Weaning Baby From Breast Feeding
Weaning baby from breast feeding can be a difficult process for many mothers, as this can be a twofold problem.
Many mothers feel extremely guilty whenever they decide it is time to stop breast feeding, which makes it very hard to know when the right time to stop actually is. The second part of the problem is that your baby may view your breasts as a source of comfort and when you start to wean her, it can present quite a huge problem.
As a mother you are going to have to make a number of personal choices regarding your baby, and whenever you feel it is the right time to start to wean her, you should never second guess yourself. However, weaning a child who has become dependent on breast feeding can be quite a challenge in the beginning.
How To Wean From Breast Feeding
It is important to keep in mind that you may not always have to make the decision yourself to stop breast feeding, as child led weaning can also occur as well. The problem with this is that it generally will not happen until your child is much older, generally well over a year old. This usually happens whenever the child is getting most of her nutrition from solids, is drinking from a cup and no longer has the emotional need to continue breast feeding.
This is why some mothers will continue to breast feed until the child eventually weans herself from the breast, but keep in mind that it will require a great deal of patience and may not actually occur with all toddlers.
It is at this point that you may have to step in and actively wean your child. Keep in mind that weaning is actually a process, something that is done gradually over the course of several weeks or even months. It’s not something that should ever happen abruptly and all at once. Remember, it is never a good idea to stop breast-feeding your baby suddenly, as this can cause a great deal of distress for her. Also, when you suddenly stop breast-feeding this can lead to breast infections for you as well. This is why you will want to be patient and do the weaning slowly over time.
The best way to wean your baby is to try to take away a feeding each day over the course of several days, and replace it with a bottlefeeding. You will want to keep taking away feedings until you are only breast-feeding your baby when she wakes up in the morning and right before she goes to bed at night. Now you can slowly remove these final two feedings over the course of another week or so, until your baby is drinking only formula.
If you are unsure which formula to use, don’t hesitate to speak with your doctor or friends and family members with babies for their recommendations. Formula can get quite expensive, so you must also be prepared for this financially as well.
Weaning An Older Child
If you are trying to wean an older child, the first thing you must do is let go of any feelings of guilt that you may have, as this will make the process much easier for you. While this can in fact be a challenge, you will want to do this gradually as well. Since your child will be on solids at this point, you only want to breast feed her whenever she asks to do so. Simply put; do not offer to breast feed her willingly. When she does ask to breast feed, try to offer her an alternative of solids, or even distract her by playing a game or going for a walk. This process can take a few weeks or longer as well, so you really have to be patient and hang in there. As long as you stick to the process and don’t give in to your child, she will eventually stop asking to be breast fed.
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