Seven Reasons for Weaning Breastfeeding
Weaning is the time that the baby begins to stop breastfeeding and other methods of feeding the child are used. During the weaning period, children often begin mixed feeding, having a combination of breast milk and formula milk, a combination of breast milk and solid foods, or a combination of all three. It is important to note, however that weaning from breastfeeding does not always mean your child will wean from breast milk. Many mothers wean from breastfeeding while expressing breast milk and giving it to their babies in baby bottles.
There are several reasons why mothers choose to stop weaning. These reasons may be the same reasons you have. Your reasons are your own, and the choice to wean your child is yours to make. Just remember that breast milk is the best food for babies all the way up to two years of age. Try to give your children breast milk for as long as you can, even if you need to express milk and feed them using a bottle.
For new mothers, a common reason to stop weaning is when they encounter a breastfeeding problem. Any of the breastfeeding problems previously mentioned can be frightening for a new mother and can deter them from breastfeeding further. Not being able to latch the baby on properly or having sore or damaged nipples are the usual problems mothers, especially new mothers encounter. If you are a new mother and want to stop weaning for this reason, try expressing milk instead of direct breastfeeding. It will benefit your baby to continue to receive breast milk even if they don’t nurse from you directly.
Other reasons mothers choose to wean are when their baby begins teething or if they have other responsibilities. The teething period can be painful for both you and your baby. You can choose to try and continue breastfeeding by following the technique discussed in the previous chapter, though weaning for this reason is completely understandable and is actually very common and somewhat popular among mothers.
Weaning your child because you have other responsibilities, either you have to go back to work, need time to tend to other children, or just to make taking care of the household and other matters easier is another really common reason for weaning. Not many mothers can breastfeed their babies until the baby becomes a toddler, and as a woman you do have other things going on in your life.
Page Two: Four More Reasons Women Start Weaning Breastfeeding (Seven Reasons for Weaning Breastfeeding continued)
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