Breastfeeding and weaning run alongside each other for a long time, and parents often want to know whether what they are doing is normal. Usually it is.

The general position

Breastfeeding is brilliant, and extended breastfeeding is worth continuing where you can. The World Health Organization recommends trying to continue until two.

Even small amounts count. If you managed two weeks of breastfeeding, that is worth something too. And if you cannot breastfeed for whatever reason, that is fine. Fed is better.

What a normal picture looks like

A common question is whether it is a problem for a baby of around 11 months to be having breast milk morning and night, no milk during the day, and three meals a day.

That sounds very normal. If your baby is eating well across three meals, with some milk in the morning and a little at night, and you are offering water with each meal, there is nothing there to worry about.

It is also quite normal for breastfed babies to still wake in the night over the age of one.

Breastfeeding is not only about fluid

It is worth remembering that breastfeeding is also about comfort, and it can develop into habits around that.

So a baby wanting to feed is not always a baby who is hungry, and that distinction becomes more relevant as weaning progresses.

You cannot measure it, so measure something else

The awkward thing about breastfeeding is that you do not know how much your baby is getting. You could have an extremely efficient feeder taking really good amounts in about 15 minutes, or you could be doing longer feeds morning and night.

So rather than volumes, look at outcomes. If your baby is growing and developing well, and having a variety of food groups in their weaning diet and eating well, it would not be a cause for concern.

When it does become an issue

The point at which this needs attention is when feeding starts impacting mealtimes.

Too much breast milk can lead to inadequate iron intake, which matters given how sharply iron requirements rise between 7 and 12 months, and milk blocks iron absorption in any case.

If feeds are affecting appetite for solids, you can:

• Start to shorten the feeding sessions a little.
• Use some distraction during the day.
• Avoid feeds too close to mealtimes.
• Switch to offering breakfast first, with the milk afterwards.

Getting support to reduce feeds

You should continue for as long as you are comfortable to. Into the toddler years you may need to set up some feeding boundaries with your child.

If you want support with reducing feeds, seek advice from a breastfeeding specialist, meaning someone registered to help you with that. It is a specific skill set and worth using.

What helps alongside

Keep your structure, so your baby knows what to expect. A good routine at roughly the same time each day, with breakfast, lunch and an evening meal.

Beyond that:

• Role modelling, with your baby watching you eat.
• Making it fun and letting them get messy, including not wiping hands at the table.
• Not letting mealtimes go on too long.
• Trying not to be anxious that they are not eating much.

Anxiety is the thing to watch. Babies pick up on it, and it can turn into food refusal.

A note from experience

Having had three milk monsters myself, I know how hard this is. It is very natural to panic and wonder what is going on and when they are going to eat.

They do get there, with time and with not being too anxious about it. If your baby is losing weight or it is genuinely becoming an issue, then seek extra help.