Has your baby's "tongue-thrust" reflex disappeared? This reflex causes babies to instinctively push objects out of their mouths. If it is still present and your child gags whenever you give him or her food, it may be a sign that your baby is not ready to be weaned.
Can your baby sit up and hold his or her head up? If so, your baby will be able to sit in an upright position for feeding.
Does your baby look at or try to grab food when he or she sees it? If your baby shows an interest in the food on your plate, it could mean he or she is ready to move on to solids.
Does your baby seem very distractible when on the breast and does it seem to take forever to get through a feeding? This could mean that your baby is ready to be weaned.
Approaches to Weaning
In order to allow both mom and baby to adjust physically and emotionally to the change, weaning should be a gradual process.
One approach to weaning is to drop one feeding session a week until the child is eating all solid foods or formula. In this case, you may need to express milk to avoid engorgement. If you try this approach, you might want to start with eliminating the midday feeding because it's usually the smallest and most inconvenient - especially for working mothers. Many mothers let go of the bedtime feeding last because it remains a special part of the bonding experience. It may also be the one to which your child is most emotionally attached.
Another approach is to leave the decision of when to wean completely up to your child. Once he or she is eating three meals of solid food a day (plus snacks in between), let your child breastfeed only when he or she asks. In this situation, you may find that your milk will dry up due to lack of demand. Pumping may be necessary to keep the milk flowing.
Making the Transition Easier
Many mothers make the decision to wean with mixed emotions. On the one hand, weaning brings with it more freedom and flexibility for a mother, as well as the proud realization that her child is reaching a major milestone.
On the other hand, nursing is an intimate activity that fosters a strong bond between mother and child - and some women find it difficult to let that go. For many mothers, weaning is the first realization that their child may never again depend on them as much as they did in those earliest months.
Expect that you're going to experience a wide range of emotions, and understand that your child may be ambivalent about weaning, too. But also remember that there will be countless other ways to nurture your relationship with your child in the days, months, and years ahead.
Here are some suggestions for making the transition easier for both of you:
- Engage your child in a fun play activity or an outing during the time when you would usually nurse.
- Avoid sitting in your usual nursing spots or wearing your usual nursing clothes.
- Delay weaning if your child is trying to adapt to some other change in his life. Trying to wean your child when he or she is just beginning child care or when habit such as thumb sucking or becomes attached to a security blanket, don't discourage it. Your child may be trying to adjust to the emotional changes of weaning.
How Long Is Too Long?
Some experts feel that there is nothing wrong with feeding a child breast milk until well into the toddler or even preschool years, as long as both the child and mother are comfortable with the situation. However, it's important to note that after 1 year, breast milk alone does not provide all the nutrients a growing child needs; solid foods must become a regular part of his diet.
As you begin to wean your child, remember that he or she needs time to adjust to eating from bowls and cups. Be patient as your child begins to explore the world of food - eventually your child will like what he or she sees.
Updated and reviewed by: Wayne Ho, MD