Season of Weaning

Weaning happens. It seems to be less talked about. For most, the focus is on getting and maintaining the milk supply. As a Lactation professional who has experience working with dyads beyond the first 6 weeks, I know there are challenges outside of establishing the milk supply. I see you too. I see the mothers who are excited by sharing the words "we weaned" vs the ones that are hesitant to speak the words "we weaned". There is more to weaning than the physical. Weaning often comes with a lot of emotion.

Weaning happens. Weaning may happen for medical reasons, it may happen unexpectedly, it may be acute, it may be gradual, it may be unwanted and it may be parent or child guided. It may be your ideal weaning, or may have been forced. Weaning is very much a relationship. It can be softened by communicating your needs and desires.

When weaning happens gradually, it often comes with less physical challenges. The child may be guiding it and the child feels ready. The child feels secure and has been eating solids well for some time. Your breast will feel less full, your milk supply has adjusted to your childs decreasing need. If one day that feed didn't happen, you may question if your child has weaned. But tomorrow they decide they want to nurse, so you let them. You are gradually weaning, and taking your child's lead.

When weaning happens unexpectedly it can come as a surprise: good or bad. You may have been around less and your child no longer felt the need to nurse. It wasn't planned. It wasn't forced. It just happened. You may feel a lot of feels around weaning. Because your weaning story came unexpected, you may feel the need to talk about it with someone who can validate your experience.

When weaning happens abruptly by choice or for a medical reason, there may be more challenges on both the maternal and the child's side depending on the age of the child. Breasts don't just stop making milk abruptly. They are designed to lactate and have been working on gearing up to breastfeed during pregnancy. Weaning (Involution) always happens. Depending on where you are in your feeding journey, weaning abrupty may be more or less challeneging to navigate. Educating people about weaning is important. Medications can help reduce milk as well as offering hand expression or pumping as an alternative to at breast feeding if that is a contraindication or not available. Abrupt weaning is more physical but there is likely a lot of emotions that need to be expressed at some point.

Parent lead weaning can be gradual or it may be becuase of unexpected weaning or precieved weaning. Society has more influence on this type of weaning. Nursing on a schedule, sleep training, soothers, bottle feeding, formula marketing, early return to work, breastfeeding past infancy, holidays, illness, medications, procedures, nursing strikes, distracted nursing.... these things can cause early weaning and/ or parents may be assuming their child no longer want to nurse and has weaned. Attending La Leche League meetings and becoming aware of the red flags, sharing stories and educating yourself on the norms of breastfeeding can be really supportive.

If you are in the Season of Weaning and looking for support, reach out. I offer a 2 week virtual support via text/email that may be incredibly supportive to you if you find yourself in a position where weaning may be undesired or desired and you need someone to talk to and get help navigating through it--> www.drivenlactation.com

Happy Holidays,

Trisha