Weaning off breastfeeding can look different for everyone, So always remember to take it one step at a time.
Breastfeeding is one the most rewarding things in life for mothers. Having that bond with my babies is something I wouldn’t trade for all the money in this world. it brings me peace knowing that my baby, no matter the circumstances, can get his dose of love through breastfeeding. Nursing is one of those commitments that, no matter how tired you are, you’ll always have the strength to do because you know how good it is for your baby.
However, there will come a time in your breastfeeding journey where you’ll get overwhelmed, tired and misunderstood and you’ll want to put an end to that journey and call it a day. But then you’ll realize that it’s not a walk in park, there will be a lot of emotions involved and a lot of guilt and tears. weaning isn’t just about the baby, it’s also about you. so before you attempt to stop ask yourself:
- Is my toddler ready to stop?
- Am I ready to stop?
- What led to that decision?
- Is it the right time to stop breastfeeding?
Now, let me clear this out, there’s no right or wrong answer. as a mother myself, I’ve had so many episodes where I wanted to stop breastfeeding so bad but then after a few days I realized that I was just overwhelmed or my baby was going through a growth spurt or he’s teething. and in fact neither me nor my baby were ready to stop. so I carried on until the day we both felt it’s time to wean.
Signs Toddler Is Ready To Wean From Breastfeeding
Weaning a toddler can be quite an adventure, Now that he understands everything around him and eat solids he no longer needs breastfeeding as his primary source of nutrition. These are some of the things that I noticed when my baby was ready to wean:
- He tends to use nursing for comfort which left me feeling exhausted all the time. especially that he’s used to nurse to sleep or keeps waking up constantly to feed throughout the night. That’s when I personally noticed that it’s time to stop altogether.
- He became so attached to the milk to the point where he no longer eats his meals.
- when I sleep with my toddler, he keeps waking up but when his father sleeps with him he sleeps through the night which made me realise that none of us is actually getting the sleep that we need because of breastfeeding.
- He was losing so much weight, and that isn’t my goal with breastfeeding. I wanted to be something that contributed to his overall growth but instead he was dropping meals after he was a foodie baby.
Weaning
