Weaning from Breast to Cow's Milk

Weaning from breast to cow's milk can be both freeing and emotional for moms, as well as babies. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be breastfed until the age of one, although sometimes this isn't possible. Deciding to wean can be a difficult decision for several reasons. Although you will be reclaiming your body (as well as the ability to eat and drink whatever you want without concern for your little one), you may feel as though you're losing a special part of the mother-baby relationship. One way to ease the transition to cow's milk is to make weaning from breast to cow's milk as painless as possible. 

Weaning from breast to cow's milk should only be done when a child is old enough to take cow's milk. Until your child is one, your pediatrician will probably recommend you give him cow's milk-based formula. Children shouldn't get skim milk; their brain needs the fat found in 1% or whole milk for development. Whole milk fortified with Vitamin D is considered the best for children over the age of one. 

Stopping cold turkey isn't a good idea when weaning from breast to cow's milk. Rather, it's best to go slowly, cutting out one feeding every week and replacing it with a bottle. If you need to speed things up, you can cut a feeding every three or four days, but this may lead to engorgement. The nighttime feeding (just before bed) is generally the last to go, because it is the most comforting and helps babies to fall asleep. You may also want to avoid weaning during a time of change in your child's life, like the addition of a new sibling, moving or starting daycare. 

Make sure that you spend lots of time with your little one during the weaning process. Remaining close to your baby even when you're not breastfeeding can help you to overcome the feeling of loss that you may experience during weaning.

When weaning a child over the age of one, you can wean to a bottle and then sippy cup. Since a child this age will be used to breastfeeding and may be more demanding as to wanting to nurse, try to avoid triggers that may remind her of nursing. This may mean avoiding the place you normally nurse or wearing a top that she can't easily undo. 

Weaning from breast can be difficult for you physically as well. If you wean too quickly, your breasts may become engorged. They may become engorged even if you wean at an appropriate pace. To ease the pain of engorgement, apply ice packs to your breasts. You can also take acetaminophen for the pain.