The mother child relationship is
inexplicable; even when the umbilical cord is severed, the maternal
instinct is what keeps the relationship going always. Post child birth, mothers
are often advised to feed their new born babies with their breast milk, which
is said to hold the maximum protein required for the baby’s mental and physical
growth. However, the fact remains that feeding toddlers is not an easy task,
ever. Moreover, a tougher task is wean the toddler away from breast milk after
a few months. Here’s some help on how you can successfully wean your babies
without causing too much discomfort.
When
do you wean them away?
To be honest; it’s entirely on the
mother how she wants to go about the feeding process. The concept is extremely
simple; however, you need to know when you as well as the baby are ready for
the transition from breast milk to other types of food. Ideally, post 6 months,
you can safely wean your child away from breast milk and start putting him onto
other types of supplementary food.
However, some doctors advise that you
should let the baby decide when it wants to discontinue breast feeding. This is
for the simple fact that babies tend to feel closer to their mothers during the
breast feeding process. When the child is ready to discontinue, you should also
be able to wean them away without any hitches.
Making
weaning easier for you and the baby: some essential tips
Who said being a mother was easy? It
not only comes with a lot of preparation, but also, needs a lot of effort to be
able to proudly declare yourself a proud mother. So, if you want the weaning
process to go smoothly, you should check out some of these steps:
- Keep a track of what you feed your baby: So the first step of weaning the baby away from breast milk has been done. But does that mean you can feed them anything? Feeding toddlers might be easy, but weaning is one task that has to be accomplished correctly. Consult a doctor and get a written list of what all can be fed to the baby (solids and formula milk), so that the child gets a nutrient efficient diet. Post breast feeding, they need a lot of iron, so you can consult your doctor accordingly.
- Supplement the breastfeeding time with other food items: Babies are extremely habitual which is why they may wake up again and again close to their feeding time. So whenever you’re feeding them, try and do it around the normal feeding time. This will soothe their frazzled nerves and help them move onto other diet options easily.
- Give your baby lots and lots of liquids: You don’t want to dehydrate your child, right? If you’re weaning him/her away from breast milk, make sure you supplement the diet with lots of water, juices and shakes. This will help them stay healthy and fit as a fiddle always, especially during the weaning time.
Weaning is extremely necessary for it
ensures that the child is put onto a proper diet immediately. The whole idea of
weaning is to make sure that the child does not develop any kind of
deficiencies post the breast feeding ritual. Once you have successfully managed
to wean him/her away from breast feeding, you can give yourself a good pat on
the back for you have achieved a major milestone in parenting.
