13 Tricks to Try when Weaning

When this was originally written, it read: You guys! It has been 6 days since I breastfed Josiah. SIX DAYS! If I’m being honest, we actually started weaning on October 2nd, and I’ve probably been dreaming about weaning since he turned 2 years old but here we are, 33 months in! Before October 2nd, Josiah would basically just feed on demand, I didn’t have any rules, but I grew tired of always having a child attached to my breast. October 2nd is when it got real. We started a slow process of only breastfeeding 3 times a day for the first week and then we got down to two times and eventually down to 1 (possibly two a day still). We were stuck there, and I was still over it.

Here is the deal, I have READ a lot of things about weaning and really none of them worked individually and it certainly didn’t happen in 3 days, so here is all of the “best” weaning tips from all over the internet in one glorious place. Trial and error my friends, trial and error.

Distraction: seems easy enough, right? Take your kid to the park or on a walk after picking them up from daycare to distract them from the milk couch. WRONG! Not that easy…but it could be (for the lucky ones). You may also have your partner start taking on different feeding times to help ease the transition from breastfeeding to not.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Water: get a spray bottle, mix in some water and ACV and spray on your nipples. Your child may be deterred by the taste or they may continue to suck until the taste disappears. I eventually just put ACV directly on my nipples and it didn’t phase my toddler. Aloe Vera (straight from the plant): it is bitter, so the taste is a deterrent to a breast/chest feeding child…at least for a little while.

Tape/bandaids on nipples: this basically hides your nipple from your child. Tape is a little easier to pull off and obviously see through. Bandaids seem to work better due to the fact that your child can’t actually see your nipple and it stays on longer. PRO TIP: do not take the tape/bandaids off in front of your child, or your trick will be ruined.