Stopping breastfeeding

There is no right or wrong time to stop breastfeeding, it really depends on your circumstances. Breastfeeding for any length of time is beneficial for you and your baby, so well done for not having given up at the first hurdle and soldiering on.

Whenever a mum decides to stop breastfeeding, it’s quite an emotional issue for various reasons, including:

feeling pressured to breastfeed
guilt
recurrent breastfeeding problems - emotional issues and physical problems
your baby is one year old and is doing well with solids and drinking cow’s milk
you are trying for another child but can’t conceive
you are undergoing a treatment that is not compatible with breastfeeding and you prefer to wean your baby off the breast.

If you want to stop breastfeeding and your baby is under one, you need to switch to formula, even if they are already on solid food.

Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty, any amount of breastfeeding is better than none at all. Once you have made your decision, talk to your partner and gain his support.

Whenever you decide to stop, it’s best to do so gradually. If you go cold turkey, you might end up with sore and engorged breasts. Try replacing one breastfeed at a time, offering formula milk if your baby is under one. You don’t need to use bottles if your child is four months old as closed cups or beakers are sold that can contain a good amount of liquid – dental experts recommend weaning babies off bottles by one year of age.

Stopping breastfeeding gradually will also be kinder to your baby as going cold turkey might result in your baby refusing the bottle or cup. This can lead to feeding tantrums and be really upsetting for you both.

Another way of gradually stopping is to move your baby onto expressed breast milk, then gradually replace formula in the bottle or cup.
For babies who still wake up a lot at night, it might be best to send your partner or another family member in with the bottle or cup, this helps if the baby refuses the bottle or cup from the mother.
If you are stopping breastfeeding a toddler who can understand what you say to her/him, you can set limits. You can, for instance, say: ‘Now we only breastfeed at night (or in the morning)’; ‘We only breastfeed when it’s dark’. For older toddlers, you can say: ‘You are a big boy/girl now, big girls/boys don’t need to breastfeed.’ Give your baby and child lots of cuddles as breastfeeding is a source of comfort, too. Remember that as breastfeeding works on supply and demand, if your baby sucks less you produce less milk, making the gradual approach a natural way to stop breastfeeding.