Weaning During The Day
There comes a moment in every child’s life when he or she no longer receives breast milk. Weaning from breastfeeding is often the easiest to start with daytime feeds, which later proceed to night weaning. This therefore means that breastfeeding during the day is gradually reduced so that in the end the baby is fed only at night. Gradually, night feeding also begins to be abandoned when the child is ready for it.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the baby be fully breastfed for the first six months, after which breastfeeding is continued to support the rest of the diet until the child is two years old. However, stopping breastfeeding is always an individual process that a mother and child go through in their own way and at their own pace. The decision to stop breastfeeding is always made by the mother, whether after a month or two of breastfeeding.
It is generally recommended that the baby be at least 8-9 months old before weaning during the day. At this stage, the child’s diet has already begun to be expanded with a solid diet, which means that the child gets the nutrients he needs from his diet.
Reasons for weaning a baby from weaning
Abandoning breastfeeding during the day is the first step in weaning your baby. The most common criteria for a mother to choose to wean a baby are:
- The mother’s personal decision
- The baby is no longer interested in the breast
- Reduction or cessation of milk production
- The mother continues her studies or work
- The child starts day care
- The mother is pregnant again
- The mother has permanent medication
- The child has reached a certain age, ie, for example, 1, 2 or 3 years old
Weaning during the day
1. Stop breastfeeding
As easy as this tip may seem, however, it’s important to remember. Many mothers fall into the temptation to breastfeed during the day for several days or weeks after successful weaning.
Your goal during the day stay should be to gradually change your baby’s eating habits.
Instead of breast milk, use fruit purees, baby yogurt, or other foods your little one likes.
If he’s not hungry, you can try to turn your attention elsewhere – toys, songs, or walking are good examples.
Remember, this is a great step to introduce new compositions, flavors, and ingredients , and you should take advantage of the conditions to make the day trip work.
2. Get your child used to eating with others
In the first months, baby feeding times are often at the same time a strengthening of the bond between mother and child.
When it comes to weaning, it is important that the child is able to eat with other family members as well.
For example, ask someone else to take care of the afternoon feeds (or whatever is the best time).
This is especially important for mothers who go to work or who plan to return to work soon. At the same time, it helps the child develop independence from his or her attachment character.
3. Gradually wean
Once again, we want to emphasize that this is a process, not an overnight change. If you suddenly stop breastfeeding, you can cause problems for your baby as well as yourself.
First, your baby needs time to adjust to the new diet, and second, a sudden decrease in diets can cause you pain when your breasts are too full of milk.
It is also not good for a small delicate digestion to come into dramatic contact with a new food. A child needs time, patience, and consistency to adapt to change gradually.
4. Avoid weaning during stressful times
If your baby is having a difficult period, or you are just returning to work, day off is not a good idea.
This is related to the previous point – too abrupt changes can be detrimental when it comes to changing a baby’s habits.
If you plan to change your baby’s eating habits or life more generally, it is best to wean during the day only before or after such periods.
5. Start by removing mid-day breastfeeding
The mother should be aware of the baby’s daily eating routine. Based on that, the breastfeeding times that are not related to sleep rhythm should then be eliminated first.
This probably means that you eliminate morning and mid-afternoon breastfeeding, and perhaps just post-sowing breastfeeding.
It is more difficult to remove breastfeeding times close to the times when the baby is sleeping or that helps him relax.
Using a substitute to replace breast milk (given by a mother or someone else) can be a good choice.
Finally, there is advice that every baby is unique, as is every bond between mother and child. Therefore, the mother herself knows the best way and times to wean during the day.
You may be surprised at how well your little one adapts – it’s just about trying and observing the situation. If the time is not good, you can try again later.
