Weaning can be a difficult and emotional time for both mum and baby. The transition is not always welcomed by the infant and mothers can very often experience mixed emotions about their baby growing up. However, it is a necessary step in your baby’s life, one that is essential for their healthy growth and development. In order to wean your baby as smoothly as possible it is essential to implement some weaning strategies.
You should work towards eliminating one feed at a time and supplementing it with solid food. Reserve the first feed of the morning and last of the evening for milk feeds and begin implementing solid foods in the middle of the day. As you begin to introduce solids, you can choose to do so before, after or even during milk feeds whichever works best for you. As they begin to take larger amounts of solid foods, milk feeds should slowly decrease. The easiest way for a baby to learn to take solid food is from a spoon. Try introducing the spoon to your baby gradually so they can learn to suck the food. Never wait until your baby is tired or overly hungry to wean as they will already be cranky and irritable and therefore far less likely to cooperate. You must also be in a patient and understanding mood as you begin to wean your baby, as they may need extra attention and affection during this process to assert that mummy still loves them and wants to be with them.
