Is My Child Weaning? It is fairly common for a woman to say “my baby woke up one day and didn’t want to breastfeed anymore”, especially around the seven or eight month mark. However, Lourdes M. Santaballa, IBCLC, CD, HC discusses the process of selfweaning and how it can commonly be mistaken for a nursing strike.
The
World Health baby. Some mothers favour spoon commencement of self-weaning and the O r g a n i z a t i o n feeding at 6 months (or earlier although possibility of a nursing strike confusing recommends exclusive breastfeeding this goes against the recommendations the mother into thinking that her for the first six months of life, and then of the major paediatric associations child was giving up the breast. Just as a breastfeeding with complimentary and the WHO), particularly if the reminder for me, this week I happened foods until the age of two or beyond.1 paediatrician is pressuring her because to attend two consults, one from a fellow The health benefits of exclusive of the theory of low iron in breastfed health coach, and the other from a client breastfeeding are well documented and children.3 Other mothers prefer child- who I oriented during her pregnancy, there is strong evidence that breastmilk led weaning, where the baby is offered whose babies are seven months old and provides the primary source of nutrition the foods that the rest of the family eats who are suddenly rejecting the breast in the second year of life (from 13-24 at age-appropriate intervals. Either way, more often. In both cases, the babies’ it is important to start solids when baby first teeth are erupting and they are months).2 But we don’t actually have many shows signs of physically being ready, experiencing mouth discomfort (pain). models of women who breastfeed to read baby’s body language and what In both cases, the babies have already that long. It may be becoming more s/he communicates about the food begun to experiment with solids and the commonplace than in past decades, or being offered, and to offer each food frustrated mothers have succumbed to we may see it within certain circles of item in a conscious manner to rule out solids when their babies have rejected attachment parenting mothers, but it is any food intolerances or allergies. The the breast to “make sure that they eat much more of the norm for something”. In one ‘There is technically no such thing as sudden case, the client’s father us to see women who, weaning. Although there are circumstances that was a paediatrician even if they planned can force it, for example, maternal death and forced who urged her to to comply with the separation of mother-baby, as mentioned previously, give the baby solids recommendations, weaning is a process.’ find themselves if he didn’t want the breast. struggling with breastfeeding in the first breastfeeding mother should also take weeks and quickly switch to formula, special care to make sure she offers the Can self-weaning be instant? There is technically no such thing who combine formula/breastmilk and breast before she offers food, so that eventually but swiftly weed out the she can assure that baby gets all of the as sudden weaning. Although there second, or who once complimentary necessary nutrients from the breastmilk. are circumstances that can force it, for feeding starts in a short period of time Though nutrient dense and super foods example, maternal death and forced go off breastmilk and find their baby can offer sustainable nutrition, no other separation of mother-baby, as mentioned food can compare to the nutrition and previously, weaning is a process. Solids weaned before their baby turns one. antibodies or is a living organism as is are introduced and feedings are slowly reduced. The baby begins to walk human milk. IS IT REALLY WEANING? and becomes more interested in play Weaning is actually a process. It starts than in feeds. Teeth erupt and baby with the introduction of the first morsel BABY WEANING VS. breastfeeds all night to ease the pain. of food, sometime around the second NURSING STRIKE When I was invited to write this Another growth spurt kicks in and baby half of the first year, and in the ideal world is a slow and mutually beneficial article, I was asked to mention specifically breastfeeds all day at around the year and decision between the mother and her the seven month mark as critical in the a half. If the mother-baby continues the
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