Suggestions for Weaning a Child From an Early Morning Feeding

Ahead of the Routine

• Get yourself up to shower, dress and make breakfast before your child wakes up. If you co-sleep with your child, getting yourself up and ready for the day makes it difficult for your little one to roll over and feed. If your child is used to eating first thing in the morning, she may wake up hungry, which is why having her breakfast prepared by the time she wakes up helps distract from her hunger.

Substitute Ritual

• Sometimes the peaceful cuddling of an early morning feeding is what your child is really attached to. Once he's old enough to drink cow's milk, give him a sippy cup of warm whole milk while snuggling and reading stories in the morning instead of offering him the breast or a bottle. Relocate this ritual away from your usual nursing spots to avoid triggering the desire to feed, according to KidsHealth.org.

Keep Things Moving

• Even if you're up and ready to serve a yummy breakfast to your child when she wakes up, a child who's particularly attached to early morning feeding may require more entertainment to make weaning go smoothly. Though this can be difficult in the wee morning hours, playing games, coloring or building a block castle with your child when she would normally be feeding helps keep her occupied and entertained. Enlist the help of your partner or older siblings to keep her mind off the feeding she's missing.

Reduce Accessibility

• Break the ritual by keeping your child, and yourself, otherwise occupied during the early morning feeding period, according to KidsHealth.org. Loading the dishwasher or checking your email may not make you inaccessible enough for a an older child who's especially attached to his early morning feedings. Instead, physically reduce your accessibility by pushing him in a stroller around the neighborhood or by driving in the car to feed the ducks at the park.