Weaning your child from breast milk requires a methodical approach

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.