All About Weaning

Breastfeeding is the most natural way to feed a baby, and doctors around the world are promoting its benefits. Yet one question breastfeeding moms have seems to have few solid answers, and that is when is the best time to wean the baby from the breast. Other moms will all have their opinions, some stating that a baby is "too old" to still be nursing, while others claim the best option is to allow the baby to nurse until he or she is naturally done. Some pediatricians advocate nursing for one year, which is typically when the baby has tripled the birth rate and ready to transition to table food. Other medical professionals point to mammals, like dogs, who nurse for the same length of time as the baby is in the womb, which would indicate a weaning age of about nine months.

In America, the median nursing age is between 2.5 and 2.8 years. To moms who do not nurse or nurse for less than a year, this seems like a long time, but in reality it is a short nursing relationship. In many cultures the children nurse as long as they want, resulting in a typical weaning at of three to four years. Other resources indicate an even later weaning age may be more healthful.

Some studies have compared human nursing to nursing in other primates. Holly Smith studied 21 primate species and found that they weaned when the babies got their first permanent molars. This does not occur until the fifth year of a human child's life. Other primate studies have shown that babies were weaned when they reached a third of the approximate adult weight, which occurs in humans between the ages of five and seven. Some primates appear to wean when their offspring are half-way to the age of reproductive maturity, which occurs in humans between the ages of six and seven. All of these indicate that a more "natural" approach would be a later weaning age than is practiced in the modern world.

No one argues the benefits of breastfeeding in the modern age, but many argue the benefits of extended breastfeeding. Numerous studies have shown that breastfed babies have higher IQ numbers and lower risk of disease then their bottle fed counterparts. The medical world accepts that breastfeeding provides important antibodies to the young child, yet a child's immune system does not fully mature until the age of six, which could indicate the need for longer nursing relationships. Studies done on extended breastfeeding indicate that the longer a baby nurses, the more benefits the child receives. These studies only follow nursing children until they reached the age of 24 months. Any children who had nursed longer than 24 months were lumped into the same category as those who weaned at the 24-month mark, so further research into even longer breastfeeding times is needed.

The perfect time to wean is clearly not yet established. If a mom chooses to look at the natural world, nursing past the two-year mark and well into the preschool years is acceptable. Society, however, is less accepting of extended nursing, and often puts pressure on moms to quit at a certain age. Every mom needs to realize that her child's health and well being are her number one priority, and if she feels that nursing longer than the average nursing relationship is best, she should feel more than confident in her decision.

Disclaimer: The information provided within this site is not meant to be a substitute for a medical doctor's opinion. This site is for informational purposes ONLY. Please check with your medical practitioner before any type of treatment or prevention method is started.