How Can I Wean My Baby Off Breastfeeding

Weaning your child from breastfeeding

Weaning is a natural stage in your baby's development. It is the gradual process of giving your babe other foods while standing to breastfeed.

Weaning tin come with many mixed emotions. You may feel excited at the new independence you lot and you baby can both enjoy, as well as some sadness every bit your infant moves to another phase in their life. This is completely normal.

Breastfeeding as long every bit you tin is the best thing for your baby. The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends sectional breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, and continued breastfeeding as long every bit information technology is comfortable for you and your baby, fifty-fifty well into the toddler years.

When should I wean my baby?

At nigh half-dozen months, your baby will be ready for other foods. They volition also need other foods to meet their growing nutritional needs. Equally you innovate your baby to new foods, you are encouraged to continue to breastfeed.

You'll know infant is ready to showtime other foods when they:

• seem hungry earlier than usual.
• can sit upwards without support, and have good command of their neck muscles.
• agree food in their mouth without pushing it out on their tongue right away.
• prove interest in food when others are eating.
• open their mouth when they meet food coming their manner.
• can allow you know they don't desire food by leaning back or turning their head away.

Weaning tin be eithernatural (child-led) orplanned (mother-led).

Natural weaning or "child-led weaning" happens when your baby starts to accept more—and different types—of solid foods while still breastfeeding on demand. With this type of weaning, you lot watch your infant's cues and wean at their step. Babies who are weaned naturally usually stop breastfeeding completely sometime between ii and 4 years of age.

Planned weaning or "mother-led weaning" happens when mothers decide to showtime the weaning process.

A "partial wean" means substituting one or more feedings with a cup or bottle and breastfeeding at other times. This can work well if yous are going back to work or school, just still want to breastfeed. Early on morning, evening and nighttime feedings can continue even if you are separated from your baby during the day.

How practise I wean my baby?

Your weaning experience is upwardly to y'all and your baby. Try to follow your baby's cues whenever possible. If you feel your infant is not taking enough other foods or liquids, run into your md.

When you and your babe are ready to wean, at that place are few things that tin can help to make the experience a more positive 1 for both of you:

• It's easiest for you and your baby ifweaning is gradual – over several weeks, months or fifty-fifty longer. A sudden, abrupt wean should only be considered in extreme circumstances.
• Offset by substituting one feed. When one feed is going well, substitute another feed, and so on.
• Go along this style, substituting i feed at a time.The pace is up to yous and your infant, simply in general, the slower the improve.
• Someone else may demand to offer a feed for your baby to accept it. Y'all tin start with a liquid (such every bit expressed breast milk) in a bottle or loving cup or a complementary food after about 6 months of historic period.
• Follow your baby'due south cues. They will tell you when they've had enough.
• Hold and caress your baby if you lot are feeding from a canteen. This extra closeness will help both of yous during the weaning process. Never prop a canteen. Bottle propping can put your baby at risk for choking and can crusade early childhood caries.
• Watch the cues you give to your baby. If you sit in the same chair you usually use when you're nursing, they volition likely want to breastfeed.

Can't I just stop breastfeeding?

If possible, avert an abrupt wean, which can be uncomfortable for you and upsetting for your infant.

• If you have to take a medication, talk to your doctor. There are very few medications that require you lot to stop breastfeeding.
• If you are very sick, or if you and your babe have to be separated or a long time, try some of the suggestions for caring for your breasts described below. If your breasts become uncomfortable, express your milk to avert blocked ducts, mastitis or a breast abscess.
• Babies who are sick should not be abruptly weaned. You can pump and store chest milk until your baby can take it once more.

What complementary foods tin I give my baby?

At near 6 months, you'll start to introduce solid foods into your baby'south diet. When this happens, your babe volition brainstorm to have less breast milk.

Introduce solids one at a fourth dimension and in pocket-size amounts at the beginning. Some babies become very constipated if they are given too much solid food early on.

You can too offer your babe small amounts of water once or twice a twenty-four hour period, ordinarily after half dozen months of age. Don't offering juice at this historic period. Besides much juice can atomic number 82 to dental caries, obesity or even poor weight gain and diarrhea.

If y'all give your baby water, or alternate milks, offering it in a cup instead of a bottle. Breastfed babies easily larn to drink from a cup every bit early as half dozen months of age. You tin can likewise try this with expressed breast milk.

Age	What you tin offering
6 to 12 months	Breast milk Fe-fortified infant formula Begin introducing solid foods
12 to 18 months	Breast milk Whole cow'southward milk (3.25%)
eighteen to 24 months	Breast milk Whole cow'due south milk (3.25%). 2% milk is okay if your child is growing well and eating a variety of foods
2 to 5 years	Breast milk ii% milk

Later on 12 months of historic period, your baby should not take more than 16 to 24 ounces (500 mL to 720 mL) of milk per twenty-four hour period. Otherwise, they volition make full up and won't want to eat solid foods. Too, they may develop atomic number 26 deficiency anemia. If your baby has a milk allergy, talk to your physician about what to use for substitute feedings.

For complete data on introducing solids into your baby'south nutrition, read our data on feeding your baby in the commencement year.

My baby is refusing the breast. Does that mean they are gear up to wean?

No, information technology doesn't necessarily mean your baby is set up to wean. Sometimes babies continue a "nursing strike" and suddenly refuse to breastfeed. There tin can be many causes, such every bit teething, an ear infection or other affliction, the onset of your period, a change in your diet, soap, or even deodorant.

Hither are some tips to encourage your baby to start breastfeeding again:

• Brand feeding time special and placidity; try to limit distractions. Sometimes, as babies go older, they are more interested in looking at the things happening effectually them then focusing on nursing.
• Caress and soothe your infant every bit much as possible.
• Offer your chest when your baby is very sleepy or only waking up.
• If possible, try using dissimilar nursing positions, alternate sides, or nurse in dissimilar rooms.
• If you can't figure out the reason for your babe's nursing strike, meet your md or talk to a lactation consultant. Don't go frustrated or angry. Remember that a nursing strike does not mean your infant is rejecting you.

If this happens, be sure to pump your milk and then you don't develop a blocked duct or get engorged, and that yous continue to produce enough breast milk for when your baby is ready to nurse once more.

How should I care for my breasts when I start to wean?

• If your breasts are uncomfortable while weaning, try expressing just enough milk so that y'all no longer experience uncomfortable. Over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen might help. Common cold compresses or gel packs practical to your breasts can too be of some condolement.
• Don't bind your breasts or drink fewer fluids while you're weaning.
• Check your breasts regularly to make sure yous aren't developing a blocked duct. A blocked duct will experience like a house, tender area (the size of a pea) of the chest. Sometimes you can articulate information technology with gentle rubbing or by putting a fiddling bit of pressure on the expanse. If it's painful, see your md or lactation consultant. This is more than likely to occur during an abrupt wean.

What is mastitis?

Mastitis is an infection that causes breast pain, swelling, warmth and redness on your breast. It can also cause fever and chills. If you have these symptoms, call your doctor. Your doctor will about probable prescribe an antibody to clear upwardly the infection.

You tin can continue breastfeeding if you have mastitis.

Reviewed past the following CPS committees

• Community Paediatrics Committee
• Public Education Informational Commission

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Source: https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/pregnancy-and-babies/weaning_breastfeeding

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