Doctors strongly recommend that breast-fed babies: breast milk is the best food for the baby. But breast feeding can not last forever, and sooner or later it's time to move the child to adult food. How to wean a child from the breast, such changes were not for the crumbs of serious injury?

Breast feeding

The easiest, cheapest, and a nice way to bring up children - to provide him with breast feeding. Doctors are constantly urging women to breastfeed: it benefits not only the baby, but my mother. But everything comes to an end. And at some point, the child is not enough mother's milk, it's time to introduce solid foods, and after that - to wean the baby from the breast.

Some pediatricians offer to provide in this regard the initiative of the child, let him choose when he weaned. Often, this approach is really effective: many children are easy to reject the breast at the age of a year or two. But other kids seem ready to eat my mother's milk until the age of majority. And if the mother is not in favor of long-term breastfeeding, or is unable to feed the baby for a few years, then it is worth considering how slowly wean the child from the breast.

End of breastfeeding

How long should feed your baby breast milk? In this respect for many years conducted a fierce debate. It is obvious that for an infant under one year there is no better food than breast milk. But time passes, the baby grows up, acquires teeth and is able to eat solid food. Whether it is necessary in this case to continue breastfeeding?

Some mothers breastfeed their children up to two, and three, and even up to five years. Supporters of extended breastfeeding believe that longer breast-feed your baby, the healthier physically and mentally he is. In addition, many believe that the feeding process can provide a spiritual union of mother and child. But, according to pediatricians, baby is one year old could do without the mother's milk. He simply "grow" out of this food. As for the spiritual unity, it is possible to achieve more than just communicating with your baby.

When it is better to stop breast-feeding? Uniform guidelines do not exist.

Pediatricians are advised to breastfeed at least once a day to a year, the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding up to two years. After the first day of the birth of the baby's mother can focus on their own feelings, their health circumstances. Many continue feeding until the natural involution (the termination of milk production), while others stop breastfeeding when they go to work.

As a rule, a year children are ready to move to a common table - is the same as the adult family members (except for certain products). And the variety of food the baby is, the less need pipsqueak in breast milk. As a rule, there is only a psychological dependence: the child the mother's breast - is not only a source of food, but also a way to calm down.

Keep in mind that a child who is used to calm down at the breast, it is usually difficult to abandon breastfeeding Breastfeeding: notes . So after six months, the baby should be gradually accustomed to restore emotional balance in some other way. In the future this will facilitate the process of weaning.

Psychological trauma or natural process?

Argued that weaning - a serious psychological trauma for the baby; an event which certainly adversely affect relations between the child and the mother. But those mothers who have been forced to sharply stop breastfeeding due to objective reasons (departure, the disappearance of milk, health status, medication) know that children experience due to these events are somewhat exaggerated. Of course, the child will be upset if one day he will not let his chest, but he will not be killed because of this for weeks and months. Even in the worst case, the baby will experience a maximum of a couple of days.

All the children there are times when the mother's breast does not cause their enthusiasm. Attentive mother may coincide with weaning to such period, then the process will definitely not traumatic. If in the future the kid will ask the chest, it can be something to distract. For example, a very effective development of various rituals of bedtime. Whereas previously a mandatory part of the ritual was breastfeeding, then later at night you can read a book or sing a lullaby crumbs.

To weaning was painless, should heed the advice of pediatricians. For example, doctors do not recommend to wean the baby from the breast during illness or stressful situations when a child feels for whatever reason, uncomfortable. Better not to wean from the breast in very hot weather.

As finally wean the baby from the mother's milk? Just one night to offer him a cup instead of the chest with a mixture of baby milk or yogurt Kefir: a unique drink for health and harmony . It is important to remain consistent and then not give the baby the breast. In this and the following days, the child should be given more time to the baby felt rejected. If a child is crying and asking for the breast, it is hold on your hands and pat, but attempts to take the breast should be gently stop.

Maria Bykov

Related Articles

Breastfeeding: notes

Feeding baby: baby grow up healthy

Regurgitation in infants: Causes and Treatment

Feeding children under one year: how to feed your baby