All About IVF
Yes, breastfeeding is a beautiful journey with loads of benefits and goodness, but a baby needs to consume something other than breastmilk after 5-6 months. The process to include other food items other than breastmilk is called weaning. Weaning is the process when we slowly and gradually introduce liquids and solids in your child’s diet alongside breastmilk. In weaning, you look for other nourishments for your baby other than breastmilk.
Why is weaning important?
Weaning is important for many reasons –
After a certain period of exclusive breastfeeding, breast milk alone cannot meet the baby’s demands. To fulfill this nutrition requirement, it is essential to introduce the right food items.
– When you introduce solids in your baby’s diet, they explore many of their mouth actions such as lips, tongue, and jaw movements.
– Weaning helps a baby chew and swallow before they turn 1; some babies might take more time to get adjusted to weaning which is normal.
– Weaning also helps in helping a baby to become self-dependent to consume and eat food. At first, it can be clumsy and messy, but later, it helps in hand-mouth coordination.
– Weaning also helps a mother know what kind of taste their baby prefers or what type of food they prefer. It also makes the baby aware of their choices.
How do you do it?
This is every new mom’s question about how to start weaning or stop breastfeeding their baby. One of the problems that new moms face during weaning is how to decide what amount of food they should be given. Generally, you can decide this with the pediatrician of your baby. They can guide you on how to start with weaning and what kind of food you can introduce to your baby at first.
The right time to start weaning
– The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and many researchers and studies say that breastmilk is very important for your infant in the initial six months. Still, after six months, you can introduce other liquids without salt and spices to increase the nourishing, but all of this can happen alongside breastmilk.
Weaning should primarily also depend on whether you feel that your baby is ready or not. Studies recommend that you should start weaning when your child is not going through any major changes such as sitting, walking, etc. as this might irritate and disrupt their behavior towards other changes.
In a day you can select such a time for weaning when both you and your baby are relaxed and there is no time pressure for you as well.
You can start by feeding food that is fulfilled with proteins and iron. Rice can be one of the first cereals to start with. Once your infant starts getting comfortable with rice you can start with other cereals. You can choose different cereals for every week because one cereal can work for your infant but the other might not so you need to experiment as well.
Despite all this physical change, researchers say that the one thing that weaning misses is the bonding session that the infant and mom used to have while breastfeeding session. So do not forget to give your child as much affection as possible when you are processing towards weaning. During weaning, you can snuggle and play with your child more often.
So these were some tips for you to start weaning.
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