Breastfeeding in the first months of life is very important, but any child will reach a time when they need to wean off breast milk to return to normal life. The article below will share ways to wean your baby off breastfeeding that are both leisurely and effective at home.
What is the importance of breastfeeding?
Breast milk contains many essential ingredients important for health. At the same time, it is also a source of nutrition as well as enhancing resistance and improving growth of children:
- Water; Helps regulate body temperature and child development, especially from 0 to 6 months old;
- Fat: contains ingredients such as DHA, Omega – 3, AA, breast milk is indispensable for the comprehensive brain development of children. In particular, the fat-digesting enzyme Lipase found in breast milk will improve the child’s digestive system, while reducing bloating and flatulence;
- Protein: Will exist in the form of serum so it is easy to absorb, soft and easy to digest. This is also a source of brain and physical growth for children. In addition, lysozyme in breast milk is also good antibacterial, which will help children resist the invasion of harmful external environmental agents;
- Digestive enzymes: amylase, lipase, oxytocin, prolactin, thyroid found in breast milk help increase intestinal health and help children balance the digestive system;
- Vitamins along with minerals: calcium, iron, selenium, etc. in breast milk are very good for the growth and development of the child’s bones, teeth and brain as well as the digestive system;
- Enzymes: there are more than 40 different enzymes in breast milk that will participate in the baby’s digestive activities;
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), mothers recommend that mothers should exclusively breastfeed their children for the first 6 months of their child’s life if conditions allow. After 6 months, the child’s nutritional needs will increase, at which point the nutrition from breast milk will no longer be met and will require additional nutritional sources from outside.
Here are 5 tipsThe golden point that you need to pay attention to is the time to wean your baby:
- Time One: This is the stage when the child is nearly 1 year old and can sit up straight, the nervous system as well as the motor system are developing. At this time, children are gradually getting stronger every day. Therefore, when breastfeeding is stopped at this stage, the baby is still equipped with good resistance against external factors;
- Second moment: This is the stage where the baby’s nervous system is developing its brain. This is when children are babbling and their senses such as taste, hearing, and sight are also more perfected and developed. Besides, you need to supplement your baby with a variety of foods and increase the amount of formula milk to about 500 – 600ml;
- The third time: This is the time when the baby is between 1.5 and 2 years old. At this time, children can eat porridge or rice. You can apply weaning menus and start letting your baby participate in meals with the family;
- The fourth moment: This is the stage where the baby’s cognition can develop strongly and the child can already distinguish colors. At this time, you can change the color of the nipple so that the baby can no longer recognize the mother’s nipple. From there, the baby will feel that the color and shape of the mother’s breast are no longer familiar and the baby will stop sucking;
- The fifth time: This is the stage when the baby is nearly 2 years old or 2 and a half years old, at this time the body is strong and participates in many activities such as walking, running, climbing or crawling up stairs.
However, if the mother suffers from infectious diseases infection and need to use antibiotics, or diseases related to the breasts or nipples, it is necessary to wean immediately to ensure safety for both mother and baby.
How to wean your baby both leisurely and effectively
Principles of weaning your baby to remember
No matter how you wean your baby, parents need to pay attention to the following principles:
- Do not choose a time when the child is sick or has poor resistance to wean because this will make the child susceptible to rickets and anorexia;
- Color transition phase or when the weather is too cold or too hot;
- Pay attention to the child’s weight as well as changes in bones and teeth as well as physical and psychological changes;
- Understand the method of solid feeding and should let your baby practice solid foods for at least 5 – 6 months before weaning;
- Absolutely do not force children to eat many meals a day;
4 ways to stop breastfeeding for children that are both leisurely and effective >
Here are some effective weaning tips for babies that parents can apply effectively at home:
Change the color of the mother’s breasts
If children have the ability to recognize colors, mothers can apply this method. Mothers can use lipstick, turmeric, beetroot colors or stick tape on their nipples to disguise their breasts. At that time, when the baby sees that the mother’s breasts have changed, the baby will no longer want to breastfeed.
Avoid
If the baby may cry a lot when weaning, the mother should temporarily avoid being present so that the baby does not ask for the mother. Furthermore, this method of weaning is not recommended because it can easily make your baby feel scared and insecure; From there, it helps babies no longer feel hungry, and limits the need to breastfeed.
Suck on a pacifier
When your baby is 3 months old, you can practice letting your baby suck on a pacifier to get used to letting go of the breast and switching to bottle feeding. This will help your baby wean more easily. However, if you choose this method, it will take you more time to wean your baby off the pacifier.
Weaning your baby from breastfeeding is also a solution to help your baby start their weaning journey and help them discover a colorful world.
Some notes when weaning your baby from breastfeeding
For mothers
- When weaning your baby, you should not stop breastfeeding too suddenly but should gradually reduce the time and frequency of breastfeeding to achieve high efficiency;
- During the weaning period for your baby, you may encounter cases where your breasts are engorged due to too much milk. To solve this problem, you can use a warm towel or use your hand to massage the chest or use a breast pump to pump out the milk;
For babies
- Be patient in playing and comforting your baby during the weaning period because many babies will cry and have severe irritability;
- Choose a time when the weather is good and the baby is in stable health to wean milk.
The above are ways to stop breastfeeding for babies that mothers can refer to and apply at home. In addition, you should also build a suitable diet and have regular health check-ups for your children at least every 6 months.
Kim. Dung
