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Breast milk is an excellent source of nutrition for babies in their first years of life. The time spent cuddling and breastfeeding helps to bond the mother and child’s love. But at some point, you will have to choose to wean your baby. This will make the baby feel quite frustrated, cry, and whine,… So what is the solution for mothers to wean peacefully “without crying”? Let’s see the following tips.
When to wean your baby
According to nutritionists, babies should be exclusively breastfed from 6 months to 2 years old. However, there is no specific time for mothers to wean; this will depend on the mother’s health/life, such as:
- The mother has health problems such as having to take antibiotics, having infectious diseases, related to the breast… affecting the quality of milk.
- The mother returns to work.
- The mother experiences stress and pressure.
- The baby is strong enough to crawl and climb stairs (when the baby is about 2 years old – this is also the recommended weaning age).
However, one thing to note is that you should wean your baby when they show the following signs:
- The baby can sit upright, is strong, and moves well.
- The baby is learning to talk.
- The baby has started eating solids.
- The baby recognizes many things and colors, objects.
These signs show that the baby’s nervous and motor systems have developed quite well, so the baby’s self-resistance is also good even when they are no longer breastfeeding.
How to wean without making your baby cry
Before weaning, mothers need to pay attention to the following:
- The child must be in good health, not sick/ill. Because when a baby is sick, they will be very picky eaters, cry, and dislike change.
- Do not wean during harsh/unpleasant weather such as seasonal changes, hot summers/cold winters because these signal weather changes that will affect the baby’s health in the near future.
- The mother ensures that the baby still receives adequate nutrition during the post-weaning period.
- The mother needs to be patient and gradually wean the baby, avoiding shocking/frustrating the child, leading to difficulty cooperating.
Effective weaning methods:
- Use Cloxit medicine
Cloxit medicine is called bitter medicine; this medicine is very safe for babies and does not cause pain to the mother, so mothers can rest assured to use it. Mothers just need to crush the medicine, add a little water, and apply it to their nipples. When the baby sucks and finds it bitter, they will automatically release it, and after a few times, the baby will be scared and will not ask to suckle anymore.
2. Disguise the breasts
This method can be applied to babies who can recognize colors. When the mother’s breasts have strange colors, it will make the baby hesitate and may not ask to breastfeed anymore. Many mothers have applied this, and weaning is very gentle. Mothers can use lipstick, turmeric, tape, beetroot,… to apply.
3. Reduce the number of times and the amount of milk per feeding
To successfully wean, mothers need to reduce the number of feedings per day so that the baby can gradually adapt. At the same time, it also does not stimulate the mother’s milk supply, avoiding breast engorgement/inflammation/infection.
Shorten the baby’s sucking time per feeding: from 5 minutes to only 3 minutes per feeding. Instead, mothers can feed their babies with formula milk or add a light meal (cake/fruit juice/yogurt,…).
4. Do not remind or arbitrarily breastfeed the baby: Only breastfeed when the baby asks or soothe the crying baby by other means, not by putting the nipple in the baby’s mouth.
5. Naturally lose milk supply:
When the mother’s milk gradually disappears, the baby will have nothing left to suckle and will quit on their own. Mothers can take medicine or herbs to lose milk such as: mulberry leaves, lolot leaves, mint leaves,… the mother will experience sore nipples because the baby tries to suck and bite to get milk out.
6. Apply balm to the mother’s breasts
This simple tip has been passed down by mothers quite effectively. Balm is spicy and has a strong smell that goes into the nose, making the baby afraid and staying away, not daring to come near. After a few times, the baby will not ask to breastfeed anymore.
7. Increase the baby’s solid food intake
To ensure adequate nutrition during weaning and the baby does not get hungry, the mother can give the baby a few extra meals (cakes, flan, fruit juice, pureed fruit,…).
8. Train the baby to bottle-feed
To make weaning easier, train the baby to bottle-feed, either with expressed breast milk or with stored breast milk kept in the refrigerator. When the baby feeds, the mother will warm the milk. This also helps to make weaning gentler.
Caring for mother and baby after weaning
Both mother and baby will have many changing emotions after weaning, but to overcome them, mothers should not only think about the baby but also take care of themselves.
Some tips for mothers to overcome problems after weaning:
- Breast engorgement, pain: Mothers will often experience this because the amount of milk is no longer consumed by the baby as usual, but after a while, the amount of milk will gradually decrease and gradually lose the ability to produce milk, so mothers can rest assured. To reduce pain, mothers can do the following:
+ Use a cold compress to reduce pain or take pain medication.
+ Express some milk to reduce breast engorgement. But do not empty the breasts to avoid milk production.
+ Mothers should always supplement with nutrients to keep their bodies healthy and their minds relaxed.
- For babies, mothers need to pay attention to the following issues after weaning:
+ If the baby is not breastfeeding, replace it with formula milk.
+ Add extra meals and more dishes to enrich the baby’s meals.
+ Monitor the baby’s weight to see if it changes too much or if they are not gaining weight during this period.
+ Pay attention to the baby’s height and bone development.
+ Do not force the child to eat, set rules at the table so that the baby gradually gets used to and follows them.
Source: eva.vn
Refer to some nutritional supplements for babies:
See more:
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