Weaning, Neuroplasticity, and Walking a New Path

“This field - what’s it got to do with your brain?”: Understanding the Weaning Process

There’s a viral reel going around. A girl runs through a wide, open field asking, “This field - what’s it got to do with your brain?” I couldn’t resist remixing it. It perfectly illustrates how I explain the weaning process to my 1:1 clients and in the Weaning with Love Course.

The Confusion of Weaning

Many mothers feel confused or stuck during weaning. This isn’t because they are doing it wrong. It’s because they are walking an entirely new path. Let me explain…

Your Brain as a Field

Your brain is like a field. Every time you walk a certain way through that field, it flattens the grass. A trail forms. This is how neuroplasticity works. Your brain builds pathways through repetition.

Breastfeeding is that well-worn path. It’s familiar. It works. You know it instinctively. You understand the way your baby turns toward you, the settling, the soothing. You don’t need to think; you just do (and so do they). This is a deeply ingrained and powerful neurological pathway.

The Challenge of Weaning

But weaning? Weaning is like stepping off the trail and into the long grass. You’re trying to go a different way. It’s hard. The grass is tall, and the ground is uneven. You don’t know what lies ahead. It feels scratchy, confusing, and even a bit wild. You might stumble. You might want to turn back. You might feel lost.

The Beauty of Change

Here’s the beauty: Every time you take that new route, your brain changes. A new path begins to form. The grass starts to flatten. One day, you look behind you and realise: you’ve made a new trail. The old one is overgrown. The new one is yours.

This is the power and magic of neuroplasticity. This is the heart of weaning with love.

The Weaning With Love Approach

In the Weaning With Love approach, I teach you how to carve that new path, step-by-step. But the very first step? It’s not dropping a feed. It’s not night weaning. It’s not cutting back on cuddles.

The First Step: Reconciliation

It’s this: 🌿 reconcile the decision in your heart. Make peace with where you are right now. Allow yourself to want to make a change. Release the guilt. Honour your story.

You can begin with my free mini Weaning With Love Guide, which you can download here.

Weaning: A Journey of the Mind and Body

Weaning is a process of the brain as much as it is of the body. You don’t have to do it alone. I’d love to show you the way.

With love,

Danielle

❤️