At a certain point, it is time for a mother to stop breastfeeding her child. This point in time varies for mothers and their children. Some children practically wean themselves, while others may need some encouragement and time to adjust. As babies become toddlers, many of them begin to lose interest in breastfeeding and rely on it more as a source of comfort when they are feeling sick or tired, instead of seeking breast milk when they are hungry. If a mother notices this, it is a good sign that the child is ready to be weaned.
After the first six months of a baby’s life, a mother can begin to offer him or her small amounts of solid food after breastfeeding. Breastfeeding a child before offering solid food can help the child’s body to adjust to and digest the solid food. By doing this, mothers can gradually and gently introduce their child to new forms of nourishment while still providing them with the comfort and nutrients provided by breastfeeding. Eventually, mothers can begin to offer solid foods to their babies before breastfeeding. It is important to note that babies should still be breastfed for about twelve months after being introduced to solid food.
As children become adjusted to eating solid food, mothers can begin to gradually skip a feeding or shorten feeding times and give them water instead of breastfeeding. At this point, some mothers stop offering to breastfeed and instead wait for the child to ask or indicate that he or she would like to breastfeed. If a child is constantly asking to breastfeed, mothers could consider distracting the child or delaying breastfeeding till later, such as at bedtime.
A very important thing to keep in mind during weaning is that a mother should do her best not to stop breastfeeding too quickly. Weaning a child too quickly could stress him or her out, which is especially problematic considering that many babies seek to breastfeed when they are upset. It could also be painful for a mother and lead to engorged breasts or mastitis as it takes a few weeks for her to stop producing milk. By weaning a child slowly and steadily, both mother and baby will be able to comfortably adjust.