How To Wean Your Baby

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[x]   Transcript: Just like you chose to breastfeed your baby, you get to choose when to stop. But how will you know when that time has arrived? Weaning involves teaching your child to stop nursing. When your little one gets ALL nutrition from sources other than breast milk, this process is considered complete. The best time to wean your baby depends on many factors, including your child's continued desire to breastfeed and your own lifestyle choices. If you're looking for a more concrete deadline, however, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends feeding your baby ONLY breast milk for six months, then combining solid food with breast milk until your baby is AT LEAST one year old. When you do decide it's time to wean your infant, undergo the process gradually, as abruptly withholding the breast can be both emotionally and physically traumatic. One such method is to simply skip a nursing session, and then another, until your baby eats only from a bottle or cup. With this approach, you can substitute your breast with pumped milk or formula, or, for an older infant, solid food. You can also gradually shorten the time that your baby nurses. Cutting minutes slowly will help make the process easier for both of you. Another weaning method that can work is to postpone feedings and distract your infant with another activity, whether it's reading a story or playing outside. Or, if your child is old enough to understand you, you can simply explain that you'll feed him later, like at bedtime. But if all of your efforts to wean your baby are met with forceful resistance, it's possible that the time is not yet right. Children who are adapting to changes- like starting daycare-or those who have been sick may need more time to break the breast habit. Be patient, and know that weaning WILL happen in due time. Until then, enjoy the extra bonding with your baby!

[x]   Bio:

Dr. Marleigh Moscatel practices Pediatrics in Croton on Hudson, New York. Credentials: Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin U-Med & ScienceMD , Medicine , 1994 — 1998Honors in Pathology, Pharmacology, Physiology, Histology Activities and Societies: Alpha Omega Alpha (inducted in my 3rd year)University of California, Los AngelesBA , Psychology , 1991 — 1992 Activities and Societies: Golden Key National Honor Society, Magna Cum LaudeNorthwestern UniversityTheater, Pre-Med 1988 — 1990