When to Wean Your Baby

(Newswire.net — December 23, 2017) Cheyenne, Wyoming — Deciding when to wean your baby is a very personal decision to which there’s no right or wrong answer to. There are some moms who enjoy the bonding process involved in breast feeding their precious little angel, some feel a sense of fulfillment in taking the time and making the sacrifice to provide their baby nature’s best and still there are some who feel unbearably burdened by the ordeal of nursing or pumping milk constantly and can hardly wait to be over with anticipation of the next toddler stage. 

Wherever you fall on the spectrum of emotions, there comes a time when you baby will have to be weaned. I mean it would be rather awkward to see grown kids, think 10, 11 or 12 years old, saddling up on their mom’s lap for some breast milk, might one add how disturbing such a sight would be. 

“The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends feeding babies only breast milk for the first six months of life,” reports KidsHealth from Nemours. “After that, the AAP recommends that a combination of solid foods and breast milk be given until a baby is at least one year old, then at a year, babies may begin drinking whole cow’s milk.” 

While six months is recommended in many cultures, breastfeeding takes place for a much more extended period. Most notably the World Health Organization recommends breast feeding for up to two years. Matter of fact, it is common practice for nursing to continue from anywhere between one year to two and a half years, particularly in developing regions.  

By the way, it’s important to note what weaning really means. It’s thought to be a gradual or systematic withdrawal of nursing sessions to facilitate the baby’s need to consume a wider range of foods. So introduction of solids is in preparation of weaning as new sources of nutrients are presented. Sometimes weaning may involve replacing a specific breast feeding time with other foods so as to gently desensitize the baby. 

“If possible, avoid an abrupt wean, which can be uncomfortable for you and upsetting for your baby,” advises the U.S. National Library of Medicine. “Sometimes you may have no choice, such as if you are very sick, if you and your baby have to be separated for a long time, or if you have to take certain drugs, like chemotherapy.” 

In some instances, a glass of wine or a strong cocktail may be had at dinner and the mother has to be prepared not to breast feed until all the alcohol has left her system and by extension, her milk supply. Providing your baby with an alternative meal source and being forearmed with a reliable breast milk analysis kit such PureMilk™ by HealthyWiser™ is an ideal safety measure, plus the wait time involved serves as a precursor to fully weaning your baby. 

Ultimately, understanding how the body works and your own personal limitations is imperative to knowing when and how to wean your baby. Maybe it’s something less detrimental than an illness but still critical enough for you to call it quits, like intense back pains or stress of sleep deprivation during night time feeds.