9 Ways How to Stop Breastfeeding a Toddler

If you just got a newborn baby, you need to know how to stop breastfeeding your baby properly, as if you cannot do it at the right time, it can turn into a problem alter on. The recommended age for you to stop giving breastfeed your baby is about 2 years old, remember that sometimes the baby itself will stop doing that at earlier age.

How to stop breastfeeding guides for moms

1. Allowing time

The best way on how to stop breastfeeding a toddler is to do it gradually. Design the times when you breastfeed your toddler and stick with it. For example, by change the routine so that you only breastfeed at nighttime only and only once per day.

2. Talk to your toddler

After your baby is old enough to understand words and language, it will be easier to tell him/her that you will only breastfeed at the designated time. Tell your toddler that you will only breastfeed at night only
and give some persuasion first.

3. Offer other foods

When your toddler is old enough, stop offering to breastfeed your baby and wait for your baby to ask. How to stop breastfeeding a 2 year old toddler is by give him/her some food before breastfeeding and offer your baby something else instead of breastfeed.

4. Let her/him sleep alone

If you are nursing your child every night before, now it is the best time to stop doing that. After a couple of months, breastfeed your baby but let your baby sleep alone without you. It will be soon before your toddler can sleep alone and without you or ask for breastfeed.

5. Make breakfast

Wake up earlier than usual and if your toddler usually ask for a morning breastfeed then at about 2 years old, change that habit and give your toddler simple breakfast instead. You can also ask your partner to distract your baby while you are preparing the food.

6. Change the daytime routine

If you also breastfeed your toddler regularly at daytime, it is a good time to stop doing that right now. This might have big impact on your toddler so make sure that you keep your toddler busy and do not let him/her bored.

7. Encourage short feed

Reduce the time you breastfeed your toddler, cut the time by 5 minutes when you start and after a couple of days, cut the time by 10 minutes, and so on. Of course, it still depends on how you toddler react so cut the time accordingly.

8. Give your toddler alternatives to suck on

By 2 years old, you can give your toddler something else to suck on; for example is the milk bottle so that he can wean on it. Some toddlers really need to wean, but if yours doesn’t then you can skip this step.

9. Makes you toddler forgets about breastfeeding

When you manage to cut down the time of the breastfeeding, make sure that you do not remind your toddler of it and the best way to do it is to wear something that does not give your toddler easy access to your breasts. It is also important to not change your clothes in front of your toddler.

What happen when you stop breastfeeding?

First is that your breast size can return to its normal size in due time; this depends on whether or not your supply of milk has dried up or not. Then right after you stopped breastfeeding, you might suffers from mood changes, just how severe and how often the mood swings can happen depends on each person. And after awhile after you stop breastfeeding, you will once again get your period. The time might not be the same with everyone, but your menstrual cycle will return shortly after you stop.

If I stop breastfeeding, can I start again?

You can start again but the amount of milk that you produced will be decreased and in some people, the amount of milk will be severely decreased. It also takes some time just to stimulate your breasts so that they are capable of producing the amount of milk that you need.

Will I lose weight when I stop breastfeeding?

When you are breastfeeding, you are consuming approximately 500 more calories, but when you are done with the breastfeeding period then you might experience a sudden weight loss. This has something to do with your hormone production. Unfortunately, the changes of the hormone production differ between each individual, so there are women who gain weight instead due to the different hormone produced after breastfeeding.