you stop breastfeeding your child.
Some children are more attached to breastfeeding than other children are. They’ll all wean in their own time. But if you don’t want to wait for your child to wean on their own, weaning can happen when you’re ready.
Planning for weaning
Weaning is likely to be a big change for your child. For many older children, breastfeeding is often more about security and comfort than about food, so weaning can be quite stressful.
This means it’s probably best to avoid weaning when there are other major changes in your child’s life – for example, toilet training, starting child care or moving house.
A few weeks or months before you start weaning, it’s a good idea to start talking with your child about what will happen. This will give your child time to get used to the idea and can help to make the change easier.
Weaning tips
When you’re weaning older children off breastfeeding, it often works to stop offering certain breastfeeds, but don’t refuse if your child asks for a breastfeed. You might find that your child will gradually start to forget about some feeds.
Here are more tips that can help. You can start with the tip you think will suit your child best, or you can use a few if that suits you both.
Dropping or limiting feeds
- Drop one breastfeed at a time, and wait a few days before you drop the next one. This will also be easier on your breasts, which might get engorged if you stop too suddenly.
- Consider dropping daytime breastfeeds first, then gradually drop any bedtime or night-time feeds. These are probably the ones that give your child the most comfort.
- Introduce a few limits, like not breastfeeding when you’re out or feeding only after lunch during the day.
Offering alternatives to feeds
- If your child wakes in the night for a breastfeed, let your partner or someone else settle your child with a cuddle or a cup of water.
- Occasionally replace a breastfeed with a ‘grown-up’ alternative. Your child might be excited about having a special but healthy drink like a babyccino at a café when they’d normally be at home having a breastfeed.
- Introduce activities and outings into your daily routine so your child is too busy and distracted to think about breastfeeding.
Helping your child leave feeds behind
- Encourage shorter feeds if your child likes to fall asleep at the breast. You could tell your child before breastfeeding that you’ll do something fun together afterwards. This might encourage your child to finish their feed more quickly.
- Try the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ principle. This involves leaving your child with someone they’re comfortable with at times when they’d normally have a breastfeed. Your child will be less likely to miss breastfeeding if you’re not around.
- Avoid dressing and undressing while your child is around, and wear clothes that make it hard for your child to get to your breasts – for example, dresses rather than separates.
Children over 12 months of age can be weaned to pasteurised full-fat cow’s milk from a cup. If your child is allergic to cow’s milk or has lactose intolerance, talk to your GP or a dietitian about alternatives. Your child can also have tap water. Children don’t need formula after 12 months.
Weaning off morning and night feeds
Your child’s last remaining breastfeeds might be at bedtime and first thing in the morning.
To drop the morning feed, you could try to be up and dressed before your child wakes, then offer your child breakfast.
To drop the bedtime feed, you could try a change of routine to break the old routine. You could try a sleepover with grandparents, or your partner could read stories to your child instead of a breastfeed.
If your child is used to being fed to sleep, you could change the routine by offering a story after the feed, as an incentive to stay awake.
Feeding in another room and not just before bed can also help to break the association between feeding and sleeping. Once you’ve broken the association, over time you can drop the feed.
When you’re weaning your child off night feeds, try to ensure their bedtime routine is still relaxed with plenty of cuddles.
It also helps to talk with your child about the changes. For example, you could say, ‘We only have a breastfeed when the sun is up again’.
It’s natural to feel a bit sad about the last breastfeed. It might help to remind yourself that you’ve done a great job giving your child a healthy start to life. You might also like to talk to an Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) counsellor on 1800 686 268 or use ABA LiveChat.