Weaning your baby from the breast should not be done in a hurry. You need to do this gradually. It will be better for you and for your baby if you go through this process slowly. It is recommended for the first six months of your baby’s life that you only breast feed.

When you do decide to wean your baby off the breast, take it very slowly. If you stop breast feeding abruptly, you could be left feeling uncomfortable and even develop mastitis in your breasts. Mastitis is an infection that can leave your breasts red and hard and you could show symptoms of flu and fever. By slow weaning, it allows your milk production to lessen gradually, which will prevent you developing engorged breasts. If you do not wean slowly, the changes in your hormone levels related to milk production can leave you feeling depressed. So it is definitely a good idea to wean slowly.

Start by eliminating one breastfeeding session a day. Do this for a few weeks and even months if this is what it takes. If your baby has passed her first birthday, you can substitute the breast milk with a variety of foods and allow your baby to drink from a cup. When it is the time that your baby
would usually be nursing, distract him with a fun activity. If your baby is still adamant about nursing, delay the weaning process for a few more weeks. This will save you a lot of hardship and tears.

Weaning is difficult because your baby might think that he is not receiving as much love from you as before. You should reassure your baby by giving him lots of cuddles and affection. If your baby becomes ill after you have begun the weaning process, you can expect him to want nurse again. This is normal as your baby is looking for comfort and this is where he feels it the most. At times when you aren’t nursing, keep your breasts covered. Often a baby just sees the breast and wants to nurse. Avoid giving your baby this temptation. You will know yourself which feeding sessions your baby enjoys the most. These will probably be the morning and evening sessions and will be the hardest for your baby to give up. A good idea is to leave these sessions until last.

You shouldn’t feel that you have to wean your baby from the breast. Many women breast feed their baby’s well after a year old and some even breast feed well into toddlerhood. You should do what you feel is best. Your child will eventually lose interest in breast feeding.