Questions answered about weaning and related topics.
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I have been breastfeeding
my son for a year now and I am trying to wean him. What is the best way to reduce the
amount of milk I produce so I can wean him completely? I have heard about pills you can
take, however I don't know much about them. What kind of side effects do they have?
The best way to wean a baby is to do it very gradually. Your milk supply will go down as
you feed other foods and as the baby nurses less often. Often, one year old babies still
wish to nurse quite a bit. Sometimes mothers think they have to wean at a year old because
that is when they say to take the bottle away. But it is different for breastfeeding
babies and they can continue nursing well into the second year (or beyond) if the mom,
dad, and baby are okay with it. In fact, there are many benefits to the whole family if
the baby keeps nursing , especially through the wintertime.
If you have a clear desire to wean now or no choice in the matter, then you must decrease
the number of nursings by one per week and fill in with other fun things. Your baby still
needs your presence (maybe even more with the nursing gone) even if he is not nursing.
Most women find a weaned baby is a little more work because you don't have the
breastfeeding to help calm and comfort him.
Your breasts will feel less full gradually and you don't want to pump because that
maintains your supply. If your breasts get too full then you are substituting feedings too
fast. You don't want to get so full that you get a breast infection. If your baby has been
eating solids well you should have little trouble. If he has not been eating well, then
you should rethink your decision to wean. Breastmilk is still a perfect food even for
babies over a year old.
There are no pills for drying up your milk. Researchers found an increased risk of cancer
and took them off the market some years back.
Elaine Matheny, BS, IBCLC
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