When to Stop Breastfeeding Your Baby
There comes a time in a mother’s life when you stop breastfeeding your child. It’s not like you are abandoning him. Sure, breastfeeding is still best for babies even up to 2 years of age, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t feed him anything else while you’re breastfeeding him. Eventually though, you have to admit, that the milk has to stop sometimes, and you can shift him to formula or cow’s milk (when he’s a bit older).
In reality, there is no set age as to when breastfeeding should stop. It is largely a decision that you make as a mom, taking into consideration what's best for your family.
When it comes to eating solids (which is one of the first kinds of weaning that you baby will go through) there are some signs of readiness that you can observe in your baby. These include:
The emergence of baby’s teeth.
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The baby is able to sit up, with or without support.
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The baby can hold his head up high with or without support.
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Needs more bottles or feedings during the day.
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Looks with interest at the family dinner.
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Looks closely at how a family member eats their food.
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Tries to take a swipe at what you are eating.
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Imitates “chewing” motions.
As much as possible, do not start out babies too early when it comes to solids. This is to reduce the risk of your baby developing possible allergies to food (especially if you have a family history of allergies or asthma).
Breast milk is good for a baby’s health because it lessens the risk of baby contracting illnesses and it strengthens the immune system. So if you must use formula milk, there should be no need for guilt on your part. Not all formula-fed babies are destined to get ill.
If you have a medical condition that prevents you from breastfeeding, it goes without saying that you should definitely stop breastfeeding. If you get sick, it is best to get your doctor's go signal if it is safe for you to continue nursing or to even express milk for your baby.
But most importantly, you should prepare yourself too, for the psychological change. Weaning could represent your baby's journey to independence. We may not want them to grow up so fast, but that’s life. We live and learn.
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