The Nursing Mother's Guide to Weaning

Part 2

By Kathleen Huggins, R.N., M.S. and Linda Ziedrich

After nursing ends, mothers and their children experience a mix of reactions, both physical and emotional. These reactions vary greatly in kind and intensity, depending on the age and temperament of the child, how fast weaning has occurred, and how the mother has felt about breastfeeding.

Very little research has been done on women's physical reactions to weaning. For now, we must base our summary mainly on the experiences of women we know.

Unless your milk production has stopped before weaning is complete, you will probably experience some decrease in appetite when you stop breastfeeding. Some women report losing weight and feeling restless for a week or so after weaning. Others, perhaps because they eat according to habit rather than appetite, gain weight after weaning.

After any post-weaning engorgement and breast lumps dissipate, you will probably find that your breasts are smaller even than they were before pregnancy. The areola may look shriveled, from being stretched in the baby's mouth, particularly after several years of nursing. After six months or so, new fat stores may make your breasts fill out a little.

Your breasts will probably continue to produce some fluid, if you try to express it, for months after complete weaning. Some women notice continued milk production for as long as two years after nursing ends. And, for months after the last nursing, some mothers occasionally notice the tingling sensation of milk letting down. One mother, whose breasts had never leaked while she was nursing, said milk dripped from them one night when she was very worried about her child's cough, three months after she had stopped nursing.

If your periods didn't resume before the last nursing, they probably will within a few weeks -- and so, probably, will your fertility. If you began menstruating before weaning was complete, expect that your next period may be early and heavy. Heavy periods may continue for several months as your body adjusts to the hormonal changes of weaning.