Breastfed Babies: Hints on the Successful Weaning of your Breastfed
Baby
New mothers lay on the hospital bed of the delivery room exhausted,
dehydrated and confused, but still brimming with pride and deep
satisfaction upon their first glance of the miniature replica of
themselves. Among the thousands of deep emotions, welling up inside the
mother is the feeling of nervousness. Mothers sometimes experience being
jittery or having fearful thoughts of the unknown. Deep inside they are
aware that it is simply not enough to bear a child; a mother must also
be able to raise the infant in the best way that she knows how and be
able to provide most, if not all, of her baby’s needs.
 One of the
primary duties and responsibilities of the mother is ensuring her
child’s proper nutrition. In the early stages of life, breast milk is
the primary source of a breastfed babies’ nourishment. However, as the
baby grows and as several physical and emotional changes occurs, the
mother’s breast milk fails to meet the nutritional needs of the child.
This calls for weaning the baby off from milk to solid substances.
Different mothers have various experiences when it comes to weaning.
Some mothers may find the task easier since the babies themselves lose
interest in milk and show appreciation of solid food. There are some
mothers, however, who experience trouble starting. One way of ensuring
successful weaning is to determine the baby’s readiness. Unless the baby
is ready to let go of breast milk, there is no need to rush the weaning
process. Solid foods must be introduced to the baby one at a time.
This allows babies to have full appreciation of the taste of the food
and allows mothers to determine which foods their babies like and
dislike. This also helps in identifying which foods may cause allergy to
the baby. Solid foods such as eggs or oranges are usually the last ones
to be introduced to the weaning baby since they have the highest
potential of causing allergies. Mothers must also make sure that the
food is of the right temperature, neither too hot nor too cold. Mothers
must beware of giving foods that are potential choking hazards such as
bite sized hotdogs and grapes. Environment plays a great role in the
weaning process. The mother must avoid bringing the infant to the place
where she would usually breastfeed him. During past feeding times, the
mother can leave the child in the care of the father or another
caregiver. This also helps the child and the father to establish a close
relationship with one another. Lastly, weaning does not occur overnight.
It is important to remember that patience is the key to successful
weaning of the breastfeed baby.
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