So how long does it take to wean completely?

[Steaknife]

I know this might sound like a daft question and I am going to try to phrase it carefully.

How long does weaning take? ie at what point does a child no longer need breastmilk or formula?

From what I have read I understand that from 6m-12m a child will still need bf / ff as well as solids. So if I am BFing can I expect to continue to do so until 12m?

I ask because I will continue to BF once DD is 6 months but a bit of me - the vain bit that wants to reclaim my body for me - wants to know how long I should expect to still be bfing.

So maybe the question should be at what point does the child get the majority of it's nutrients from solid food and only need bfing or ebm as an addition rather than a mainstay of their diet?

Apologies if this should be in bfing topic.

milk should be the main source of nutrition until a child is a year old.
then, if you choose to you can give cows milk as a main drink, or you could just cut down on breastfeeding if you wanted to and give cows milk as well.

obviously if you don't want to carry on breastfeeding until 12 months you don't have to. but it does have many, many health benefits for you and your child.
the WHO recommend breastfeeding until a child is at least 2 years old

You're right in your assumption - they need bf or ff for nourishment until 12m. After that it's less important from a nutrition point of view if they are having cows' milk, other dairy and a balanced diet.

However, you try telling dd (18m) that her lovely snuggly bedtime feed isn't necessary as part of a balanced diet . There's more to bf than calories .

I compromised by cutting feeds in the day (when dd is easily placated with cuddles, snacks and/or cows' milk in a cup) and feeding only at night. This meant I could wear decent bras again, which made a huge difference to my shape and my self-esteem.

If you wanted to stop breastfeeding before 12 months, you'll need to replace it with formula. After that, as thisisyesterday says, you can give cow milk.

Babies need milk whether breast or formula up until 12 months of age, exactly how much depends on each baby, you should talk to your health visitor. Of course it is your decision whether you decide to carry on breast feeding or change to formula or follow on milk at 6 months when weaning starts.

Okey dokey - talk to me about the health benefits - are they the same as from 0-6m?

The only information I have had is from books, which tend to only deal with the first six months. I am very chuffed to have got this far with only DH as support but I want to feel I understand all the benefits of bfing over switching to formula or using a bit of both.

Have I mis-undertood weaning - as a gradual process away from milk to solids? As the WHO recommendations suggest that a child would still need milk as its main source of nutrition until 2?

I am asking because I want to understand my options and feel good about the decisions I make for me and my child.

ooh lots of xposting. Thanks for all the replies.

Mrs B that's the kind of useful information my vanity needs.

Wigglesworth - I have never had a HV - DD was born in Spain where they offer you formula on the ward and we are now in France where the Dr was surprised I was still BFing at 4 months - DD is now 5 so beginning to think about weaning next month.

that should be "DD now 5 months"

ok, a few links here...

a natural age of weaning

benefits of feeding your toddler (am not sure if this one will work, let me know if not)

breastfeeding a toddler, Jack Newman

oh, the WHO recommendation of 2 years is as a supplement to a good varied diet of solids.

I am not breastfeeding myself (didn't work for us unfortunately), but I think that after 6 months if you are still breastfeeding our HV advises giving vitamin drops, I think it's something to with iron levels, someone correct me if I am wrong though.

sorry, wigglesworth , the drops are for vitamin D, not iron

I'm going to quote a tiktok post, am sure she won't mind:

National guidelines are to give vit d supps to all babies bf after 6 mths (vit d supps are already added to formula). The evidence that all bf babies need this supp is very thin indeed, but if you are black or Asian (and therefore need more vit d), live in the north (where it is darker), and do not get outside much, there is a strong case for supplementing.

Majority of all bf babies over 6 mths will get all they need simply from being outside, unwrapped, on most days.

starlight, I think the presumption is that by a year a child will have a good enough diet of solids that they don't need the extra stuff in breastmilk or formula and will be ok with cow's milk.

the thing is, of course, that breastmilk still contains tons of fabulous stuff that can benefit a child indefinitely.

it isn't as clear-cut as they don't need milk any more, give them something else. iyswim?

Starlight - it's because by 12mo most babies are eating a balanced and varied diet that fulfils most of their nutritional needs and milk is less˙
Obv some babies are wolfing 3 meals + 2 snacks a day before this, but most babies won't be ready to go without bm/formula till 12m.

and cows' milk isn't a 'complete' food like ff/bm is.

formula is better than cow's milk because until a child is eating a really good diety, which a lot of 7, 8, 9 months old aren't because it's mainly just pureed fruit and veg, they still need all the added vitamins and minerals that formula has but cow's milk doesnt

formula is better than cows' milk as it's modified (iirc basically more sugars and fats, less protein, as well as added things like fish oils) to be suitable for growing human babies rather than calves, as their nutritional needs are v different.

I think it is a process of the gut maturing. Formula attempts to mimic human breast milk in calorie content, protein content, vitamin content etc, whereas cows milk is just that - the breast milk of another mammal.

I know it used to be that you could give cows milk from 6 months, my mum BF me to 6 months and then gave me cows milk, I never had any formula. I mix fed DS from 9 months when I went back to work, then dropped formula at 11 and a bit months. Carried on BF to 22 months.

I think it is like the change on the weaning guidelines, some babies would be fine on cows milk at 6 months, but some wouldn't so they try to get everyone to do it later to avoid risk.

no, you should relactate!

no, my 3 yr old refused to drink it too when I offered. he kept asking for it though, strange boy. I guess it tastes so different to the milk they are used to.
when he was ill I did mix it with cow's milk on cereal and stuff though. stealth breastmilk feeding lol

I actually do agree with your sentiments about cow's milk vs formula. I would rather give cow's milk as a drink than formula, and if your child had a good diet and was getting breastmilk as wll then I'm sure it was fine.

Formula milk is a processed food, and the idea that it is much better than cows milk for babies is exaggerrated...the main difference between formula and cows milk is that the protein in formula has been 'modified' ie broken down a bit to make it easier for a young baby to digest it. In pre-formula days, mothers used to do this themselves by boiling it and diluting it. The dilution of it reduced its calorie value so sugar was added to it.

Manufacturers make formula from semi-skimmed milk, and as some vitamins are fat-soluble, they disappear with the removal of the fat - so the vitamins have to be added back. In addition, calories are added with vegetable and/or animal fats. And that's basically it - addition of pre-biotics is controversial still and is mainly a marketing move.

Formula is better than cows milk for young babies, but not massively better, and formula is far closer to ordinary cows milk than it is to breastmilk.