Can I wean my baby in summer? Why is it not a good idea to wean my baby in summer?

Weaning is something that every baby of the right age has to go through. For some babies, weaning is extremely difficult and they often cry. So, is it possible to wean in summer? Why is it not good to wean in summer?

Can I wean my baby in summer?

Generally, weaning in the hot summer is not recommended. However, as long as you pay attention to the method and take good care of the baby during the weaning period, weaning is possible. The best time to wean a baby is in the spring and autumn. This is because respiratory infectious diseases are more common in winter and intestinal diseases are more common in summer. The best time to wean a baby is generally between 10 and 12 months after birth.

The disadvantages of weaning in summer

The reason why babies cannot be weaned in summer The weather is hot in summer. In order to dissipate heat and maintain a constant body temperature, the human body will sweat more. In addition to water, there is a considerable amount of sodium chloride in the sweat. Due to excessive sweating, the loss of sodium chloride also increases accordingly. The chloride ions in sodium chloride are an indispensable substance for gastric acid. A large amount of chloride ions are discharged with sweat, which reduces the chloride ions in the body and the production of gastric acid is relatively insufficient. The reduction of gastric acid not only affects food digestion, causing the baby's appetite to decrease, but also increases the bacteria in the food accordingly, causing digestive tract infections. The high temperature in summer will accelerate the body's metabolism, increase the consumption of various enzymes in the body, and reduce digestive enzymes. Due to the decrease in the secretory function of the digestive glands controlled by the nervous system, the secretion of digestive juices will also decrease, eventually leading to a decrease in appetite and a decrease in food intake, which also affects the absorption of nutrients and weakens the baby's body resistance. In addition, high temperatures are conducive to the reproduction of flies, which increases the chance of gastrointestinal infectious diseases and is prone to diarrhea, thus affecting the health of infants, so it is not appropriate to wean in summer.

Weaning precautions

1. It is not advisable to wean when you are sick

If the baby is ready to be weaned but suddenly falls ill, it is recommended that the mother should not wean the baby easily, so as not to make the situation worse and aggravate the condition. Therefore, it is best to let weaning take its course and not emphasize any particular aspect.

2. Don’t force weaning

Some mothers use surprise attacks, such as applying pepper water or Tiger Balm on the nipples to make the baby afraid to breastfeed or avoid it. The baby will be emotionally affected, causing the baby to refuse to eat and starve, thereby reducing his immunity.

3. Give your baby an adaptation period

Weaning is a long process. One month before weaning, gradually reduce the number and amount of breastfeeding to give the baby an adaptation period, and gradually increase the baby's milk powder and complementary food to reduce the digestive and psychological discomfort caused by sudden weaning.