How to wean your baby? Five things to note when weaning your baby

When the baby grows to a certain stage, it is necessary to take measures to wean the baby. So, how should we wean the baby?

Things to note when weaning your baby

1. View weaning as a natural process.

First of all, parents should not be too concerned about weaning. They should feed their babies normally according to the plan. When the baby shows a strong interest in food other than breast milk, they should be encouraged and reinforced in time. They should let the baby try new flavors according to the principle of from less to more, from thin to thick, and guide the baby to like complementary foods, so that they can psychologically regard weaning as a natural process.

2. Decide whether to wean the baby based on the baby’s physical condition.

Before a mother decides to wean her baby, she must take the baby to a health care doctor for a comprehensive and detailed physical examination. Only when the baby is in good physical condition and has normal digestive function can she be weaned. Otherwise, it will affect the baby's healthy development.

3. Gradually reduce the number of feedings.

When you first start reducing milk supply, your baby will be very attached to your mother's milk, so it is best to start by reducing the number of breastfeeding during the day. Because there are many things that attract babies during the day, they will not pay much attention to their mothers, but in the morning and evening, babies will be particularly attached to their mothers and need to get comfort from breastfeeding.

Then, gradually transition to reducing the number of nighttime feedings until the baby is completely weaned. Breast milk can be gradually replaced with cow's milk or formula milk, and the amount of complementary food can be increased accordingly.

4. Do not wean your baby when he is sick.

If the baby is sick, teething, or has a new nanny, moves, travels, or the mother has to go to work, it is best not to wean the baby yet, otherwise it will increase the difficulty of weaning the baby.

5. Do not allow your baby to touch your nipples.

When weaning, do not let the baby see or touch the mother's nipple. When the baby sees other babies drinking breast milk, tell the baby "you have grown up, the little baby drinks mother's milk, you don't need it anymore".

When is the best time to wean?

1. Generally speaking, the best time to wean a baby is when the baby is 10 months old. However, many countries now advocate breastfeeding until the baby is 2 years old. Therefore, the best time to wean a baby is a period of time. If the baby is weaned too early, the digestive system of the baby is not mature yet. If the baby eats other things instead of breast milk, the baby's resistance may decrease.

2. When the baby is ready to be weaned, parents should also consider the climate. When the seasons change, the temperature fluctuates and the baby is prone to illness. If the baby is weaned at this time, the baby may have a poor appetite and his resistance will decrease. In addition, the baby will suffer from poor sleep, crying, etc. due to weaning, and it is easy for the baby to get sick.

3. If the first two conditions are met, then we should consider the baby itself. We recommend weaning when the baby is in good physical condition. The baby's resistance is relatively strong at this time. Even if the baby cries and does not sleep well due to weaning, it is not easy to get sick. However, if the baby is not in good condition, it is easy to get sick or even worse.

4. Parents need to do two things to prepare. The first is how to feed the baby after weaning, and the second is the psychological preparation during the weaning process. If the baby's diet during and after weaning is not arranged properly, the baby may eat too much or too little due to irregular diet, resulting in unbalanced nutrition. Psychological preparation means thinking about the crying and anorexia that the weaned baby may experience, and thinking of solutions.

Reasons for timely weaning

1. Baby's physical development needs.

For babies, the most nutritious and best food is mother's breast milk. Medical research has shown that the proportion of breastfed babies seeking medical treatment for ear infections, diarrhea, measles, allergies and other diseases is much lower than that of babies fed with milk. Therefore, if you start weaning your baby when he is three or four months old, it is extremely unfair and not conducive to his growth.

However, after the baby reaches 12 months old, the body develops rapidly and needs more abundant nutrition. At this time, the secretion and nutritional content of breast milk are greatly reduced, becoming thin milk, which can no longer fully meet the baby's nutritional needs. If weaning is not done in time, the baby may suffer from rickets, anemia and other malnutrition diseases, resulting in poor appetite, even refusal to eat, and feeding difficulties.

2. The baby's digestive system is complete.

As most of the baby's deciduous teeth erupt, chewing and digestive system functions improve, the baby's diet has gradually changed from milk to porridge, vegetables and other main and complementary foods, and the variety and quantity have increased significantly, and a certain pattern has been formed. Adequate nutrition supply can meet the needs of growth and development, which means that the time for weaning is ripe.

3. Mother’s physical condition requires it.

If weaning is not done in time, it will cause certain damage to the mother's body. If the mother breastfeeds for too long, it will cause the endometrium to shrink, causing symptoms such as irregular menstruation and endocrine disorders. In addition, due to lack of adequate rest for a long time, the mother will experience poor sleep quality, loss of appetite, excessive consumption of nutrients, etc., which will cause physical exhaustion, weight loss and fatigue, affecting physical and mental health.

Therefore, timely weaning is very important to ensure the health of both the baby and the mother. But mothers need to pay attention that weaning cannot be rushed and needs to be done slowly.

How many days does it take to wean your baby?

Normally, how many days does it take to wean a baby? In fact, generally one week is enough. However, parents should not rush to wean their babies. They should do it step by step. They should not wean the baby all at once. They should let the baby get used to it. They can choose to use complementary food to supplement the lack of breast milk. Of course, we cannot say that weaning can be done in one week. In fact, weaning is a process. It is impossible to determine how many days it will take. This still depends on the specific situation of the baby.

Some babies like to eat complementary food and like the bottle, so weaning will be smoother, usually in one week, and in a good situation it may take even less time, for example, some babies can be weaned in two days. However, if the baby does not like to eat the bottle, is not keen on complementary food, and is very attached to the mother, then weaning may take a longer time, at least half a month, or even longer.

However, no matter how many days it takes for the baby to be weaned, parents should not be impatient. Some mothers will get annoyed and glare at their babies when they see that their babies cannot be weaned. This is not good for the baby's growth. In the process of weaning, the most important thing is patience. If you stick to it, you will definitely be able to wean.