Stopping breastfeeding

Breastfeeding can last for a day, several months, a couple of years or longer. Whenever your breastfeeding journey comes to an end, it is a change in feeding rather than a measure of how well you have done.

There are many different reasons why someone may decide to stop breastfeeding. Health, medication, returning to work, changes within the family, feeding difficulties or simply feeling that the time is right can all be part of that decision. Research exploring why mothers stop breastfeeding has found that the reasons can be complex and can change throughout the first year (Li et al., 2008).

The decision to stop may be completely baby-led, completely mother-led, or somewhere in between. It may also be a gradual change rather than a single decision to stop altogether. The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine recognises that weaning can happen in different ways and that families may combine breastfeeding with expressed milk, formula or other forms of feeding during the transition (ABM, 2026).

The reasons for stopping are not the focus here. Instead, this article looks at what stopping breastfeeding can involve, what your baby may need as feeds change, and how you can look after yourself and your breasts during the transition.

However you choose to stop, your own wellbeing matters too. Weaning is a hormonal journey as well as a feeding journey, and some mothers find that the end of breastfeeding brings unexpected emotions, even when the decision feels right. Looking after yourself with regular food, a balanced diet, rest where possible, enough fluid to respond to your thirst, and practical or emotional support can make a difference.

Stopping breastfeeding also opens another journey rather than simply bringing one to an end.

There is no set age to stop breastfeeding

There is no particular age when breastfeeding has to stop. The NHS describes when breastfeeding ends as a decision for you and your baby, while the World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for around the first six months, followed by complementary foods alongside continued breastfeeding to two years and beyond, for as long as mutually desired (NHS, 2026a; WHO, 2026).

Natural weaning is usually a gradual process. A baby may become increasingly interested in food, other ways of drinking, exploring their surroundings and the wider world around them while still enjoying breastfeeds.

It is uncommon for a baby to completely self-wean during early infancy. A change in feeding behaviour does not necessarily mean that a baby is ready to stop breastfeeding altogether, particularly during periods of illness, developmental change or changes in routine.

There is therefore no need to stop simply because your baby has reached a particular age. Equally, there is no requirement to continue beyond the point that feels right for you and your baby.

What does weaning actually mean?

The word weaning can mean different things to different families. Sometimes weaning refers to introducing solid foods. Sometimes it means gradually reducing breastfeeding. It may mean moving from direct breastfeeding to expressed breast milk, introducing formula, combining breastfeeding with another form of feeding, or gradually stopping breast milk altogether.

These changes do not have to happen all at once. You may continue breastfeeding some of the time while replacing other feeds. You may keep a morning or bedtime breastfeed for much longer than daytime feeds. You may reduce feeds during the day while continuing to breastfeed at night.

There is no requirement for weaning to be an all-or-nothing process. It is also worth separating the introduction of complementary foods from stopping breast milk. From around six months, babies can begin to explore solid foods, but breast milk or first infant formula remains an important source of nutrition during the first year (NHS, 2026b).

What does my baby need instead?

What replaces a breastfeed depends largely on your baby's age and what you want feeding to look like after breastfeeding reduces.

Under 12 months old

For babies under 12 months, breast milk or first infant formula remains their main drink. If breastfeeding is stopping and expressed breast milk is not being used, first infant formula is the appropriate replacement milk (ABM, 2026; NHS, 2026c).

From around six months, babies can begin drinking from a cup as they develop the skills to do so. An open cup or free-flow cup without a valve can help babies learn to sip, and offering a cup with meals can become part of everyday feeding (NHS, 2026c).

If you are moving from breastfeeding to bottles, paced bottle feeding can help keep the feeding experience responsive to your baby's cues. If you are choosing another way of offering milk, there are also alternatives to bottles.

You can read more in my blogs [Alternative Feeding Methods for Babies] and [How to Pace Bottle Feeds].

Cows' milk can be used in cooking or mixed into foods from around six months, but it should not be given as a main drink until your baby is 12 months old. This is an important distinction: when NHS guidance refers to cows' milk from around six months, it means as part of food rather than as the milk drink replacing breast milk or first infant formula (NHS, 2026b; NHS, 2026c).

From 12 months old

From 12 months, pasteurised whole cows' milk can be offered as a main drink. Breast milk can also continue if you and your child wish to do so.

Toddler or growing-up milks are not needed routinely after 12 months. The NHS recommends full-fat dairy products for children under two because young children need the energy and nutrients they provide (NHS, 2026d).

How can breastfeeding be stopped?

There is no single method that suits every feeding dyad. For many families, gradually reducing breastfeeds is the most comfortable approach, but there are several ways to make a transition.

Gradual reduction

Gradually reducing milk removal gives your breasts time to adjust as your milk production decreases.

You might choose to:

• replace one breastfeed each day with another form of feeding

• shorten particular breastfeeds

• gradually increase the time between breastfeeds

• reduce particular feeds while continuing others

• remove daytime feeds while keeping a morning or bedtime feed

• reduce the frequency or duration of feeds over a period of weeks or months.

There is no fixed timetable. Some families make changes over several days, while others take several weeks or longer.

The important thing is that you do not have to stop every feed at the same time.

Gradual reduction can also help reduce the likelihood of uncomfortable breast fullness and may reduce the risk of inflammation or mastitis associated with sudden changes in milk removal (ABM, 2026; NHS, 2026e).

If you are only reducing some breastfeeds, you may not need to stop milk production altogether. Partial weaning can be a long-term feeding arrangement in its own right.

Expressing may be part of the transition

Expressing can be another way of managing the transition, particularly if you want to continue giving your baby breast milk while reducing or stopping direct breastfeeding.

It is important to remember that expressed milk volume is not a direct measurement of how much milk your body produces.

Milk production and milk removal are related, but they are not the same thing. The amount collected by a breast pump is influenced by the pump and its settings, flange fit, timing, breast fullness, milk ejection and the individual's response to expressing. Research also shows that milk output can vary considerably between breasts and between expressing sessions (Wambach et al., 2007; Geddes et al., 2023).

Milk yield, viscosity and composition can also change during and between expressing sessions. A particular pumping session therefore cannot tell you exactly how much milk you produce or what your baby would have removed at the breast. For example, the fat content of human milk changes as the breast is progressively emptied, and the average 24-hour fat content can differ from the fat concentration measured in an individual expressing session (Daly et al., 1993; Kent et al., 2013).

You can read more about expressing in my blogs How to Express Breastmilk and Breast Pump Flange Fitting: Size, Shape, Comfort and Milk Removal.

If your breasts become uncomfortably full while feeds are being reduced, you do not necessarily need to fully empty them. Expressing a small amount for comfort can take the edge off the pressure while allowing milk removal to continue reducing.

The aim is comfort rather than completely draining the breast, because removing more milk provides a signal for the body to continue producing it.

Ways of reducing milk production

As milk removal reduces, milk production normally reduces too. There are also some approaches that can be used alongside gradual reduction to make the physical transition more comfortable or to support lactation suppression.

Cold therapy

Cold therapy is widely used as part of lactation suppression and is included in NICE guidance as a self-help measure when breastfeeding has stopped or needs to be stopped (NICE, 2021).

Cold packs or cold compresses can reduce discomfort, swelling and breast congestion during the transition. They can be particularly useful when the breasts feel full or tender.

Cold therapy does not need to be extreme. A cold pack wrapped in a cloth can be applied for a short period, allowing the skin to warm again afterwards. Some people also find chilled cabbage leaves comfortable.

Cold therapy is about supporting the physiological transition and making breast fullness more manageable; it does not mean that you need to tolerate significant pain or leave your breasts painfully overfull.

Herbal remedies

A number of herbs have traditionally been used to reduce milk production, including sage, peppermint, parsley and jasmine. Chasteberry has also been described in relation to reducing milk supply. The evidence is very different between these remedies, and traditional use should not be confused with good evidence that a particular herb will reliably reduce milk production.

Information about these herbs is not a recommendation to use them, and this article does not provide instructions for preparation, dosage or frequency. An herb used as a food ingredient is not necessarily equivalent to a concentrated tea, tincture, capsule, extract or other supplement. The strength and ingredients of herbal products can vary, and the effects of some preparations on health, milk production and breastfed babies are not well understood.

Herbal medicines can have pharmacological effects and can interact with medicines or affect how medicines work. This is particularly important if you take medication for a health condition or are using hormonal medicines, including contraception. Your underlying health conditions and current medicines may also themselves affect milk production. For example, medicines used for thyroid conditions and diabetes can be relevant when considering changes in milk supply, while some hormonal contraceptives can also affect lactation.

Do not stop, reduce or change a prescribed medicine in an attempt to alter your milk supply. If you are considering using an herb or herbal preparation while reducing or stopping breastfeeding, speak with a pharmacist, GP, appropriately qualified healthcare professional or other professional who can check the specific preparation against your medical history, current medicines and other supplements. This is particularly important because safety information may be limited and some products have not been adequately studied during breastfeeding.

Sage is traditionally used for weaning and oversupply, but LactMed reports that no scientific studies evaluating its effect on milk supply could be located. Sage also contains compounds including thujone and camphor, which can be neurotoxic in high doses, and there are limited safety data for breastfeeding mothers and infants (LactMed, 2025a).

Peppermint is also traditionally used to suppress milk production. Laboratory and animal research suggests that menthol can affect milk production, but no clinical trials demonstrating lactation suppression in humans have been identified. Large amounts of peppermint can also cause gastrointestinal symptoms, and some peppermint constituents pass into breast milk (LactMed, 2025b).

Parsley has been included in traditional preparations intended to reduce milk flow, but LactMed reports that there are no scientifically valid clinical trials supporting this use (LactMed, 2024a).

Jasmine has a history of traditional use for lactation suppression, and one study found that applying jasmine leaves to the breasts reduced postpartum lactation. However, the study was considered low quality and there are insufficient data about safety and effectiveness (LactMed, 2021).

Chasteberry has also been used traditionally to reduce milk supply, but the evidence is uncertain. Importantly, LactMed advises avoiding chasteberry during lactation because of concerns about its safety and its potential effects on lactation (LactMed, 2024b).

Medicines and other factors that can affect milk production

Some medicines can affect milk production. One example is pseudoephedrine, a decongestant sometimes known by the brand name Sudafed. Research has found that a single dose can temporarily reduce milk production and that repeated use can interfere with lactation (LactMed, 2026).

This does not make pseudoephedrine a routine weaning treatment. It is a medicine with its own contraindications, interactions and potential adverse effects, so it should not be used specifically to stop breastfeeding without appropriate individual medical advice.

It is also worth remembering that medicines and health conditions can affect milk production in different ways. If your milk production has changed unexpectedly, or you are taking medication for a long-term health condition, discuss this with your healthcare professional rather than assuming that the medication or condition should simply be changed.

If breastfeeding needs to stop more quickly

Sometimes gradual reduction is not possible or is not what someone needs. There may be a medical reason, an urgent change in circumstances, medication that makes breastfeeding temporarily or permanently unsuitable, pregnancy or infant loss, or a situation in which continuing to breastfeed is affecting a mother's physical or emotional wellbeing.

If mental health or a sense of safety is part of the reason that breastfeeding needs to stop quickly, that matters too. You do not need to justify your decision before receiving support.

Stopping abruptly

Stopping suddenly means that milk removal decreases much more quickly, which can leave the breasts feeling very full, painful or swollen.

If stopping abruptly is necessary, reducing breast stimulation and expressing only enough milk to relieve significant discomfort can help. Cold packs, a comfortable supportive bra and appropriate pain relief may also help with symptoms (NICE, 2021).

If you develop a worsening painful area, increasing redness or swelling, fever, flu-like symptoms or feel significantly unwell, seek medical advice rather than assuming that you simply need to push through the discomfort (NHS, 2026e).

Medication to suppress lactation

Cabergoline is a prescription medicine that suppresses prolactin and can be used to inhibit or suppress physiological lactation in specific circumstances. If you think medication may be appropriate because breastfeeding needs to stop quickly, this is something to discuss with your GP, midwife, obstetric team or another appropriate healthcare professional.

It may be considered after childbirth when breastfeeding is not going to be started, when breastfeeding is contraindicated for medical reasons, or following stillbirth or abortion. It may also be used in other specific medical circumstances following clinical assessment (eMC, 2025).

Cabergoline is therefore not a self-help method or a routine shortcut for planned weaning. Whether it is appropriate depends on the individual circumstances, medical history and reason for lactation suppression.

What about breast binding?

Tightly binding or compressing the breasts is not recommended as a way of stopping breastfeeding.

Breast binding is an old method of attempting to suppress milk production, but it is no longer recommended. Research has not demonstrated a useful benefit from binding, and it can increase breast discomfort, tenderness and leakage. It may also place unnecessary pressure on breast tissue.

A comfortable, supportive bra can provide support while the breasts are changing, but tight compression is not needed to reduce milk production and can cause unnecessary pain and discomfort.

There are now more comfortable and evidence-informed approaches to managing breast fullness during weaning, including gradual reduction of milk removal, expressing small amounts for comfort when necessary and cold therapy.

Looking after yourself while weaning

Stopping breastfeeding is a physical and hormonal change as well as an emotional one.

As milk production changes, hormone levels change too. Some mothers notice very little emotional change, while others experience sadness, irritability, tearfulness or a sense of loss around the end of breastfeeding. This can happen even when stopping feels completely right.

Regular meals, enough fluid according to thirst, rest where possible and support from people you trust can all be useful during the transition. It can also help to give yourself permission to notice the emotions without assuming that they mean you have made the wrong decision.

If you experience persistent low mood, significant anxiety, intrusive thoughts or feel that you are struggling to cope, seek appropriate support.

When your breastfeeding journey comes to an end

Whether your breastfeeding journey lasted a day, several months, a year, several years or longer, it was part of your relationship with your baby.

There does not need to be a particular way for the journey to end. It may happen gradually, one feed at a time. It may involve expressed milk, formula, cups, bottles, solid foods or a combination of different ways of feeding. It may be entirely your decision, entirely your baby's timing, or something you navigate together.

Stopping breastfeeding does not erase everything that came before it.

It is simply a change in feeding — and the beginning of another stage in your journey together.

References

Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (2026) Questions mums ask about stopping breastfeeding. Patient information leaflet.

Daly, S.E.J., Di Rosso, A., Owens, R.A. and Hartmann, P.E. (1993) ‘Degree of breast emptying explains changes in the fat content, but not fatty acid composition, of human milk’, Experimental Physiology, 78(4), pp. 543–551. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8311942/

eMC (2025) Cabergoline 0.5mg Tablets: Summary of Product Characteristics. Available at: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/101200/smpc

Geddes, D.T., Gridneva, Z., Perrella, S.L., Mitoulas, L.R., Kent, J.C. and Hartmann, P.E. (2023) ‘Infant factors that impact the ecology of human milk secretion and composition’, Frontiers in Nutrition, 10. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10356564/

LactMed (2021) Jasmine. Drugs and Lactation Database. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501843/

LactMed (2024a) Parsley. Drugs and Lactation Database. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501880/

LactMed (2024b) Chasteberry. Drugs and Lactation Database. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501807/

LactMed (2025a) Sage. Drugs and Lactation Database. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501816/

LactMed (2025b) Peppermint. Drugs and Lactation Database. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501851/

LactMed (2026) Pseudoephedrine. Drugs and Lactation Database. National Library of Medicine.

Li, R., Fein, S.B., Chen, J. and Grummer-Strawn, L.M. (2008) ‘Why mothers stop breastfeeding: mothers’ self-reported reasons for stopping during the first year’, Pediatrics, 122(Supplement 2), pp. S69–S76. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2008-1315i

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2021) Postnatal care. NICE guideline NG194. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng194

NHS (2026a) How to stop breastfeeding. NHS.

NHS (2026b) Your baby's first solid foods. NHS.

NHS (2026c) Drinks and cups for babies and young children. NHS.

NHS (2026d) What to feed young children. NHS.

NHS (2026e) Mastitis. NHS.

Wambach, K.A., Spencer, B., March, K., Lairson, P. and Arnold, L. (2007) ‘Comparison of milk output between breasts in pump-dependent mothers’, Journal of Human Lactation, 23(4), pp. 399–405. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334407307575

World Health Organization (WHO) (2026) Breastfeeding. WHO.