Do Babies Under 12 months self-wean?

You may have heard another mom say that her infant stopped wanting to breastfeed all on his own, or self-weaned, before a year old, but this was likely not the case. Without prompting from his caregivers, it’s unusual for a child to self-wean under 18 months old! So why might some mothers think that their children are self-weaning? We’ll discuss the answer to that question, as well as how can you encourage the end of your nursing relationship with your infant, and whether or not the two of you are really ready for the end at all…

What is Self-Weaning?

Self-weaning, or child led weaning, occurs when children meet the following criteria. First, children who self-wean will receive most of their nutrition from solid foods. This alone makes infants under one year usually unable to self-wean, as before 12 months, infants are still getting the bulk of their nutrition from milk.

Child led weaning also occurs gradually, as the child learns to drink from a cup and receive physical comfort from other strategies such as cuddles with mom and dad or walking themselves to bed to lay down. While the rule of thumb is that self-weaning doesn’t occur before one-year- old, most children don’t self-wean until after they are two years old.

Why Do Some Mothers Think Their Infants Are Trying to Self-Wean?

If infants can’t self-wean before their first birthday, why do so many moms seem to think that their baby weaned itself before then? A combination of factors often paired with a mom’s lack of education or support can lead to prompted weaning, sometimes without the mother even being aware of it!

There are several periods of normal development which occur in a child’s first year that have the potential to make nursing frustrating. Sometimes, these developments make it look as though the infant is frustrated by breastfeeding and is trying to wean. However, this just isn’t the case. Around 6 months, your infant may begin showing a little less interest in nursing as they discover solid foods. Yet, as the novelty of these small meals inevitably wear off, your baby will return to nursing with nearly the same frequency as before.

The older your infant is, the more easily distracted they become while breastfeeding. This might result in them quickly pulling off the breast to yell, cry, or grab at something nearby−sometimes getting sprayed with breast milk in the process! It’s easy to interpret this change as a sign of displeasure, when really, they’re just growing more curious! Be patient with your baby during this time and encourage plenty of explorative play. Sometimes breastfeeding with a loose linen cover or in a quiet, dark room away from noise during this stage helps to keep your baby from fussing while at the breast.

During periods of teething, babies tend to behave in one of two ways: they want to nurse all day long to soothe their pain, or they don’t want to nurse at all. Some babies go back and forth between the two every few hours! Again, be patient, and offer your baby frozen fruits in mesh containers or large wooden kitchen spoons to relieve some of their pain in between feeding sessions.

Low milk supply is a rarer explanation for perceived infant weaning, but it does occur. Some reasons a mother may begin losing her milk supply include attempting to schedule breastfeeding sessions rather than nursing on demand, introducing solids too early or rapidly, or experiencing rapid weight loss through calorie cutting or excessive exercise. Women who are breastfeeding should eat when they are hungry and avoid dieting.

Listen to your body’s hunger signals and eat a healthy, well-rounded diet. This ensures that you’ll lose your baby weight without losing your milk supply.

Are You and Your Infant Ready for Weaning?

Before weaning ask yourself if you’re feeling outside pressure to wean from family members or if you’re feeling too tied down. These issues can easily be solved without complete weaning but might take courage on your part. Many women learn how to stand up for themselves while breastfeeding, and you can too. Tell “helpful” family members to mind their own, or better yet, ask them to babysit with pumped breast milk so that you can take breaks.

When it’s time to wean naturally, you and your child will both know it. Your baby will have cut down the frequency of nursing quite a bit, sometimes nursing only a few times a week. She will be eating solid foods and able to voice her needs, even if that’s just by pointing at what she

If you’ve decided you would like to end your nursing relationship with your child but she’s not quite ready, there are still gentle ways to wean. Ask for lots of help from your partner and expect your child to need extra cuddles and fluids during this time. Cut out nursing gradually and expect setbacks along the way. Remember to listen to your natural instinct about what works for you and your baby. Happy Nursing!