When I hear of a mother being pressurised to wean before she wants to I am always upset as I suspect that the person or people doing the pressurising don’t understand what the implications of what they are suggesting would be for the mother and baby. For this reason, I have decided to write down the implications, as I see them, of a mother weaning her baby before she and her baby are ready. There may be more implications depending on a woman’s culture and life experience, however this article is from a Northern Irish perspective and is not exhaustive.
Why breastfeed for more than a few months anyway? According to cultural anthropologists the natural weaning age of humans is probably between 3 and 4 years of age. (Dettwyler, 1995) However in Mongolia where wrestling is the national sport they say the best wrestlers are breastfed until 6 years of age! For optimal health the World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and that breastmilk should be the main source of nutrition in the first year of life, and also a major source of nutrition in the 2nd year of life. La Leche League, the world’s foremost authority on breastfeeding, recommends that ‘Ideally, the breastfeeding relationship will continue until the baby outgrows the need’. Babies rarely genuinely self wean before 1 year. As the length of time that a baby is breastfed increases there is a reduced risk of infection, better teeth and jaw development, the development of a normal immune system (a human’s immune system is not mature until about 6 years old). Breastfeeding will also provide pain relief (eg. Teething), act as a nutritional cushion if ill, and the baby/toddler will be less likely to be hospitalised if ill. Breastfeeding is also an easy way to comfort and parent a baby/toddler, and is an easy way to help a baby/toddler go to sleep.
Risks of sudden weaning to the mother
- Pain, engorgement – mum may be making a large volume of milk whatever baby’s age
- Mastitis, Abscess
- Difficulties holding baby/toddler/older children/partner due to pain in breasts
- Feelings of loss, grief, incompetency
- May mimic child loss – increase symptom’s of depression – reduces effects of anti-depressant medication
- Increases mother’s stress levels
More risks of weaning to the mother
- Lose easy way to feed the baby
- Need to learn other ways of comforting baby, especially during teething or illness
- Need to deal with baby’s/toddler’s continued desire to breastfeed
- Breastfeeding is a way of giving and receiving love and comfort – prolactin, oxytocin are important hormones produced during breastfeeding helping mum relax and bond with the baby
- Increase in fertility – particularly relevant if mother has no access to other form’s of contraception
- More likely to need to nurse a sick baby/toddler
Risks of Weaning to the Baby
- Increased risk of infection
- Loss of comfort and closeness with mum, reduced bonding with mum.
- Loss of nutritional cushion – suddenly becomes totally dependant on outside sources of food eg. formula, solids
- Loss of protective effect of breastfeeding on future mental health – particularly important if mum is depressed
Some would argue that early weaning is necessary due to the alleged increase in risk to the child over time of medications in the mother’s milk, however this is a misconception and here listed are the reasons why.
Risks to the baby of medications in the mother’s milk
- Risks to the baby are greater during pregnancy than during breastfeeding
- Metabolic capacity of infants at 12 months approaches that of an adult. Journal of Human Lactation 26(2), 2010
- The latest edition of ‘Medication’s and Mother’s milk’ by pharmacist Thomas W. Hale is considered the definitive text for looking up safety of medications during breastfeeding. Many, many medications are considered compatible with breastfeeding and are believed to cause no harm to the infant. Many medications don’t even cross over into mums milk and most only cross in very small amounts equivalent to a very small % of the mother’s dose. ‘Medication’s and Mother’s milk’ contains thorough information on the safety of medication’s for breastfeeding mother’s and their babies.
Humane Weaning
When it is necessary for a mum to wean before she was planning to, some questions to think about are:
- When is mum planning to wean – can medications be put off until then?
- Can medication’s be put off long enough to allow gradual weaning?
- Will infant be exposed to medications for relatively short time allowing gradual weaning?
If mum decides to wean suddenly then ice packs, cold cabbage leaves, sage tea, a supportive bra are all helpful, as is pumping to remove some milk to prevent engorgement. Speaking to a breastfeeding counsellor or lactation consultant may also help. Hopefully they will understand how upset the mother is at having to wean and can provide a sympathetic ear.
