Knowing when it’s time to wean a baby is not always easy.

When is it time to wean a baby? Only the family gets to decide!

Once a baby is over six months of age families can start to get pressure from others. Is that baby STILL nursing? Yes! Remember, the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for at least 2 years! Here at LactLearning we think the longer the better!

Another thought is that maybe a family never envisioned nursing a baby for more than six months to a year. I know I didn’t. But when I got to one year, breastfeeding was easy. It was so hard in the beginning and I really struggled, so why would I stop now? It helped that I belonged to a support group that believed in nursing older babies. Finding people who support and believe in the power of nursing can be really helpful when helping families trying to decide what to do.

So, how do you know when it’s time to wean a baby? Think about how much the parent and the baby are enjoying nursing still. A lot? Probably not time yet. Maybe the baby still loves nursing but the parent is feeling done. This is OK too.

It is also fine to night wean a baby after 15 months or so (the parent can do this at any time, this is their baby, but night weaning tends to work more easily after 15 months or so) if lack of sleep is the issue. It is also perfectly acceptable to start setting limits on breastfeeding that make it more doable for the parent. Maybe mom don’t want the baby pulling up their shirt. Fine. Tell the baby no. This is the parent’s body and they get to decide when and how they want to share it. What a powerful lesson!

If you have questions about weaning or need some help finding weaning strategies for families, remember, LactaLearning is here for you!

Nancy and Barbara fully believe in nursing older babies and have done this themselves!

Our podcast today talks about Jessica and Barbara’s weaning experiences, what you some signs that you may be ready to stop nursing, and some strategies as to how to stop nursing. Enjoy!

If you work with breastfeeding families who is passionate about lactation support OR a  and you want to turn your passion for breastfeeding into professional practice, check out LactaLearning.com and consider following us on social media!

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