Weaning your baby is a normal stage in the mother-child relationship. However, because every breastfeed is different, this breast-to-bottle transition towards diversification is not always a pleasant experience. Although the natural weaning process, guided by the child, is gentle and caring, it can sometimes lead to milk blues that are just as natural, but more abrupt, and which it's a good idea to recognize in order to learn how to avoid them.
CONTENTS :
- Natural weaning, the very essence of gentleness
- The breast-to-bottle transition: a new adventure
- Recognizing breast engorgement
- Dealing with milk blues if they arise
Natural weaning, the very essence of gentleness
Natural weaning is a process whereby the baby stops taking milk from his mother's breast in a gradual, self-directed way, without pressure or constraint. It is simply the baby who decides to feed less, and then no longer. This change can last several months or even years, and takes place at a unique pace for each mother-child duo.
Between 6 and 12 months, babies start to show an interest in solid foods, fruits, vegetables and baby food prepared by their mothers. At the same time, he's still drinking milk and can continue to suckle for a long time. Natural weaning is generally not considered to have taken place until the baby is two years old. Weaning by the child can also take place much later, up to the age of three or five. This practice is still quite rare in France, but is particularly beneficial for the autonomy and confidence of young children.
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💡 Natural weaning is often triggered in parallel with other learning processes Babies who move towards more frequent feedings generally enter a developmental phase that is noticed by their parents. Whether it's DME, feeding autonomy, language, cleanliness or movement, it's not surprising that one or the other should occur at the same time. |
Signs that your baby will stop suckling
Of course, you're always on the lookout for the slightest change in your child. But have you noticed any changes in your baby's eating habits? If the natural weaning period is approaching or has begun, your baby may :
- claim the breast less often,
- skip a feed, space them out, start again, then go a few days without feeding,
- fill fewer diapers, but with more solid stools,
- take an interest in what's on your plate at mealtimes,
- want to hold his own bottle, training cup or spoon.
These are all signs that your baby is gradually losing interest in the breast. But rest assured, every child has his or her own rhythm. So it's quite possible that the evolution is not linear, and that it may take some time for your baby to stop suckling for good.
The breast-to-bottle transition: a whole new adventure
Baby doesn't really want to suckle anymore, but he still needs milk. At one year of age, it's estimated thathalf a liter of milk (500 ml) is a good quantity every day. This is the transition period between breast and bottle feeding.
👉 Also read: Which infant formula for my baby?
As an alternative to breastfeeding, your child can drink breast milk, infant formula or cow's milk from a bottle, sippy cup or sippy cup. But you still need to find the most suitable container, the one your little one will prefer to use.
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At Élhée, we recommend the learning cup from 6 months, designed for water, but nothing prevents you from putting milk in it.🥛
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As for the glass or cup, it's up to you to see if your child is ready. On the technical side, we recommend you choose a model that's not too big, not too deep and non-slip, to avoid accidents.
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But the best solution is undoubtedly a nursing bottle. Sensory, breastfeeding-like, soft, made of healthy, unbreakable medical silicone, odorless and round, the BibROND Élhée has everything to please baby.
| 🍼 3 tips to try to help your child switch to a bottle:
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Recognizing breast engorgement
If you stop breastfeeding your baby, or let the natural weaning process take hold, you'll gradually stop feeding. And fewer feeds means more milk, which can lead to engorgement.
This frequent complication of breastfeeding is not serious, but it can be painful and even lead to infection. So learning to recognize engorgement can help you anticipate, relieve and avoid worry.
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Breasts are swollen, warm, sometimes painful, reddened and tingling. You may feel the same when your milk comes in, or if your baby hasn't fed for a long time.
Please note: if the breast remains red or turns purple, if a hard shell or fistula forms, if the skin appears cardboard-like or if a flu-like syndrome develops, with or without fever, there's a risk of mastitis. In this case, if the pain recurs or persists beyond 48 hours, consult your doctor or midwife for advice.
How to relieve engorgement at the start of weaning?
To relieve engorgement, you need to empty the breast and drain it to allow stored milk to flow. To achieve this, you can :
- stay hydrated by drinking as much mineral water as possible,
- massage your breast by applying a warm compress to the nipple, which will help dilate the milk ducts,
- use a breast pump without forcing, and if the milk doesn't come out, try again later. To help you make the transition from breast to bottle, Élhée has developed adapter rings that enable you to use BibROND with a manual breast pump. Give them a try!
If baby is still suckling and accepts it, breastfeed more often for a few days, vary your breastfeeding positions and take inspiration from biological nurturing (instinctive breastfeeding).
Natural weaning as a mother
Emotionally intense, the weaning period, when led by the child, is also often the source of a new mother-baby bond. To stay positive throughout this sometimes lengthy process, find out how it goes, and feel free to experience it as you and your child see fit.
And don't worry: your intuition, combined with a keen eye for baby's signals (fewer feeds, longer nights, an interest in diversification...) will guide you through this new rhythm.
However, if you're sad or worried to see your child stop breastfeeding, or if you find this situation difficult to cope with, talk to others about it. Open up to your partner, talk about it with your mom or friends who have already been through it, and don't hesitate to turn to your doctor if you need help. La Leche League or a lactation consultant can be a great help here.
Finally, be as flexible with yourself as you are with your child. Take care of yourself, eat healthily, get enough sleep if you can, and give yourself all the self-love you may have lacked in recent months since baby's arrival.
Dealing with milk blues if they arise
Despite the kindness of those around you, a natural weaning process encouraged by your little one and your positive attitude, sometimes the milk blues get the better of you, sweeping away (momentarily) your courage, happiness and good resolutions.
But what are the milk blues?
Fatigue, melancholy, sadness, regret or depression, the milk blues affect many women and manifest themselves in different ways in the days or weeks following the end of breastfeeding - whether this was a choice or not.
Mothers who have experienced the milk blues talk of crying, strong nostalgia, a feeling of forced separation from their baby (stopping breastfeeding out of obligation), a feeling of no longer knowing how to position themselves in relation to their maternity, their role as a mother, a form of abandonment, a little "mourning" for a period that's (almost) over. They ask themselves a lot of questions: what are they good for now? How will they maintain the bond with their child?
👉 Also read: How to overcome post-breastfeeding depression?
The milk blues, like the baby blues or post-partum depression, are partly linked to the drop in breastfeeding hormones. It's especially the drop in oxytocin levels (the hormone responsible for attachment, love, well-being and the mother-child bond) that makes weaning difficult, especially if it's unexpected (in the case of a breastfeeding strike) or unplanned (because the breastfeeding mother has to go back to work, for example).
Post-weaning depression, a taboo subject that is still poorly understood
While the baby blues, which affect 50-80% of women in France after the birth of their child, are now well documented and understood, the milk blues remain a taboo and rather unexplored subject. Intimate and little talked about, it often passes for a period of great fatigue, exaggeration or even, is mistaken for a delayed baby blues.
If, for all mothers, the end of each period spent with their child is a little heartbreaking, the end of breastfeeding, often difficult to accept, is a more complicated period, sometimes even compared to a depressive episode.
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The end of the mother-child bubble that is breastfeeding is often felt as an emotional rupture.
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Thesocietal injunction for most mothers to stop breastfeeding and go back to work is often resented, and rightly so. The right moment should be a moment chosen in harmony.
Fortunately, the milk blues can be alleviated by anticipating them and gradually stopping breastfeeding if you have no choice, or by offering both of you a natural weaning period spread out over time.
Weaning baby gently, the best way to combat the milk blues
Time will help you to come to terms with the end of your breastfeeding. But taking a step back will also help. Remember that the end of one stage always signals the beginning of another. It's true that your baby is growing up, but you still have many adventures ahead of you.
And give yourself extra doses of oxytocin as soon as possible, by cuddling your baby and those around you, to compensate. Do yourself some good by taking care of yourself, going out, seeing a friend, taking a bath, eating chocolate... And don't worry, the milk blues are temporary, and like all changes and transitions, they eventually pass.
Les biberons Élhée accompagneront votre bébé de la naissance jusqu'à 24 mois et plus, pour lui permettre une parfaite autonomie, sans risque de casse.
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