Weaning

Overview

• There’s no right or wrong time to begin weaning. It depends on you and your child and how ready you both are. Doctors recommend that you give your baby only breast milk for the first 6 months. You can keep breast-feeding for 2 years or longer.
• Weaning is easiest for you and for your baby if it is gradual—over several weeks, months, or even longer.
• Try not to wean when your child or family is under stress. Stress can range from cutting a new tooth to moving to a new house or starting a new daycare program.
• Expect to feel a wide range of emotions. You may feel sad to lose the closeness that breast-feeding provides. You may welcome the freedom that weaning gives you. Don't be surprised if you feel both happy and sad that your child is becoming more independent.

What is weaning?

Weaning is the term used to describe the process of switching a baby from:

• Breast-feeding to bottle-feeding.
• Breast- or bottle-feeding to a cup.
• Breast- or bottle-feeding to solid foods.

Your baby will go through one or more of these weaning processes. All types of weaning usually work best when they are done gradually—over several weeks, months, or even longer.

Weaning a baby from the breast is a big change for moms as well as babies. Besides affecting you physically, it may also affect you emotionally.

Some moms feel a little sad to lose some of the closeness that breast-feeding provides. But you will also have more freedom, because others can feed your baby. Don't be surprised if you feel both happy and sad that your child is becoming more independent.

How do you know if your baby is ready to wean?

Signs that a baby is ready to wean often appear after the baby has learned to crawl or learned to walk. Your breast-feeding baby may suck a few times and then stop nursing. He or she may just start to lose interest in your breast.

Bottle-fed babies who are ready to wean may start spitting out the nipple, or throwing or hiding the bottle before it is empty. Your baby may show more interest in drinking from a cup.

When is the best time to wean?

There is no right or wrong time. And there is no correct length of time that it should take. It depends on how ready you and your child are to start weaning.

Some moms wait longer because they are not ready to give up the closeness that breast-feeding brings. Others are ready to wean sooner or have responsibilities or life changes that make it necessary.

Choose a time when your child is ready. Try not to start weaning when your child or your family is under stress. Stress can range from cutting a new tooth to moving to a new house or starting a new daycare program.

What is the best way to wean a baby?

Gradual weaning is best for both babies and moms. One feeding is dropped every few days, giving the mother and baby time to adjust. If you are breast-feeding, this helps keep your breasts from becoming too full, a problem called breast engorgement. It also lets the baby learn other ways of eating.

How do you meet your baby's nutrition needs while weaning?

The Canadian Paediatric Society Nutrition Committee, Dietitians of Canada, and Health Canada recommend the following:

• Breast-feed babies for at least 6 months. You can continue to breast-feed for up to 2 years or longer as you and your child desire.^{1, 2} Introduce iron-enriched solid foods at 6 months of age to complement the breast milk.
• Give babies weaned from the breast or the bottle before 9 to 12 months of age iron-fortified formula, not cow's or goat's milk.¹

What if your baby does not want to be weaned?

Sometimes a mother wants to stop breast-feeding, but her baby seems to want to keep it up. If you can, keep breast-feeding a while longer. Try offering your milk or formula in a cup before you breast-feed or between breast-feedings. There are also different bottle nipples you can try.

Some babies grow attached to the bottle and do not want to give it up. Don't let your baby crawl, walk around, or go to bed with a bottle. Nighttime feedings are often the hardest to give up. Try replacing that feeding with new habits, such as reading a book or looking at the stars together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learning about weaning:	What is weaning? When is the best time to wean? How do I meet my baby's nutritional needs during weaning? Why is iron-fortified formula important?
What to expect:	What are the signs that my baby is ready to wean? What if I want to get pregnant or am pregnant?
Promoting healthy growth and development:	How can I wean my baby? How can I get my baby to use a cup? What can happen if I abruptly wean my baby? How can I wean my bottle-fed baby? How can I wean my breast-fed baby? How can I wean my breast-fed toddler? How can I wean my bottle-fed toddler? How can I abruptly wean my toddler?
Concerns:	What if I want to stop breast-feeding but my baby does not? What if my baby does not want to give up the bottle? Are there times when I should not wean my baby? When should I call my health professional? When can I ask questions about weaning? What is cow's milk protein intolerance? What will I notice when I change from breast- to bottle-feeding?

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Author:	Amy Fackler, MA Carrie Henley	Last Updated: August 17, 2006
Medical Review:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics
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