Child-led Weaning

Is it Right for You?

The weaning process begins when a baby is offered anything other than breast milk from the breast for nutrition and/or comfort. This process can be slow and easy or by necessity abrupt and more difficult. Many mothers are choosing to allow child-led weaning. Child-led weaning refers to a slower paced weaning with children nursing beyond (sometimes well beyond) the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation of nursing baby for a minimum of one year.

According to anthropological studies, the average age of natural, child-led weaning worldwide is 4.2 years. The minimum predicted age for child-led weaning is 2.5 with a maximum of around five years of age. If not coerced by mother to nurse longer, children will eventually outgrow their breastfeeding need for nutrition and comfort. However, it may become socially unacceptable in the eyes of some for a child to continue to nurse after a certain age, that age usually being around two years old.

How can a mother know if child-led weaning is right for her and her baby? First, she must consider if social pressures to wean baby before a certain age will cause her grief. If the mother has support from family or her partner or if she can deal with the lack of support this will likely be the biggest factor in the decision to practice child-led weaning.

Many mothers choose not to nurse “on-demand” once the child reaches the age that they can get nutrition from food and comfort by other measures. The child may settle into a pattern of favorite times to nurse by the age of 2-2.5.

Sometimes child-led weaning means that the child will continue to nurse during the mother’s pregnancy with another child. Nursing may be painful during pregnancy so at this time the mother should not feel bad about limiting nursing sessions to what is comfortable for her. This may mean night weaning is necessary to help the mother feel positive about continuing with child-led weaning in the daytime.