Every new parent needs to discuss with their new mum friends: weaning your baby off the breast. It’s a tricky conversation, even though it should be one of the most natural things to discuss, right?
Breastfeeding exclusively can have long-term health benefits for both mum and baby, there’s no question about that. However, how do you know when it’s time to stop? Fret not, for this article is for you.
What Is Weaning
Weaning your baby off the breast is a process that begins when you start to reduce the amount of time you feed your baby at each session. This can be done gradually over several days or weeks, depending on what works best for you and your baby.
As a general rule, weaning involves gradually reducing the times you breastfeed your baby daily until you’re only breastfeeding at night. The number of times you breastfeed daily will depend on how often your child eats solid foods.
For example, if they eat five meals daily, they might still breastfeed at night. If they eat three meals daily and two snacks, they may only be breastfeeding at night.
Image source: iStock
How Do You Know When to Start Weaning Your Baby
Weaning is the process of slowly reducing or eliminating your baby’s breastfeeding. Weaning can be a little scary, especially if you’re unsure when it’s time to start. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Your baby is ready for weaning when he or she can sit up without support, drink from a cup, and grab objects with his or her hands.
When you think about it like that, it sounds like your baby should be weaned as soon as possible, but that isn’t necessarily true! Babies also need time to adjust to new foods and textures when they start eating solid foods, so waiting until your baby has mastered those skills might give you more peace of mind about starting the weaning process.
If your doctor recommends a particular age range for weaning, follow his or her instructions—but don’t force yourself if it does not feel right!
How to Start Weaning From Breastfeeding
Is your baby ready to wean?
Weaning a baby can be a big change for you and your little one. If you’re wondering about weaning your baby off the breast, here are some tips to help make the transition go smoothly:
- Talk with your doctor about when your child should start weaning. This will depend on your child’s age and physical health.
- Start by offering only one breast at each feeding instead of both, then gradually reduce the time you spend breastfeeding during the day.
- Offer bottles of expressed milk or formula if you want to continue breastfeeding while offering other foods or drinks, such as water or juice from a cup.
- Provide plenty of opportunities for your baby to play with different toys and engage in sensory activities like music therapy, massage therapy and infant massage therapy sessions so they can stay distracted from their hunger until mealtime arrives!
Step by Step Weaning From Breastfeeding
- Weaning is a topic that can be very emotional for many mums, and it’s important to approach it with care. Weaning is not something that should be rushed or forced; it must be done gradually and carefully. The following steps will help you wean your baby off breastfeeding without causing unnecessary stress or tension.
- Step 1: Talk to your doctor about how to wean your baby off breastfeeding. He or she should be able to give you a schedule and advice on how much milk you should use each day to gradually reduce the amount of milk your baby drinks from the breast.
- Step 2: Begin by giving your baby one less bottle per day than you normally would so that he or she doesn’t notice the volume change immediately. If he or she notices the change in volume, try giving him or her two bottles per day instead of three until he or she has adjusted to only having one bottle left in his or her feeding schedule.
- Step 3: Continue decreasing the number of bottles until there’s just one left per day in his or her feeding schedule; then continue falling until there are no more bottles!
Baby Led Weaning
When weaning your baby off the breast, you can use a form called “Baby Led Weaning.” This is when you feed your child puréed food, which they can pick up and eat with their hands. This helps them develop their motor skills and taste buds. It’s also great to help them learn how to feed themselves!
There are many benefits to using BLW. First, it helps your baby develop its unique eating habits. Instead of being spoon-fed pureed foods, they have the chance to explore new tastes and textures on their terms. This can also help reduce the risk of choking because babies will be more likely to chew before swallowing if they’re allowed to eat by themselves.
Another benefit is that BLW may encourage better eating habits because it gives babies more control over what they’re eating and how much they eat at once (which can lead to overeating).
How Does Weaning Affect Baby
When you stop breastfeeding, your body stops producing milk, making your breasts feel tender or sore. Your baby may also have trouble drinking from a bottle or sippy cup rather than directly from the breast.
This can make it difficult for them to eat enough calories or get all the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development.
Some babies may cry when they’re first weaned because they aren’t getting what they’re used to from breastfeeding—the closeness and comfort that comes from being next to mum while she feeds them—but over time, they’ll adjust and find ways of coping with their emotions in new ways.
Does Weaning From Breastfeeding Affect Hormones
Weaning your baby off the breast can affect your hormones, but it doesn’t have to.
The first thing to know is that breastfeeding is a lifestyle choice, not a medical necessity. It’s important to remember that there are many ways to feed your baby, and you should always do what feels right for you and your family.
That said, if you are thinking about weaning your baby off the breast and would like to maintain some breastfeeding in your child’s diet, you should know a few things about how weaning affects hormones.
When you stop breastfeeding, your body stops producing prolactin—the hormone responsible for making milk—and estrogen levels drop drastically.
This can lead to symptoms such as bleeding or spotting between periods (called postpartum anaemia). This also includes hot flashes, headaches, irritability or depression (called postpartum blues), mood swings and vaginal dryness during sex (called postpartum vaginal atrophy).
Updates by Pheona Ilagan
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.
