WEANING BABIES
The earliest age at which you would want to wean the
baby completely from the breast or bottle would be about nine months. Weaning
babies take significantly longer when begun before nine months than after. By nine
months, the baby is taking some milk from a cup, but is still too young to be
taken abruptly off the bottle or breast. Weaning a
baby early is far too time-consuming for a busy mother because it takes time to give
the baby all of his milk from a cup.
WEANING YOUR BREAST-FED BABY
If you wean the baby from the breast before he's nine months old, a bottle
should be given. If the
baby is older than nine months, offer all his meals and gradually increase the amount of milk he receives from a cup,
but continue to breast-feed him after the end of each meal.
Then, leave out the daily breast feeding that he shows the least interest in
and offer only the cup. The following week, if
he seems willing, omit another feeding, and the next week, omit the last daily
breast feeding.
He doesn't like to be rushed, so don't force weaning if he hits a period of unwillingness. Teething or a cold may set him
back a little. His own inclination is your guide in weaning.
Don't worry if he's slow to change over or measure his readiness
by the time some other baby was completely weaned Some formula-fed babies don't
lose their liking for milk fro a bottle until they're 18 months or older. Unless
your doctor advises it, weaning a sick baby should be avoided.
CARE OF BREASTS DURING WEANING
Gradual weaning should cause little discomfort,
but if you are uncomfortable, a fairly tight-fitting bra will help give you
relief. However, the bra should not put pressure on the nipples. You can
decrease your milk supply by cutting down on your intake liquids. It's a good
practice to discuss this matter with your physician; he may prescribe something to
dry up your breast milk, especially if you have to suddenly stop nursing.
WEANING YOUR BOTTLE-FED BABY
Weaning from the bottle should also be a gradual
process. Some babies who especially love sucking may not want to completely give
up the bottle. There's certainly no harm, if he's a late weaner, in 1 ting him
have a bedtime bottle, even if he's 18 months or little older. A single bottle a
day is not going to prolong fantile behavior.
By nine' months, he should be familiar with the cup, cv if he's only taking a
few sips. Continue offering the cup an avoid fussing if he doesn't want more
than a sip or two on some days. Eventually leave out the bottle that he shows
the least interest in, often the breakfast or lunch one. If he's progressing,
omit the second bottle, then the third.
That last bottle is the hardest to give up and is usually the supper or bedtime
bottle. The bottle-fed baby backslides when he's feeling miserable from a
cold or teething, so just be patient.
Some mothers prefer to wean a baby abruptly, especially if the baby is taking
just one bottle—usually the night bottle. This is also a satisfactory method.
The baby's milk intake will drop after he's been weaned, but remember that this
is about the time he derives most of his calories and nutritional needs from his
solid foods. The need for a large quantity of milk is no longer as necessary.
For some time you've been putting the baby in his playpen both inside and outdoors for playtime. Besides
getting him used to amusing himself, this has given him full opportunity to
develop his muscles, which he couldn't have done if he had been kept in a bed
or buggy all the time.
Around the seventh or eighth month, he'll be able to pull himself over the
floor, and soon make good speed. Babies crawl in various ways: some sitting up,
some on all fours, and some on their knees. The method doesn't matter—any one
.serves the purpose and gets him where he wants to go. There's a fair
number of perfectly normal babies that never creep! They just get up and walk
when they're ready to walk.
Whenever he can be watched, let Baby creep about the house while you keep an eye
on him. This gives him more freedom and stimulates his mental development.
Remember, though, that once he has a heady taste of this new freedom,
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