Helpful Tips For Weaning Your Baby

Breastfeeding is a wonderful experience for both the mother and her baby, providing the baby with all the vital nutrients needed to grow throughout the first years of their life. There comes a time when mom may decide to wean her child. It is important to understand, however, weaning can be challenging, particularly with children who find great comfort in breastfeeding. There is no specific best way to wean a baby. The way a mother opts to wean will depend on how fast she wants to wean and her child’s personality. 

Let Your Child Decide The Right Time

Don’t feel pressured to wean your baby. The World Health Organization tells parents to breastfeed for six months exclusively, and continue breastfeeding until their child is two years old or a little older in combination with complementary foods.

Sometimes mothers will find their child may not be ready to wean, making the process even harder. This is why letting your child decide the right time makes weaning much easier. As your child gets older, they may prefer to nurse less often and pick their favorite foods instead. Furthermore, their blanket or favorite toy may also replace nursing and provide comfort at the same time. Many parents call this a baby-led weaning method where they follow 'don’t offer, don’t refuse,' so they only nurse when their child shows interest. This method is best when your child at least shows some signs of weaning, but it means you might have to wait until later. When you let your child decide the right time, things tend to be smoother for everyone.

Set A Schedule

If you want to wean, setting a schedule is the first step. Your toddler may not be happy about having breastfeeding restrictions, but a schedule starts teaching them there are times when nursing is off-limits. Set this schedule based on when you hope to finish weaning and backtrack to create the plan. The first portion of the schedule should have a nursing session every two to three hours. After a little while, the time between sessions should extend to every four hours. Note there may be bumps along the road, so remember to be forgiving!