4 tips for weaning your baby from breastfeeding

• At least 29.9% of children are exclusively breastfed during their first six months of life. 
• 60% of mothers start weaning earlier than planned.
• Tips to start weaning gradually and successfully.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of Diseases (CDC,) at least 29% of newborns are exclusively breastfed, at least during their first six months of life. By 2030, this percentage is expected to rise to more than 40%.

Sixty percent of mothers who have chosen to breastfeed, decide to wean their babies earlier than planned, while others start complementary bottle feeding after six months. Given this, it is important to know tips from experts so that this experience is as comfortable as possible for both the mother and the baby. Learn how to wean your infant!

4. Patience is your best ally

One of the main tips for weaning your baby is to plan ahead and have a lot of patience while your infant adapts to the new feeding routine. In the first days, it is normal for the baby to show some resistance to bottle feeding, since weaning represents a kind of loss from which they will recover naturally in just a few days.

The feeling of loss not only affects the baby, but also the mother as well. One way to ease this change for both is to have direct contact and activities that create a new form of connection, such as reading a book before bed, spending some time cuddling or watching a movie together.

3. Your baby could dictate the pace of weaning.

How to wean your baby? On some occasions, it is the babies who set the natural rhythm of this process. Although it seems that it is a stage that must be forced in many cases, the reality is that nature is wise and babies adapt little by little to their new routines.

If you notice that your child does not ask for food, but does not reject it either, you could take this as an opportunity to space out meals more and more and introduce new solid foods or formula, depending on your baby’s nutritional needs.

2. Implement a new routine with your baby

Often breastfeeding makes babies become more attached to their mothers. One way to start weaning is to organize new feeding routines that include other people, such as the father, a sibling or another family member.

Another way to gradually alter the routine so that the baby does not feel it so abruptly is by choosing new places for breastfeeding. For example, if you usually breastfeed in the baby’s room, you can choose the living room or a different room.

1. You could experience breast engorgement

It’s important to be aware of how weaning can affect your health. For example, you could experience breast engorgement, especially if you stop lactating from one day to the next. This is because moms haven’t yet gotten the message that her baby will no longer feed this way.

Cold compresses are an effective remedy to reduce breast engorgement and relieve the pain caused by the inflammation of the milk ducts, but it is important to consult with your doctor about the alternatives to alleviate discomfort.