Weaning your Child- How old is too old to breastfeed?

"When to wean?" It's a question that's top in the mind of nursing mothers. First, What does it mean to Wean: It means to accustom an infant (or other young mammal) to food other than its mother's milk. Your baby is considered weaned when he stops nursing and gets all his nutrition from sources other than the breast. Although babies are also weaned from the bottle, the term usually refers to when a baby stops breastfeeding.

Some moms stop at 6 months, others serve a combination of solids and breast milk till the baby is 1 year old. Its also not surprising to see toddlers who breastfeed up to 2 years old. Ultimately, Weaning is a personal decision and should be based on what's best for your family. Perhaps as a working mom, you need to return to work after your 3 months Maternity leave, you may choose to wean your baby off breast milk at 4-7 months and introduce bottle-feeding. Weaning doesn't necessarily signal the end of the intimate bond you and your child created through nursing. It just means you're nourishing and nurturing him in different ways.

This may be shocking to people in Western countries, but worldwide, children are weaned when they're between 2 and 6 years old on average. Here's a story of a Mom Maha Al Musa who has no plans to stop nursing her school-age daughter, Aminah. So nursing a 6-year-old is not out of the ordinary,” says Diana A.West, a lactation consultant. “After 18 months to two years of age, nursing isn't about food so much as it is about connection,” she says.

Regardless of when you decide to wean, the process should be gradual; the baby is introduced to easy-to-swallow solids or semi-solids while still breastfeeding. Then gradually cut back the number of times you breastfeed during the day. This slow approach not only helps to stave off the uncomfortable feeling of breast engorgement and depression that accompanies early or abrupt weaning, but it also made the transition process an easy one.

Weaning is easiest when your child begins to lose interest in nursing, and that can happen any time after she starts eating solids (around 4 to 6 months). Some babies are more interested in solid food than breast milk by 12 months, after they've tried a variety of foods and can drink from a cup. But when it's the mother's idea, weaning can take a lot of time and patience. It also depends on your child's age and how she adjusts to change.

Here are some weaning strategies that would help make the process easier;

Occasionally Introduce a cup or bottle

If you intend to stop breastfeeding your child at about a year, start introducing a cup periodically at about 6 months. Allowing your infant feed from a cup or bottle prepares him/her for weaning, the child gets used to it and may not notice when you eventually stop nursing him.

Avoid Familiar Nursing positions and places

If you are used to nursing your infant while lying down during nap time or at night, or sitting in a rocking chair in the day, the child recognizes these positions. In gradually weaning your baby, you may need to avoid these familiar positions and places as often as possible. This keeps your infant's mind away from breastfeeding.

Weaning Older Babies
If your baby is 9 months or older, it's best to wean directly to a cup so you don't have to deal with getting her off the bottle in a few months. And if your baby is older than 1 year old, wear complicated clothing -- such as a dress with a zipper down the back or a buttoned-up shirt -- to help her wean. Limit her nursing time and regularly comfort her with your undivided attention.

Take it slow: Prevent or Soothe Engorgement
Another reason to take it slow: Rapid weaning can cause engorgement. Why? Your milk ducts miss the memo that they need to reduce milk production -- and all that milk has nowhere to go. If you're engorged, soothe the pain with cool ice packs or acetaminophen. Or reach for your trusty breast pump -- you can serve the pumped milk in a bottle or mix it with your baby's cereal.

Switch Up Your Routine: Let Others Help
Let Dad, Grandma, or another caregiver assist with weaning. If your baby resists a bottle from you, see if your baby will accept a bottle from someone else while you're in another room -- chances are, he'll do better in your absence at first. Or if you're the one serving the bottle, change up your routine -- if you nurse in your bedroom, try nursing in the living room. Consider holding him in another position. If this doesn't work, revert back to your old routine, then try again in a few weeks.

Weaning Tricks
You could use some simple tricks to help your child adjust faster. Here's a mom's example: I weaned my daughter just shy of her second birthday. Bedtime was tough. I would say, "Mommy has no more milk," or I'd let her dad take her to bed. When she woke in the middle of the night, I would just hold her until she drifted back to sleep when she realized there would be no "nursy." I kept a cup of milk ready for her when she woke up in the morning, then we read, read, read until she got used to this pattern and not nursing.

Serve Nutritious Options
For baby's first introduction to solid foods, most parents start with 1 teaspoon of single-grain, iron-fortified baby cereal (such as rice cereal) mixed with 4-5 teaspoons of breast milk. Once she gets the hang of cereal, you can introduce pureed veggies, fruits, and meats. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends trying one new food at a time and waiting at least 2-3 days before starting another to monitor any allergic reactions. Once she reaches 9-12 months old, your baby might enjoy small portions of finely chopped or mashed finger foods such as dry cereal or mashed graham crackers.

Ultimately, your baby isn't the only one who has to adjust while weaning. You too must deal with a whirlwind of emotions -- some moms want their bodies back; others feel rejected when their baby passes up the breast. Though you may be pleased to end nursing once and for all, it's totally natural to feel pangs of nostalgia about your baby getting older. Your best bet? Embrace her independence, know that weaning is an emotional experience, and talk to other breastfeeding mothers who can relate.