Step By Step Weaning for a Healthy Baby

Breastfeeding your baby is a wholesome experience, a true bonding time between the baby and the mother. It is a milestone achievement, the one that makes your baby healthy and strong. But breastfeeding has to come to an end one day, the baby is now big and has to eat rather than just drinking, in order to grow, nurture and foster. Eating decadent emergency lactation brownies, cuddling with your baby at night to nurse him till he falls asleep are a few things you will miss about this amazing time. But on the flip side if your baby is not getting his/her fill, not gaining enough weight or the mother is unable to pump milk while at work, the best course of action is to weaning.

What Does Weaning Mean?  

Getting the baby off from breastfeeding, when the child is not taking any breast milk it means weaning. WHO recommends feeding the baby exclusively for the first 6 months and after that introduce solids. At this time, mothers can start the weaning process. But if the mother and the child love the process and are game then it can go up to 2 years. The replacement of the breast milk is hard to find, in fact it is impossible. The immunity boosters in the milk and the comfort that the mother’s lap provide are irreplaceable. Cow’s milk can be given to the baby from a sippy cup or mug and complementary foods like eggs, biscuits, rice, custard and bananas can be added to the baby's diet to make him feel full.

What is the Best Time to Start Weaning?   

There isn’t a rule that fits all, weaning is a process that requires nerves, determination and courage, the ideal time is when you or your baby is ready. Some babies are good at handling transition and some are fussing about a change in their lifestyle. Try to start this process when everything is settled and there isn’t any big change happening just before or after the weaning process. Some babies show signs that they’re ready to take this transition in their stride; these signs can help the mother to seize the opportunity and start the weaning process.

If the child is older than one year, has 18-20 tooth, is able to chew almost any type of whole food, is healthy, active and not having any vaccinations and finds comfort in the pacifier, toys or tabs then the mother can initiate the weaning as the child is ready for the transition. Mother –led weaning is more difficult and unnerving as the baby is not ready for evolution. First of all the baby will throw tantrums and do everything in his capacity to show his displeasure in having a bottle made with formula milk. Crying all night, not eating anything, clinginess, regressive behavior, stressful and anxious baby and engorged breasts are just a few things you’ll have to face during this process.

If the baby is less than six months then bottles are mother’s best friend and accomplice. Substitute nursing session with bottle feeds, sounds easy right? Well, not really, babies older than 3 months know the difference between the milk and will give the mother a hard time. Ideally mothers should always incorporate bottles with their feed even if the milk is still breast milk, this will make the baby comfortable with the bottle and weaning will be much easier later.

Babies older than 6 months can drink from cups or sippy mugs; they can also eat solid foods that will keep their stomach full for longer. Start by offering water or some juice in the cup to make the child familiar and then start sliding milk in the cup as well. Use distractions like toys, stuffed animals, cartoons or other things that hold their interest to keep them a bay from your milk. Moms there is another challenge up your sleeve, engorgement and pain from the full breasts will make the process 100 times harder. If you were taking anything to increase your supply, then stop taking them at least 3 weeks prior to weaning.

Step By Step Guide For Weaning

Planning the weaning process, taking information, seeking advice, reading articles and tapering is the best course of action. Stopping abruptly can distress your baby, make you tired, frustrated and agitated as weaning will not be easy especially if the baby is an avid drinker. Hold off those delicious emergency lactation brownies and pump just enough to ease the pressure, don’t pump aggressively because the body will think that it needs to produce more milk to fill the empty space.

Start by keeping a close eye on your baby’s habits and patterns. Observe at least 2-3 weeks before starting weaning. Keep a track of his feeding demands and figure out the time that he is most distracted and just nursing for fun, skip that feeding session. Try substituting bottle feed at that time; it will be hard so ask help from your partner or any other family member. Try not to bottle feed yourself, stay out of the room and let your partner do it.

Try anticipating the times you know the baby is going to ask for breastfeeding, preplan distractions so that you can pass that time. Adding a consistent diet will also help the baby to feel fuller and less cranky. The most difficult part is the late night and early morning feed time; these are the last to go. Go for a routine that doesn’t have breastfeeding as a center, singing a rhyme, reading a book for nap time can be a good distraction. Holding the baby close, frequent kisses, hugs and cuddles will make the baby feel secure and will not stress about the closeness. Switch places for bottle feeding, don’t opt for the same place where you breastfed. It will make it difficult for the baby to let go of the milk.

Weaning can be hard for the baby; it can even lead to the baby being totally off the milk which is not good. Plan according to your baby and workout a schedule that makes it easy for the mother and the baby, simultaneously.