It’s exciting to witness your child to grow and develop in their first few months. From the tummy times, crawling, and eventually getting to walk — developmental milestones like these make motherhood and parenting all worthwhile! After several months of round-the-clock nursing and breastfeeding, another feat many mothers look forward to is when they can start weaning their baby from breast milk!
What Is Weaning?
Weaning (also called complementary feeding) is a kind of feeding practice for babies who are given solid foods alongside breastmilk in their early months. Although breast milk is the best source of nutrition for your baby, health experts recommend only exclusively breastfeeding for up to 6 months. Past this period, your child’s rapid growth will require an increase in their nutrient needs, which then is best complemented through solid first foods.
When Should You Start Weaning Your Baby?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) both recommend weaning to start at around 6 months, as this is ideally the period when breast milk alone can no longer support the child’s growth and development. However, this period isn’t absolute since babies vary in their developmental milestones.
Finding out when it is best to start weaning your baby will be completely dependent on your baby’s ability to feed themselves. That’s why it’s extremely important to be observant of your baby’s basic developmental signs and eating skills. This practice is called “responsive feeding”. The simple signs and actions that show your baby is ready to start eating solid foods can be seen through the following:
- Sitting up with minimal support
- Showing good head control
- Trying to grab food off the plate
- Turning head to refuse food when not hungry
- Acting hungry even after breastfeeding
- Tongue thrusting reflex (tongue movement that allows food to pushed out of the mouth)
- Mouth action of chewing and swallowing
Responsive feeding can be best exercised by:
- Feeding your baby directly first and then start assisting them once they figured out how to feed themselves.
- Trying out different kinds of foods and finding out their favorites
- Experimenting and encouraging with foods they dislike by changing the taste, texture, or way of preparation.
- Minimizing distractions during feeding times
- Communicating with your baby during mealtime
- Not force-feeding your baby
How To Effectively Wean Your Baby?
Weaning can be tricky to figure out, but by being guided by these 4 weaning principles, you and your baby will be on your way to a successful weaning journey!
- Timely. It’s best to exclusively breastfeed your baby for the first six months, and start introducing solid foods afterward in addition to giving your breast milk. This is the time when your child’s energy and nutrient needs are increasing.
- Adequate. Remember to feed your baby with the right amounts, frequency, and consistency using a variety of foods to achieve their nutritional requirements.
- Properly-fed. Practice responsive feeding and listen to your baby’s hunger cues. How frequent you feed should be suitable for your child’s age.
- Safe. Babies are incredibly prone to foodborne illness. Make sure that your baby is eating clean and safe foods by practicing proper food handling and sanitation.
Curious about what kind of foods your baby should be eating once they started weaning? We have a complete and comprehensive guide on weaning in this article!
