Weaning

What does it mean to have weaned a child?

When your baby stops nursing and gets all his nutrition from sources other than the breast, he's considered weaned. Although babies are also weaned from the bottle, the term most often refers to when a baby stops breastfeeding.

Weaning is a long goodbye — bittersweet and freeing at the same time. But weaning doesn't need to end the intimate bond you and your child created through nursing. It just means you're nourishing and nurturing in different ways.

If you often nursed your child for comfort, find other ways to make him feel better. Read a book, sing a song together, or play outside instead. If your child protests, be calm and firm and, if you need to, hand him to your partner for a cuddle.

Click read more to continue....

When should I start weaning?

You're the best judge of when it's time to wean, and you don't have to set a deadline until you and your child are ready. The Pediatric Association of Nigeria recommends that mothers breastfeed for at least a year — and encourages women to breastfeed even longer if both you and your baby want to.

Despite what friends, relatives, or even strangers may say, there's no right or wrong way to wean. You can choose a time that feels right to you or let your child wean naturally when she's older.

Baby-led weaning: Weaning is easiest when your child starts to lose interest in nursing, often after starting solids around 6 to 12 months. If she's fussy and impatient while nursing or easily distracted, she may be giving you signs that she's ready.

Mother-led weaning: You may decide to start weaning because you're returning to work. Or maybe it just feels like the right time. If you're ready but your child isn't showing signs she wants to stop nursing, you can wean her off the breast gradually. When it's the mother's idea, weaning can take a lot of time and patience. It also depends on your child's age and how she adjusts to change.

How do I wean?

Proceed slowly, regardless of your child's age. Experts say that abruptly withholding your breast can be traumatic for your baby and could cause plugged ducts or a breast infection for you. A weekend away from your baby or toddler, for example, is not a good way to end the breastfeeding relationship.

Try these methods instead:

Skip a feeding. See what happens if you offer a bottle or cup of milk instead of nursing. As a substitute you can give pumped breast milk, formula, or whole cow's milk (if your child is at least a year old).

Reducing feedings one at a time over a period of weeks gives your child time to adjust. Your milk supply also diminishes gradually this way, without leaving your breasts engorged or causing  mastitis.

Shorten nursing time. Start by limiting the time your child is on the breast. If he usually nurses for ten minutes, try five.

Depending on his age, follow the feeding with a healthy snack, such as unsweetened applesauce or a cup of milk or formula. (Babies younger than 6 months may not be ready for solids.) Solid food is complementary to breast milk until your baby is a year old.

Bedtime feedings may be harder to shorten because they're usually the last to go.

Postpone and distract. Try postponing feedings if you're only nursing a couple of times a day.

This method works well if you have an older child you can reason with. If your child asks to nurse, reassure him that you will soon and distract him with a different activity. Instead of nursing in the early evening, you could tell him to wait until bedtime.

Will my child get enough nutrients?

Even exclusively breastfed infants need extra nutrients that breast milk can't provide, like vitamin D. If you wean your baby before she reaches her first birthday, she'll need to continue to drink breast milk or iron –fortified formula until she's a year old. Then once your child reaches toddler-hood  it’ll be necessary to give her a wider variety of foods that offer the range of nutrients she needs to help her grow.

What to do when weaning becomes a struggle

If you've tried everything to wean your child and nothing is working, maybe the time isn't right.

Have you recently gone back to work? Your child may still be adjusting to the new routine.

Is your child sick? Babies often want to nurse more frequently when they don't feel well. And breastfeeding a sick child is not only comforting, but also a good source of nutrition.

Is your household going through a major life change? Events such as a move or divorce can also make weaning more difficult. Even going through a new developmental stage can make it hard to wean.

Try again in another month. Sooner or later, it'll happen.