Weaning from breast to cup

At some point you’ll want to wean your baby off the breast. By this time he may already be on solid food and taking less milk from you, and your breasts will likely be producing less milk than they were when he was exclusively breastfed.

Most moms generally switch to bottlefeeding at this point (see weaning from breast to bottle). However, you can bypass the bottle entirely if your baby is older – and this means you won’t then have to wean him off that too. Keep in mind that your baby may protest at not being able to nurse – it provides him with comfort too, after all – and take it gradually.

Start by offering your baby expressed breast milk in a sippy cup with a soft spout and offering the breast only if he demands it. You should also try to avoid offering him the breast for comfort is he’s upset – try other methods of soothing him, such as distraction. If these tactics seem to be working, cut back on the number of daily feeds he has at the breast, phasing them out one at a time until the only one he has is before bedtime. A good way of doing this is to plan to be out when the feed would usually take place, so he’s distracted by what’s going on around him and more likely to accept his milk in his sippy cup.

Finally, when you want to try and cut out the breast altogether, you might want to try arranging a couple of bedtimes when someone other than you puts her to bed. Combined with a new toy and a story, this can often be enough to break the cycle.

Be prepared for the psychological effects of weaning your child off the breast – if you’ve enjoyed breastfeeding and the closeness it gave you and your child, then you may feel its loss acutely at first. There will be physical effects too, especially if you decide to start giving your baby formula in her sippy cup and you stop expressing your breast milk, or when you switch her to cows’ milk once she’s over 12 months – your breasts may feel uncomfortably full and you may have to hand express a little milk while you wean yourself off breasfeeding! Keep in mind too that your child may well look for a comforting replacement for your breasts, such as like a thumb or blankie, at least in the early stages after weaning.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.