How to Wean Your Baby from Breastfeeding | CloudMom

Moms, learn how to gradually wean your breastfeeding baby without getting clogged ducts or mastitis!
You also might like:
• Signs and Symptoms of Mastitis
• How to Wean Off Breastfeeding a Toddler
• More videos on breastfeeding!
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Hello CloudMamas!

It seems that you just got the hang of nursing, and now you’re looking into weaning baby of your breast. For some moms who need or want to stop breastfeeding for one reason or another, weaning can be a struggle because the baby might not be ready for the bottle. For other moms, weaning happens naturally as over time, the baby grows and starts to lose interest in breastfeeding and prefers the bottle. In this video, I offer some great advice on how to wean your baby off breastfeeding!

How to Wean Baby

Deciding when and how to wean your breastfeeding baby is such a personal decision for mothers and it can be a very emotional one. I remember feeling really sad after each time I stopped nursing. It felt like a loss for me. In addition to my other tips in the video, make sure you are weaning gradually. Otherwise, you could develop plugged ducts and mastitis.

Let me know how you decided to wean your baby off breastfeeding! Did this happen naturally or did you follow a plan or weaning schedule? Add your own story in the comments below!

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Let's connect! :)

[pammelavasconcelosvargas]

Thank YOU for going straight to the point! I look up tips and all I seam to get are moms who love to hear themselves speak and endlessly talk about their lives just to insert a barely useful tip or two. I'll be looking at yours from now on, good job! 😊

[starwbh]

When you talked about being in the isle looking at formula feeling guilty, it literally made me cry. I'm going through that exact same thing right now.

[jessiejordan]

You've walked me through my first year of motherhood - thank you!!

[magnolias]

Thankyou so much for breaking this down in an informative, but abc format. I’m a new mom, and completely overwhelmed. In need of this kind of help.

[dragonflame]

This is just what I needed to hear. Planning to wean slowly over the next 4-6 months but was worried about engorgement and clogged ducts. Thank you!!

[claireerodriguez]

Omg! Thank you sooo much for sharing this! I'm a first time mom and have been searching endlessly online for specific advice like this:)

[cloudmom]

Patricia, I have definitely heard of cases where they baby put up a huge fight before taking the bottle. I've heard of cases where the mother had to leave the baby with her mom for a few days to get her to stop nursing! It can be brutal! Hang in there! I think the more you can try to leave and have someone else give the bottle, the better -- is that a possible scenario for you? OH, and definitely a bottle with breast milk!

[kajolthapa]

I'm still feeding she's 18momths I need by body back. 🙄

[LittleLJ]

I breastfeed my son a lot more than 4x/day, he's almost 6 months old. I need to start weaning him due to medication I need to start taking. He full on refuses the bottle and hates the taste of formula (we've tried several bottles and several brands of formula). I feel so lost on how to wean him, it is so much harder than I ever imagined.  He acts as if he's being tortured when his dad or I try to get him to try the bottle. Any tips?

[laquamartin]

Great Advice hope it works for me and my 18 month old!

[talineff]

My daughter is 7 months old and i exclusively breastfed my daughter until she was 6 months, then i started giving her baby food. I still breastfeed a couple times a day and at night, but it makes work a lot easier now that she can eat baby food and cereals. especially a single working mom!!

[cloudmom]

Hi Stasia -- yikes, I will look into that right away! Thanks for pointing that out... thank you for your kind words, it gives me to strength to go on doing this even though it's hard to do w/ so many young kids! xo M

[cloudmom]

Vynella -- I would try to get him on a schedule of not nursing all night first... how often are you feeding during the day and how many naps is he taking? I think it's great that you nursed so long, hat's off! If he starts to eat just 4-5 times a day and not at night, how would you feel about it? xoxo M

[petro.Trishab]

My baby use to occasionally take water from her bottle. Now she doesn't want it at all. Not even with breast milk in it. I'm going back to work in 2 weeks and Ive failed at weaning so far, been trying for over a month. Just this morning I tried desperately to give her the bottle but then I gave in and gave her the breast because she was just miserable and not taking the bottle at all. I like the suggestion if mixing the breastmilk and formula. I will try that. I'm so worried about how she'll be with the child minder when I go to work. Currently she doesn't like being with anyone else. I wish I didn't have to go back to work yet and then she could stop when she's a bit older. She'll be 9 months in a few weeks.

[cjhannay]

This was really helpful! I looked at so many videos and yours helped the most! Ps I'm using my husband's account lol

[ACakeStory]

spot on. everything you said is spot on in terms of the guilt and pressure.. appreciate your honesty.. As a Mom of three I was really devout about nursing #1 and #2.. but eight months in for #3 I'm just over it. as bad as it sounds, I concede that I am. And this is coming from a La Leche League devotee... it just is what it is... I've started the night time only.. so far so good. He's not crazy about the bottle or formula.. but it's working ok. Any tips on getting them to eat? I did BLW with #1 and #2, but #3 is just not interested.. I've tried homemade veggies with no success.. he even rejects bananas.. he spits everything out and protests. Obviously I don't force the issue, if he's not ready thats ok too.. but.. any tips would be greatly appreciated. Maybe i'm doing something wrong?

[kendy]

I love your videos. So informative and to the point.

[eternitystarz]

When I drop a feeding can I use cabbage leaves between until the next feeding?

[cloudmom]

Very common problem! My sister in law had to leave her baby at day care and he refused for an entire day to drink from bottle, next day he drank -- it's very tough! Someone other than you needs to give the bottle -- sorry I didn't respond earlier, how is he doing now?

[hoodxocalum]

My daughter is 3 months and I pump milk into a bottle but she won’t take it. She only takes breast and it’s stressful even when we are in public. She takes the bottle when someone else is watching her, but when I do it, she just wants the boob. She also eats through the night and it’s annoying. WHAT DO I DO??