4 basic tips for successful weaning

Since the newborn is born, he has the natural need to suckle at the mother’s breast , in order to feed himself with the milk that his own body has produced during pregnancy. Many babies do this automatically and that is why it is difficult for them to stop abruptly.

Weaning is a time consuming process and you will need several tips. Think that since birth and by natural instinct the baby has been feeding on breast milk. However, there will come a time when the mother wants or the doctor advises that the baby stop breastfeeding. This is when the mother will gradually have to help the baby to gradually stop breastfeeding to get used to another type of feeding.

Discover the tips to be successful in weaning and make it a positive and simple experience for both you and your baby.

1. DO NOT REMOVE THE BREAST SUDDENLY

As we mentioned, we must make the weaning process progressive , so we must combine breastfeeding the baby with giving it prepared milk. We can ration the amount of prepared milk that we will give the baby, for example, during the day and the breast only at night.

In this way the little one will understand that there is a routine by which he will have to learn to live until now, that is, that during the day he will drink prepared milk and at night he will only be able to breastfeed. It is better that we do not remove the breast directly and that we introduce the bottle little by little, otherwise it will be much more difficult for the baby to get used to taking the bottle.

2. PREPARED MILK BETTER THAN SOLID FOODS

Many children go through the weaning stage from one and a half or two years of age , but this always depends on when the mother wants to do it and believes that the child is also ready. If you have doubts, talk to a pediatrician who can give you the best advice for this important moment in your baby’s life.

As the child is only used to feeding on breast milk, it is better that we do not go directly to giving him solid food , but we should start by giving him prepared milk. In this way, he could suck the bottle as he did with the mother’s breast, but he will get used to feeding from other sources and thus adapt better, little by little, to the solid food that will be presented later.

3. IF YOU LEAVE IT WITH OTHER PEOPLE

You may have been exclusively breastfeeding your baby, so the weaning process will probably be a little more difficult than in the case of mothers who have been combining it with the bottle . However, there will come a time when you will not be able to be with your baby all the time, either because you have to go to work, to the doctor or because the child has to start daycare.

It would be good if before this separation you were introducing the bottles of prepared milk in the feeding of your baby. This will make weaning easier. Also, if you leave the child with his father or with a trusted person to take care of him for a few hours, he will realize that you are not there to feed himself, so he will have to eat from the bottle if he is hungry.

4. BE VERY PATIENT AND BE CONSISTENT

Remember that each child is different and has their adaptation and learning process . Therefore, you should ask professionals for advice on how to carry out this weaning in a positive way. In addition, you must be very constant throughout this process, that is, if you decide to give only bottles of prepared milk during the day and at night only the breast you must be extremely consistent, otherwise the baby will not understand this change or be able to adapt to he.

Each child will have their weaning process, some of them prefer the bottle and others find it very difficult to stop taking the mother’s breast milk. However, it will depend on the patience and perseverance you have so that you make weaning another beautiful stage in your lives and serve as a precedent for many of the future steps that you are going to take with your baby.