The American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, and other authoritative organizations recommend exclusive breastfeeding for six months. Then, begin adding solid foods but continue breastfeeding for at least a year or longer, as desired by the baby and the mother. Whenever you decide to stop breastfeeding, first, make sure it is what you want. If you are hesitant, your baby can sense that and be confused by your uncertainty. 

Always get in touch with a breastfeeding specialist to ensure that this is what you want and that you are not stopping just because of challenges that can simply be resolved with professional help! When it has been such a warm, loving experience, it is sometimes hard to let that go and move on to the next stage. Think it through, and if you are sure about your decision, you will send clear messages to your baby.  

If weaning is your decision, you and your baby should do it gradually. If you decide to stop abruptly, your breasts will likely become painfully engorged, and you might develop a breast infection called mastitis. Keep that in mind and seek help from a breastfeeding specialist. 

How it’s done:

Weaning Week 1  

• We usually drop one breastfeeding (or pumping session) per week. 
• If you feel engorgement due to dropping a session, please express a little milk from your breasts at your comfort for you not to be in pain and go into mastitis. Don’t express a whole feeding’s worth of milk; just enough to release the pressure. 
• Day after day, you will feel that you don’t even need to express a little milk from your breasts.  

Weaning Week 2  

• You move to drop another breastfeeding(or pumping session).
• And again, if you feel engorged due to dropping the session, please express a little milk from your breasts, and day after day, you won’t feel the need to express it anymore.

Weaning Week 3

• You drop another breastfeeding session (or pumping session), and you continue until you reach the point where you dropped all your breastfeeding or pumping sessions.

Example:

If you are breastfeeding/pumping every 3 hours during the day (7 AM, 10 AM, 1 PM, 4 PM, 7 PM, 10 PM, 1 AM, then 7 AM the second day), what you can do is the following: 

If you are breastfeeding 7 times per day, it will take 7 weeks to completely wean (5 times/day, 5 weeks…). Remember, the more the demand (breast stimulation), the more the supply. So with weaning, the less stimulation, week after week, your body will slowly get the signal to make less milk, and your supply will decrease.  

This method is a gentle way to help your baby transfer to another feeding method and for you to reduce your milk supply. Some mothers like to keep one feeding for a more extended period, such as a bedtime feeding, so it’s up to you!  

Few tips you can use by La Leche League International:  

• Try to substitute the least favorite feeding first. If the baby doesn’t accept the bottle from you (knows the breast is right around here somewhere), see if a support person can succeed. It may also be helpful not to have you in the room/home so the baby cannot smell you or feel your presence. 
• Change your daily routine if you have one. Instead of heading home after picking your baby from daycare, head elsewhere instead. Try to avoid the “nursing area” in your home at the times when the baby usually nurses. 
• If the baby usually nurses upon waking, try getting up before him and have your partner or someone else do all the morning routine. 
• Anticipate nursing sessions and offer substitutions and distractions. Try offering a snack or drink at that time. Take the child to his favorite place at the usual nursing time. Other: Reading, bike rides, a new toy, walking/singing. 
• Offering cuddles, hugs, and music to replace nursing at night or for naptime would also help. 
• Please know that discussing your weaning plan with a breastfeeding specialist before starting is crucial to prevent complications.