Learn how and when to wean off breast milk whether your baby is 1 year old, 15-months-old, or a toddler. OT and mom shares tricks for gently transitioning to milk, stopping nursing to sleep, and other weaning challenges.
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As an OT, I have shared lots of baby and toddler milestone tutorials over the years, including How to Wean from a Bottle.
The topics of feeding and eating can be complicated and stressful for many parents, no matter the age of your child. But when you have a baby or toddler, it can feel even more complex because of how much information is out there.
Weaning from breastfeeding is one area where there are a lot of opinions, and let’s be honest- lots of conflicting advice. You’ve probably read all kinds of information or even gotten advice from friends or family members.
As a mom who has done it three times with my children that were exclusively breast-fed, I’m here to share with you my best advice on how to stop breastfeeding gently, safely, and appropriately.
My oldest, NEVER took a bottle, which was really stressful, and my third would only do it if he had to. So believe me, I know the stress that comes along with this.
Of course, I’m fully aware that this can be a bit of a controversial topic. So, let me say, right now, very clearly, that this post IS NOT about when a mother should stop nursing, although I will share some general info on the topic.
This post is about how to stop breastfeeding, when a mother and child are ready. Women have many different reasons for wanting to wean at various ages. I completely welcome constructive and helpful comments, but let’s be supportive of each other’s very personal decisions.
So whether you are wondering how to wean an 11, 12, 13, 14, 15-month-old, or even an older baby or toddler, read on to hear my best tricks as a mom and occupational therapist.
When to Stop Breastfeeding and Start the Weaning Process
I know I’m leading with the when, even though I just said it is a personal decision, and it is. But, I know many of you aren’t sure when you want to wean, so let me give you some objective information.
Many moms start to wean at 12 months, right around baby’s first birthday.
I will tell you this, around 15 months of age, children enter a new cognitive phase and begin to make strong associations or attachments. Nursing to this point could make it more difficult to wean with some of the strategies I’ll discuss here, but certainly not impossible.
I don’t say that to persuade you towards weaning earlier, but want you to be aware of all the information. While I also fully support mothers that decide to nurse longer, I will caution you to be aware of those feedings affecting consumption at solid food meals.
Some toddlers can handle having “nursings” throughout the day as they please and still sit down to eat their meals, but others fill up on milk and subsequently don’t transition to eating more food.
That can be a slippery slope, as I’ve seen many times. If toddlers don’t get the practice and exposure to eating foods, sometimes they can become very picky eaters throughout childhood. If you continue to nurse, I would encourage you to treat meals as a priority as well and be aware of how recently they have nursed.
Find out other reasons kids become picky here.
For a variety of reasons, I decided to wean my own children around one year old. They were 14, 12, and 13 months, respectively. It was a gentle process that was not traumatic for my children in any way.
I did not transition them to a bottle, because at those ages, they didn’t require one. And, if you are weaning over 12 months, I would recommend phasing out those feedings totally and not substituting with infant formula or milk in a bottle or sippy cup at those times.
If you are weaning before 12 months old, you will need to replace it with infant formula in a bottle or possibly a sippy cup. Check out my complete how-to guide for getting a nursing baby to take a bottle.
How to Stop Breastfeeding – at 1 year old, 14, 15, and even 18 months?
So how do you actually start to end breastfeeding? Well, it is a transition, so there may be a little bit of dancing back and forth on this as you make sure both you and your baby are comfortable.
While some babies naturally wean by going on a nursing strike, many need gentle support to make the transition.
If your baby is 8 months old or older, I would first recommend getting them onto a loose schedule, if they aren’t already. I’m not really concerned with specific times, but intervals or around routines.
For instance, with my third, I always nursed him when he woke up from his naps, the time changed but that routine didn’t. That allowed me to plan our meals in a structured way as well, which gave him exposure to foods and helped him develop an appetite for food, too.
(You’ll find links for sample schedules at the end of this section)
Once your baby or toddler is nursing at regular intervals and not on demand, you will choose one of those times to take away. This should be the easiest time of day, usually one of the nursings in the middle of the day.
Going about this process also allows your milk supply to gradually accommodate the change in schedule so that your milk production continues to match the demand.
Typically bedtime and early morning feeds are more difficult to phase out.
The first few days that you take away those feedings you will want to change the routine a little bit and have food and a drink in a cup ready to go. For instance, when I was taking away those after nap nursings,I would go into his room, pull open the blinds right away and start talking to him real silly to get him distracted.
I’d pick him up playfully and take him downstairs (he typically nursed in his dimly lit room quietly before going downstairs). All the while, I’d be saying, “It’s time for snack! I have your drink, too!”
There were a few times where he whined and pointed to the chair he normally nursed in. I would try once more to distract him and if that didn’t work, then I’d nurse him. That is part of the transition.
If another adult were here, I would have them get him out of his crib as well, which helped change things up.
Once I eliminated that first feeding, I would wait 3-7 days before I took away another feeding, depending on how slow I wanted that to go. Then, I would follow the same procedure. I would do that all the way until I was left with morning and night time nursings.
Morning was always easier to get rid of, so I would make sure I had breakfast completely ready, so he could eat right away.
Personally, I always decided to leave the bedtime nursing session for another month or so, but you don’t need to do that. That was more for me, as weaning each of my children was a very emotional time, and I knew I needed to not rush it.
Keeping that bedtime feeding gave me time to really take in those last days of our special connection. After about a month or so, I would make sure they had a really good dinner (serve a favorite food) or a late snack and then I would let Dad do the bedtime routine.
In all cases, my kids just let my husband put them to bed, as if they had never been nursed, while I sobbed in another room. My children were fine, and I knew, for me, for us, it was time.
To sum up what we’ve just talked about, and fill in some blanks, when you’re ready to wean, you’ll want to:
- Take away one feeding at a time
- Eliminate the easiest feedings first
- Offer a meal instead of nursing. All kids should eat every 2.5 – 3 hours, count from the start of one meal to the start of the next
- Give a cup at each meal, and place either breast milk or cow’s milk in the cup. I prefer a straw cup (see how to teach your baby to drink from a straw). From an OT and mom friendly perspective, I love these cups in particular: Playtex Sipsters, Munchkin Flex Straw, and Advent Straw Cup
- The first time you give cow’s milk, mix it with a 25-50% blend of breast milk. This will help them adjust digestively and to the taste. After a day or two of successful consumption, you can continue to add less and less breast milk until it is straight cow’s milk or toddler formula, if you choose.
- Prior to weaning, give your baby water at each meal, which will help them get used to having a drink. Have water available throughout the day in a cup that they have access to once you start serving milk with their meals. Some babies will want to have both at a meal, which is fine for a short transition period.
If you are looking for more specifics on feeding schedules, click on the ages you need: 6-7 months, 8-10 months, and 11 months plus for samples. These, too, are just a guideline, but should give you some direction. Adapt them as needed.
Troubleshooting Common Breast Weaning Roadblocks
Although stopping breastfeeding can be as easy as I just made it sound, sometime parents hit some roadblocks. I’m going to run through some common ones to help you troubleshoot.
With all of the suggestions below, know that it’s important to stay consistent and keep trying. All of my boys ended up loving cow’s milk, but it took a month or so before they were drinking it really well, usually by the time they were completely weaned from the breast.
Keep in mind that once a baby turns 1, they only require 16 ounces of a milk source.Read more here about how much milk your baby should drink.
- What if baby refuses a cup of any type:
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- Try and try again – every day, at every meal, put the milk in the cup and don’t pressure them. Offer it and even demonstrate, but don’t force. You can experiment with serving cold and warm if you like. If your toddler spits it out, that’s okay, it’s all part of the process.
- Try pumped milk – if you are willing and able, pump and offer that milk in the cup. It will seem foreign and some will likely be wasted, but some babies do better with the familiar taste.
- Focus on 2-3 different types of cups – cycle through a few different kinds of cups, maybe some with bright colors or a silly character on it.
- Water in a cup during the day – always have the water in a cup throughout the day. Give it to them in the car, in the bath, outside, wherever.
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- How to stop nursing to sleep:
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- Change up the routine (as described in the previous section)
- Transitional object – if your child doesn’t already have a special object like a stuffed animal or blanket, start encouraging one. Give it to them every time you are nursing, put it in their arms when you lie them down. Every time.
- Well-fed – I don’t want you to overly worry about this, so many parents do naturally, but it will give you peace of mind in knowing that their tummy is full. Serve a later dinner that is a favorite or a bedtime snack, where you can give milk in a cup. Knowing their well-fed will help you feel better if they protest a little and they will be less likely to request nursing.
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- Baby won’t stop nursing and crying:
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- Distract – while I urge you to not push your baby too fast, some will protest a little. This is when you’ll want to change gears and do something really exciting. I remember with my oldest, I always used to feed him on the couch in the middle of the day and I’d rearrange the pillows to support my arm. In the process of weaning, I started to do that just to straighten up and he saw me and thought it was time to nurse. He didn’t cry, but I quickly grabbed him and stood up, saying, “Oh my goodness, did you just hear that car go by?” We went over to the window to have a look and he forgot about it in a second.
- Offer another drink – without making to big of a deal about it, provide a drink instead, “Oh, here’s your water.” Notice, I didn’t ask, I just made a statement.
- Cuddles – give lots of these at other times, so they feel that connection with you still.
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Tips for success
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- Don’t feel rushed, watch for your child’s acceptance and adjustment.
- You may be emotional, this is normal. Make sure you are feeling comfortable with your decision.
- Don’t listen to other people’s opinions.
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments, I’ll be happy to answer. And if you’ve been through this before, share your tips, it will be helpful to everyone that stops here.
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Alisha Grogan is a licensed occupational therapist and founder of Your Kid’s Table. She has over 19 years experience with expertise in sensory processing and feeding development in babies, toddlers, and children. Alisha also has 3 boys of her own at home. Learn more about her here.
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Wow! Thank you for this article, it’s got some great tips in which has made me understand weaning a lot more. One question I have, I wonder if you can help me please. Not your every day situation but my little boy is 16months old. He’s great at eating and great at having water and will drink from all sorts of cups and beakers so I have no worries there. However he feeds 4 times a day. Once when he wakes up, before his morning nap, before his afternoon nap and before bed. The problem with that last 3 is I feed him to sleep. Always have done. We had some tricky situations when he was younger and this always helped. But now it’s proving difficult. We co sleep with him too. So when he’s due a nap I take him up to our bed, lay down and feed him, when he’s asleep I get up. He can go to sleep without me though, if he’s in the car or pram he will drift off happily and there’s been times I’ve been out and running late back so his dad has had to put him to sleep and he has but going forward I need a set plan. Like when I’m at home with him and need him to sleep what do I do? He just keeps trying to lift my top up. Hahaa. Would appreciate any help you can give. Thank you in advance.
Hey Jasmine,
Thanks for reaching out! We understand how hard this situation is. I’d work on the angle for when you have someone else at home and they take him up to sleep, especially since you mentioned that he does go to sleep like that. Getting into a habit of that, and he will decrease that connection of looking for you for sleeping!
Hope that helps!
Best,
Desiree
Omg I could have written this exact message! Car and pram are easy for naps but in the house the only way she would sleep without boob is if my partner rocks her. I’ve got no idea where to start a night as I’m co sleeping at the moment because she wakes a lot through the night 🤦🏻♀️
Hi, thank you for this insightful post! My daughter is nearly 14 months and is not taking to the cow’s milk, she will have a few sips but is mostly drinking water from a sippy or straw cup. She is still nursing 3x during the daytime and if I try to skip a nursing to begin weaning, I am met with difficult protects (yelling leading to crying and stalking me, holding onto my legs or reaching into my shirt if she’s in my arms). It has made it very difficult to wean her and she is not easily distracted when I try. Do you have any recommendations or tips?
Hey Michelle,
So sorry you are dealing with this, we know how hard it can be! I’d follow the tips in the article to see if you can make any progress there. As for transitioning to cow’s milk I’d make sure that you are slowly transitioning with mixing with breast milk (75% breast milk, 25% cow’s milk) then decrease from there after she is accepting and use to it and do a 50/50 mixture and keep decreasing the breast milk for her to increase acceptance to cow’s milk. Hope that helps!
Best,
Desiree
Hi
Thank you for this wonderful article.
I am trying to stop my one year old from breastfeeding. She has never taken any bottles. Takes breastmilk before her nap and nighttime sleep or of she wakes up in the middle of the night. So far the nighttime breastfeed before sleeping time has worked smoothly. Biggest problem is she is waking up after 8 hours of sleep. Around 5 am. It’s too early to give her breakfast. What can I do ? Should I keep breastfeeding at that time when she wakes up? Or let her cry out ? Because she is having full supper in the evening so not sure if it’s for hunger.
Hey Thanks for reaching out! So glad you are having some success! For the waking up at 5am, it could be for comfort. I’d be trying to switch your child over during the day to a straw cup, so that they can drink milk from that during meals. Then I’d provide that for him when he wakes up, so that he still has something and providing that sucking motion is also soothing as well.
Best,
Desiree
My baby is 1year 4mnth n i have wean her n she eat normal food very well but one thing that is disturbing me is dat she use to be a chubby baby before but now dat I have wean her I just notice she is losing weight wat could be d cause
Hey,
Thanks for reaching out. I’d check in with her doctor to see if there is a weight concern. Most kids once they become mobile are burning more calories as well.
Best,
Desiree
Hello!
My son is 14 months, he will be 15 on 5/8. He never took a bottle which was quite challenging and is a HUGE fan of breastfeeding. We have offered him a cup since 6 months old and he is still not getting the hang of it. I decided that I would like to stop breastfeeding to give myself time before we start trying for baby #3. I started the weaning process about two months ago and within the last day we are left with the bedtime feeding and I hope to cut that out in two weeks. However, I’m concerned that he is not taking in any fluids and he is not consistent with meal time. We offer the cup at all meal times and he always has a cup of water available throughout the day but will not take it. He just chews on it. I even tried the bottle again. He likes to carry it around but won’t latch to it. By not nursing him, is he going to become dehydrated, the Mom guilt definitely sets in? Any suggestions, advice or tips are welcomed!
Thank you,
Alyssa
Hey Alyssa,
Thanks for reaching out! I’m not sure what cup you are utilizing but I’d try a straw cup, so that he can still have the sensory input from sucking on the straw as well. We do have an article on Teaching Straw Drinking So hopefully that helps!
Best,
Desiree
My daughter is 8mos She has never taking a bottle nor paci since she was born, she’s been drinking out of a cup since 6mos (straw) she doesn’t like baby formula (I’ve tried almost all brands) she refuses every bottle given, I’ve even tried pumping and putting it in her sip cup and she refuses to drink it, she doesn’t even sleep through the night. She literally wakes up every 3-4hrs like clock work. What do you guys suggest?
Hey Jessica,
From the post you are commenting on, are you trying to get away from breastfeeding. If so, I’d recommend having someone else there to feed here while you are at least rooms away. It is hard for kids to separate form the breast feeding, especially while you are there and offering in a different form. There are also some other great tips in the article.
Best,
Desiree
Hi am pauline
My son is 14 month old, we’ve successfully gotten off day time sections but night time is difficult.
He cry much at night and wouldn’t accept any drink, water or milk at night.
Am so emotional even when I sleep away from him, he will cry till hubby will bring him to me or I go for him.
Help please.
Hey Pauline,
We know this is a hard time for transitioning. When your husband is trying to feed him make sure that you are not near so that he’s not smelling your milk. I’d try to offer him milk prior to him starting to cry to see if you can drift him off to sleep as well. So, if he’s waking up at the same time, this may be helpful!
Best,
Desiree
hi,am cynthia my baby is 11months he does not eat he hardly sucks breasts my mom told me to stop breastfeeding him so that he will start eating pls i need ur advice.
Hey Cynthia,
We are here for you! I’d suggest starting with our free workshop as this will help provide you with how to transition to foods as well as things to look out for that may be difficulties and how to address them. You can save your seat HERE
Best,
Desiree
Hi my name is Christina I’m trying to cut out breastfeeding and I’m down to nighttime feedings the only problem is I allowed myself to let my little one cosleep therefore almost consciously feed throughout the night what do I do with this situation my little girl is 15 months old.
Hey Christina,
We understand where your coming from and this can be hard. If she is nursing during the nigh for comfort, I’d try to find a replacement item that is comforting for her to replace the nursing.
Best,
Desiree
Hi my son is 14 months old now. He goes to nurserey two days a week and dosnt drink any milk through the day he happily eats plenty, however he is at home he will nurse to get him to sleep once in the afternoon and numerous times through the night and to get to sleep on a night. It’s been a real struggle to get him down to just nap time but I honestly do not know how to get him to stop completely what makes it so difficult he will not sleep for me in any other way at all other than nursing, please help me?
Hey Rachael,
We know how hard this can be! Does he sleep for nap at the nursery? I’d try to replicate anything that they are doing there. Also at home is there anyone else to put him to bed without you being near, just for this transition period. When you are near he can smell your milk which makes it harder to break with you right next to them. There are some other tips in the article too!
Best,
Desiree
Hi Alisha…plz write a detailed article for night time weaning coz that isn’t easy and need tips and tricks to do that…!
Hi, my little one is 13 months now and I im struggling with weaning her off at night…initiallybibthought was going well as husband would put her to sleep with a bottle and she would be knocked out but she wakes up halr wau through the night wantong to feed on me…. even if i offer her bottle instead sh3 refuses… 🙁 its malong it very hard for me amd emptional to… but I really am ready to wean her off beacuse when she wakes up in the night she is just stuck to me ;(…please help 🙁
Hey Anayah,
I know how hard this can be!! You’re doing great with having your husband put her to bed to help wean her off. I’d see if your husband is able to check on her at night/offer a bottle to break the cycle of breastfeeding at night. I know it can be hard with work schedules/sleep, but would only be for a period of time!
Best,
Desiree
This is what I am struggling with too.. My daughter is 14mnths and, recently started waking up around 4am – 5am crying for milk, I dnt if its bcz teething? I’m due back to work as really nervous and emotional…
Thank you so much for this article too though, honestly some things u wrote js connected with me and I was, like omg… Someone out there understands….
My daughter is 12 months old, at six months I have tried introducing other food to her, she just doesn’t like any. I want to wean her but it is really impossible. She sucks 4 to 5 before day break. I don’t know what to do
Thanks for reaching out!! First I’d suggest our Free workshop if you have not watched it before, it really talks you through setting up a mealtime and how to offer foods to be successful with that transition. You can save your seat HERE Secondly I’d look at a good feeding schedule to see if you can change the schedule up to get her accepting to more foods rather than milk. You can read all about scheduling for her age HERE
Best,
Desiree
Thank you! This is so helpful. Your whole site has been a great help to us.
Awesome, Thanks so much for your feedback Courtney 🙂
Hi, I just stopped my child from breast milk and my breast is so heavy and painful, am asking is there anything you can recommend for me to stop the pain…. Thanks
Night times are so stressful and makes me tired all throughout the day. How to stop feed during sleeping at nights?
Hey Sonu,
I know how hard this can be! I’d make sure you are changing up the routine and trying to provide a transitional object for you child to go to sleep so they are able to get themselves back to sleep without needing to nurse. Also, trying some of the other tips in the post as well!
Best,
Desiree
Thank you for this. Hoping to nurse longer but pregnant again so may need to wean my 13 month old sooner than expected. Depending on my convo with doctor.
My son goes to daycare and ears breakfast there between 8:10-8:30. We currently nurse at wake up, sometimes for comfort after getting home from long day (if he asks), and before bed. If I do cut the morning session, should I do some cow’s milk in a cup right away? With a small snack? I feel bad making him wait from wake up to daycare for any nutrition since he’s so used to it, but don’t want to do a full breakfast at home.
Thanks again!!!
Hey Liza,
Thanks for reaching out! Depending on the time frame between, you can try it out and see if it does interfere with his breakfast and how to proceed, so I’d ask them to keep an eye on what he’s eating at daycare and adjust accordingly from there!
Best,
Desiree
I also was having hard time during the day as my my 8 month old would be feeding all night but I recently weaned him off. Alisha Grogan has explained very beautifully how to wean them but for me that way takes a lot of courage.so I stop completely and and it takes my kids 3 days and nights.i let another adult feed them bottle even though it’s a battle time but at the end it works.my youngest took the longest as I fed him once at night and it made him start battling again so it’s good to stay strong and not offer at all.only keep offering water in a bottle or milk at last he will start.my son started bottle on 5th day but I kept feeding him meals before offering water or milk.Today is 9th day and he took bottle at 11pm last night and 6am today.good luck
Hello,
I just found this article which is really helpful. My son will turn 2 years old in 15 days and i am still breastfeeding. I have faced so many difficulties, have had really hard , stressful days but have kept on going and feeding him tears in my eyes and pain in my body. Recently i have tried one method to see if it’d work, and it did, my son refused drinking milk, which was sooo heartbreaking for me, i felt like someone took him away from me, i started begging him to come back and drink. There i understood that i was not ready to quit. But now anyhow i should start doing it slowly. My question is if he wakes up at night with the demand of having milk, what should i do? He doesnt like drinking any drink other than plain water, even in a day he never drinks any fresh juice or the like, only seeing the colour he refuses to drink, and to note also that he is a very picky eater. He sees the food , touches, feels the texture, if he doesnt like he will never gonna eat it (((. I cry at times. I feel so helpless in this.
Hey Thanks for reaching out! So glad you found our article helpful! I’d really focus on decreasing one feed at a time. Once he seems to be getting used to this you can try some of the other suggestions for when he wakes up at night such as cuddling and trying to find another transitional object. Making sure he is eating enough before bed can be really helpful too!
Best,
Desiree
My daughter just turned 1 and I know she’s not supposed to take bottles anymore. She has only ever taken a bottle when she has a sitter but I’ve got an overnight outing coming up. Should I have the sitter switch to sippy cups cold turkey? She’s still nursing 4x a day while with me.
Hey Ciara,
I know it can be hard!! We do have an article that helps with tips on getting rid of the bottle. You can read all about it here.
Best,
Desiree
I think you misunderstood my question. My daughter is breastfed and only takes bottles when I’m away, which isn’t very often but I have a wedding coming up. The sitter will give her bottles at times when she’s normally breastfed. I know bottles are unhealthy past 1… if I’m still breastfeeding should I still have the sitter give bottles when I’m away or switch to the sippy? Or does it not matter since it’s a rare occurrence anyway?
Ah Ciara, I’m sorry! So if it’s just this rare occurrence and you haven’t switched to sippy cups yet, I’d say the bottle would be okay to use and you can switch after to make sure that she is still getting what she needs 🙂 Generally they form an attachment that is strong at around 15 months, so I’d try to make the switch prior to that if you are comfortable as this time may be easier!
Best,
Desiree
I planned to stop feeding my one year old baby. I had not feed him whole day, but he was demanding me now,shall I feed him the millk,does the stagging milk affect him.,ie itcauses any dysentery
hi
I found this article which is in need of the hour for me. I have 15 months old baby. During the day time, I have stopped breastfeeding. the problem comes in the night. she is not sleeping on her own. she only sleeps with the help of breastfeeding. And not taking any liquid form during the entire night. During the daytime, she eats, drinks water normally. I am taking this process a slow one. But she is not cooperating. I really need to stop.
Hey Priya,
Yes, taking it slow helps! I know how hard this can be!! Keep up with the suggestions in the article 🙂
Best,
Desiree
Very helpful for a first time mum here! So thanks! 🙂
My little girl is 11.5 months old. We currently breastfeed 3 times a day (morning, after lunch nap, and before bed). She LOVES a bottle, even though she only gets one on weekend mornings when she is with my husband whilst I am out for her usual morning feed. She loves it so much that she gets very upset when the bottle is taken from her once finished (even though she drinks FAR MORE from it than what she would be getting from the breast). So we are actually wanting to skip the bottle altogether now that she is nearing 1 as we feel that her love of the bottle might cause more problems down the track when we try to wean her off that. Unfortunately however, she won’t drink milk from anything other than a bottle or breast. She certainly uses all kinds of different cups to drink water from all day long, but wont use them for milk. The last couple of days I have stopped giving her after lunch breastfeed, and given afternoon tea straightaway instead and offered milk in cup (refused). So my question is, since we don’t want to use a bottle anymore, is it okay that she skips the milk all together if she refuses when we offer it to her in a cup? Ofcourse, she would get solids. I was just a bit confused as one part of your article mentions not replacing with milk in a cup, but the summary says to offer it. Thanks 🙂
Hey Joanna,
So happy you loved our article and glad that you received some useful information in there! I have included a link for an article for How much milk a toddler needs This will help guide you in how much she still will need for 1 year of age and up! It still is an important role, so I’d try to find a balance while transitioning away from bottle/breast!
Best,
Desiree
Hi! Very useful tips. I wander what happens in our bodies… breasts become hard and sore when full of milk. So, once you decide to wean, how do you deal with this pain? How long does it take until our body stops producing any milk (from the last breastfeeding)?
Hey Mireia, Everyone is different, however if you are making this a slow process and not quitting all at once, you body recognizes that you are needing to produce less and starts decreasing amount that you have. So over time it will be less painful (if at all) when you stop completely!
Best,
Desiree
My daughter is 18 months and is breastfed. Right now she won’t drink breast milk from anything and only wants the breast. I’m nursing her morning, evening and bedtime.
Hey Keisha,
I know how hard this can be!! If you are looking for tips for helping your daughter transition to a bottle you can read all about that HERE. If you are also looking to move away from breast feeding, I’d try the suggestions in the article!
Best,
Desiree
Hi I have a 15 month old boy whom I have managed to stop breastfeeding during the day and before bed, however he wakes up at least twice at night and wants to feed or else it’s a scream fest.
How do I get him to stop these feeds?
Hey Dee,
I know this can be a difficult time. I’d make sure you are trying the tips in the article. Also making sure he is eating enough before bedtime so that he is full. If you know that he is full, you can try to provide some water in replace of the milk.
Best,
Desiree
Hi
My baby is 1year 8months I just stopped breastfeeding her. She always cry at night want to suck and I’m not allowing her.. I wanna know should I be giving yogurt or something when she wakes up at night. Coz she never wanted a bottle. Thank you
Hey thanks for reaching out! Depending on what your child is able to do, you can always try a sippy cup to give her a drink if she needs it. Or if you think she is waking up because she is hungry, make sure that she gets a bigger dinner to hold her over throughout the night!
Best,
Desiree
Thanks for posting this! I’ve been reading everyone’s tips & tricks for weaning online, in hopes to get through it smoothly. My 14 month old girl only nurses at night now. And I’m ready to start taking that feeding away too (are you ever REALLY ready?) I think it’s a great idea to have dad do the bedtime routine to keep her from missing the breast. But for how long?? I’m curious when you started doing bedtime routine again? Cuz he obviously can’t do it forever. And how did it go when you returned to putting them to bed without nursing?
Hey Jamie,
I know this is SOOO hard!! And I do not think a lot of us our ready! It’s really going to depend on your child and how quickly they adjust. If your husband notices she is going down easily after a week and is not looking for nursing you can give it a go!! Keep us posted!
Best,
Desiree