How to go from breast to bottle.

I look back with fondness on those days of breastfeeding. But the part where I had to transition from breast to bottle doesn’t conjure warm memories. I had to wean my first baby cold-turkey due to a medical condition. That wasn’t easy at all! Second time around with the next child, weaning was much easier — less painful too — because I had a transition plan. Read more for expert tips on how to go from breast to bottle without agonizing yourself or your child.

Topmost question is, when do you wean? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends pure breastfeeding until your baby is 6 months old. After that you can start introducing solids into her diet which should still include your milk or probably milk-formula.

When to wean from breastmilk to formula is a very personal decision. It depends on what’s best for your family’s situation. Maybe your maternity leave is over in 4 months so you decide to wean your baby at this time so you can get back to work. In the US, the AAP reports that most mothers choose to wean their babyies off the breast between 4 and 7 months.

Your baby can also give you signs she’s ready to wean. Telltale signs your baby can take solid food? She holds her head in an upright position, sits with support, or takes interest in what you’re eating. The active tongue-thrust reflex may have also disappeared — or is in the process of disappearing. Some babies even act like they don’t care for the breast anymore.

Plan out a practical schedule and set a specific time when you want to wean. The month before that, ease into a weaning routine. Drop one feed a day and let Daddy or the sitter give your baby a bottle instead. Maybe you can start with the most inconvenient breastfeeding session for you or maybe when your baby is least interested. The next week drop two feedings, until you get to solely using the sippy cup or the bottle.

If you can ask someone’s help, don’t give the bottle yourself. I noticed both my kids would only take the bottle if I was out of the room — or even the house — and had someone else giving it to them. It’s as if they were asking, why are you giving me that bottle when you’re boob is right there?

Avoid weaning during stressful times. Planning a move? Starting a new job? Did your little one just start teething? You may want to hold off for a month or so, because stressful situations don’t work well with weaning. Weaning alone can be stressful, so don’t compound the stress with even more stress.

Prevent engorgement by weaning slow. Cold-turkey weaning can cause milk to fill up your breasts leading to painful engorgement. Your body needs time to adjust to producing less milk until it stops completely. If there’s pain, it can be soothed with ice packs, cold cabbage leaves (worked for me) and acetominaphen. Use the pump to extract a bit at a time. But don’t extract too much or else you won’t stop producing milk.

Take heart — weaning can also take its toll on mom. I felt a bit melancholy each time I had weaned. It marks a time when your baby is growing more independent and it’s normal for moms to feel like tugging back. But then again they can’t be babies forever. We can only wish.

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