While breastfeeding was one of the toughest things to get the hang of in the beginning (Am I doing it right? Is she getting enough? This is painful / exhausting, etc.) I’m so glad I stuck with it. It quickly got so much easier and we fell into a great routine. Also, it’s a lifesaver when traveling with an infant! I’m thrilled to have been able to nurse Georgina for a full year, but planned to wean her once she hit the 12 month mark and was able to drink cow’s milk. A few tips that helped us below, in case anyone else is in the same boat.
Figure out a plan, and stick with it
Once you settle on the timing of when you would like to start weaning, go with it and stay with it. If you don’t nurse one morning, but then nurse the next morning because your little one is fussy or upset, it will just make her more confused, and ultimately delay the process.
Make it different than nursing
The first morning we tried to give Georgina cow’s milk, I poured the milk right into her cup and offered it to her in bed snuggled up next to us, which is the same spot where she would nurse. I think this confused her (she cried and just wanted to nurse at that stage) so the next day we brought her right into the living room with her milk and gave it to her on the couch. Success.
Go slow
Once Georgie had dropped the morning feed, I waited just under a week to drop the night feed. This was 1) so she wouldn’t be thrown too much change at once, and 2) so my body could slowly adjust, because let me tell you – it takes time for your body to stop producing milk, and it’s still pretty painful in the meantime!
Go with your gut
Don’t listen to anyone who tries to rush you into weaning, or tries to force you to nurse longer than you want to. You and only you know what’s best for you and your baby, and whatever you decide is the right decision. Be confident with it.
Don’t underestimate your baby
I worried a lot about how Georgie would react to weaning, especially the night feed which I’ve heard is the toughest to give up. I imagined she would scream and wail and it would just be so difficult. As with most things though, she handled it like such a champ, which was more validation to me that it was the right time and the right thing to do. Sometimes things are harder for us than they are for them!
A few other tips
-Once Georgie got the hang of having milk instead of nursing in the morning, we started giving her a little bit of milk in the evening as well. I was still nursing her before bed, but this way she was getting used to having cow’s milk at night too.
-For the first week or so after you stop nursing completely, wear a snug (not tight) bra with no underwire 24 hours a day. This helps gently stop your milk production.
-Don’t be afraid to pump!! Weaning is painful, and while I tried to just deal with it, I ultimately had to relieve some of that pressure for the first few days. As long as you don’t pump more than .5-1 oz. per day, your body won’t continue to produce, and it’s definitely enough to make you feel like you don’t have rocks weighing down the front of your body 😉
-We use a different cup for Georgie’s water and her milk. Initially I wanted to differentiate between the two, and it just stuck.
P.S. We have and love this cup for Georgie’s milk, which we warm up first in a saucepan for about 15 seconds.
