Weaning
Weaning is a natural stage in a child’s development. It is a gradual process of giving the child other foods that complement breastfeeding. The weaning affects the mother with a combination of mixed feelings, such as enthusiasm for starting the child to self-independence and grief at the child’s transition to another stage.
When should I wean my child?
When the 6-month-old is ready to eat other foods, he or she will need more food to meet his increased nutritional needs while completing breastfeeding.
The child has many indicators that indicate his willingness to eat other foods:
- Increasing hunger.
- The possibility of sitting without the need for help.
- Show interest in the food that others eat.
- He opened his mouth when he saw the food.
- Refrain from eating sometimes.
Stages of weaning the child
Weaning is done by reducing the number of feeds received by the child, and replacing the other times with milk and yogurt as follows:
- The baby takes the first feed at six in the morning.
- At 9 am he treats the pudding.
- At 12 o’clock, the child takes another feed.
- At 3 pm the child has an extra breast.
- At 6 o’clock, yogurt is served with light biscuits.
- At 10 o’clock, the child has a final feed.
Foods that the child needs after weaning
- At the age of six months, the child should begin to eat foods in small quantities at the beginning, and at this stage should be aware that the child does not get constipation, as many children when they move to the stage of supplementary food, severe constipation, especially if taken by the child in large quantities.
- Make small amounts of water twice a day at most and avoid giving the baby juices.
- Eat hard boiled broccoli, boiled couscous, and rice.
- Feed baby mashed fruits like apples and bananas.
- Low amounts of non-dairy milk.
- Avoid giving baby candies and sweets at this stage, as these foods reduce the child’s desire to eat healthy food. Milk should be avoided before reaching the age of one year.
Through the following can know the child’s needs of milk after weaning:
- 6-12 months: The baby needs breast milk, iron-fortified milk, and cooked food.
- 12-18 months: Baby needs breast milk, integrated cow’s milk.
- 18-24 months: Baby needs breast milk, integrated cow’s milk, and eating naturally cooked foods.
Note: After two months of age, the amount of milk consumed by the child should not exceed 500-729 ml daily, as this will prevent the intake of cooked cooked foods, thus causing anemia and iron deficiency in the child.
The best foods for the baby after weaning
- Pumpkin.
- eggs.
- Spinach.
- Malukhya.
- Broccoli.
- Avocado.
Finally, you should see your doctor in some cases of weaning that lead to the emergence of undesirable symptoms in the breast of the mother, including: breast pain, swelling of the breast, redness of the breast, fever and chills.