Discouraged and thinking of weaning your baby?
If you don’t think you can continue breastfeeding and are considering weaning your baby, consult a trained breastfeeding support person (see Getting help).
Photo: Jean-Claude Mercier
When breastfeeding doesn’t go as planned, many mothers will think about weaning their baby, even if they were originally very determined to breastfeed. This situation may lead you to experience different emotions, some even contradictory.
Before making a hasty decision, you can
- Talk to a trained breastfeeding support person (see Getting help).
- Express milk to reduce or stop nursing from one or both breasts either temporarily or permanently.
- Opt for partial (or mixed) breastfeeding by introducing commercial infant formula.
Express: Pump or squeeze milk from the mother’s breast.
Weaning: Gradual phasing out of breastfeeding.