Stopping Breastfeeding Before a Year

Q. What happens if you stop breastfeeding your child before she/he turns 1 years old? Lisa, Chicago, IL

A. Keep in mind that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that 'breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mutually desired,' so if you enjoy breastfeeding and it is possible, you might continue breastfeeding.

If you stop breastfeeding before your infant is 12 months old, you should put him or her on an iron fortified infant formula. And you should feel proud of yourself for breastfeeding for however long you did breastfeed.

Infants under a year old should not be put on:

• whole cow's milk
• reduced fat cow's milk
• goat's milk
• soy milk (although a soy formula is usually just fine)
• rice milk

Why not? The main reason is that none of these forms of milk has iron in them, which is very important for your infant. Without an adequate source of iron, your child will likely develop iron deficiency anemia.

Plus most of these forms of milk are not always well digested by young infants, which is especially a problem for cow's milk. And some of them, like soy milk, rice milk, and reduced fat cow's milk, are low fat, which are not appropriate for children under the age of two years.

So if you are not able to breastfeed until your baby is at least 12 months old, you should wean to an iron fortified infant formula.

And if you are stopping before you really want to because you are having problems breastfeeding, be sure to get an evaluation with a lactation consultant. Many breastfeeding problems, like nursing strikes, biting, and having a poor milk supply, can be fixed with the proper help.