Weaning From Breast Feeding

When your baby has stopped breast feeding and gets
all of his nutrition from other sources than the
breast, he's actually considered weaned.  Even
though babies are also weaned from the bottle as
well, the term weaning often refers to when a
baby is stopped from breast feeding.

When weaning is a mother's idea, it normally
requires a lot of patience and can take time,
depending on the age of your baby or toddler,
and also how well your child adjusts.  The
overall experience is different for everyone.

Weaning is a long goodbye, sometimes emotional
and sometimes painful.  It doesn't however, signal
fo the end to the intimacy you and your child
have developed during the nursing stage.  What it
means, is that you have to replace breast feeding
with other types of nourishment. 

Starting weaning
Your the best judge as to when it's the right
time to wean, and you don't really have a
deadline unless you and your child are actually
ready to wean.  The recommended time for weaning
is one year.  No matter what relatives, friends,
or even complete strangers tell you, there is
no right or wrong time for weaning.

How to wean
You should proceed slowly, regardless of what
the age of your child may be.  Experts say
that you shouldn't abruptly withhold your breast,
as they results can be traumatic.  You should
however, try these methods instead:
    1.  Skip a feeding - Skip a feeding and
see what happens, offering a cup of milk to your
baby instead.  As a substitue, you can use a
bottle of your own pumped milk, formula, or a
cow's milk.  If you reduce feedings one at a
time, your child will eventually adjust to the
changes.
    2.  Shorten feeding time - You can start
by cutting the length of time your child is
actually at the breast.  If the normal feeding
time is 5 minuts, try 3.  Depending on the age,
follow the feeding with a healthy snack.  Bed
time feedings are usually the hardest to wean,
as they are normally the last to go.
    3.  Postpone and distract - You can
postpone feedings if you are only feeding a couple
of times per day.  This method works great if
you have an older child you can actually reason
with.  If your child wants the breast, say that
you'll feed later then distract him. 

If you've tried everything and weaning doesn't
seem to be working at all, maybe the time just
isn't right.  You can wait just a bit longer
to see what happens, as your child and you have
to determine the right time to wean together.

Starting Solid Foods

Breast milk is all your baby will need until at
least 4 months of age.  There does come a time,
when breast milk will no longer supply all of your
baby's nutrition needs.  Full term babies will
start to require iron from other sources by 6 - 9
months of age. 

Some babies that aren't started on solid foods by
the age of 9 - 12 months may have a great level of
difficulty accepting solid foods.  It's actually
a developmental milestone when your child starts
solid foods - as he is now growing up.

When to start
The ideal time to begin solid foods is when the
baby shows interest in starting.  Some babies
will show interest in solid food when it's on
their parents' plates, as early as 4 months of
age.  By 5 - 6 months, most babies will reach out
and try to grab the food.  When the baby starts to
reach for food, it's normally the time to go
ahead and give him some.

Sometimes, it may be a better idea to start food
earlier.  When a baby seems to get hungry or once
weight gain isn't continuing at the desired rate,
it may be good to start solid foods as early as
3 months.  It may be possible however, to continue
breast feeding alone and have the baby less
hungry or growing more rapidly.

Breast fed babies will digest solid foods better
and earlier than artificially fed babies because
the breast milk will contain enzymes which help
to digest fats, proteins, and starch.  Breast
fed babies will also have had a variety of
different tastes in their life, since the flavors
of many foods the mother eats will pass into her
milk.

Introducing solid foods
When the baby begins to take solid foods at the
age of 5 - 6 months, there is very little difference
what he starts will or what order it is introduced.
You should however, avoid spicy foods or highly
allergenic foods at first, although if your
baby reaches for the potato on your plate, you
should let him have it if it isn't too hot.

Offer your baby the foods that he seems to be
interested in.  Allow your baby to enjoy the food
and don't worry too much about how much he takes
at first, as much of it may end up on the floor
or in his hair anyhow.

The easiest way to get iron for your baby at 5 -
6 months of age is by giving him meat. Cereal for
infants has iron, although it is poorly absorbed
and may cause your baby to get constipated.

Refusal To Breast Feed

Sometimes, a baby that is breast fed may suddenly
decide to refuse breast feeding.  The baby will
pull away from the breast, then toss his head from
side to side.  This can happen at anytime, so there
really is no way to predict it happening.

Reasons why
Refusal to feed from the breast could occur when the
baby is in pain. Normally, this can be due to an
ear infection, sore head from vacuum delivery,
thrush in the baby's mouth, or teething.

The use of dummies, teats or nipple shields may also
contribute to refusal.  Some babies actually find
it difficult to feed from the breast and bottle as
the sucking action is very different.  Some become
confused, therefore it's always best to avoid using
any type of teats or dummies.

Sometimes, the milk just takes bitter.  This can
be due to antibiotics, if you starting or in the
middle of your period, or nipple creams.  If the
milk tastes bitter, your baby will normally not
want to feed. 

Solving the problems
First, you should always try to identify what may
have caused the breast refusal then begin to treat
the cause.  Always remain patient and gentle with
your baby.  Be sure to hold your baby next to you,
skin to skin, so that he can take the breast when
he wants to, so that he begins to realize that
breast feeding is both enjoyable and comfortable.

Older babies may suddenly take shorter and fewer
breast feeds, although this can be normal with
some babies.  Therefore, it's always best not to
try and make the baby feed longer, but instead let
the baby decide how often and also how long each
individual feeding will last.

Poor Milk Supply

Almost all women don't have a problem with producing
enough milk to breast feed.  The ideal way to make
sure that your baby is getting enough milk is to be
sure that he's well positioned, attached to the
breast, and feed him as often as he gets hungry.

Some mom's that are breast feeding will stop before
they want to, simply because they don't think they
have enough breast milk. 

There are signs that might make you believe your baby
isn't getting enough milk.  If your baby seems hungry
or unsettled after feeding, or if he wants to feed
often with short pauses between feedings, you may
think he isn't getting enough milk - which are often
times not the case.

There are however, two reliable signs that let you
know your baby isn't getting enough milk.  If your
baby has poor or really slow weight gain, or is
passing small amounts of concentrated urine, he's
not getting enough milk.

All babies will lose weight within the first few
days after birth.  Babies are born with supplies of
fat and fluids, which will help them keep going for
the first several days. 

Once your baby regains birth weight, he should begin
putting on around 200g for the first four months or
so.  To get back to their birth weight, it normally
takes a few weeks.

If the weight gain for your baby seems to be slow,
don't hesitate to ask your doctor or nurse to observe
you breast feeding.  This way, they can make sure
that your technique is right and if they think your
baby is breast feeding often enough.

To help you with your breast feeding, here are some
ways that you can increase your supply of milk:
    1.  Be sure that your baby is positioned
correctly and attached to your breast.
    2.  Let your baby feed for as long and often
as he wants.
    3.  If you feel that your baby isn't breast
feeding enough, offer him more breast feeds.
    4.  During each breast feed, make sure you
feed from both breasts.
    5.  If your baby has been using a dummy,
make sure you stop him.
    6.  Some babies may be sleepy and reluctant
to feed, which may be the cause of problems with
milk supply.

By following the above tips, you'll do your part in
making sure you have enough milk when it comes time
to breast feed.  If you are uncertain or have other
questions, be sure to ask your doctor, as he can
answer any type of question you may have.

Low Supply Of Breast Milk

Almost all mothers who breast feed go through a
period of questioning whether or not their supply
of milk is adequate.  Some mothers simply aren't
able to produce enough milk to meet the needs of
her baby.  According to many experts, true
insufficiencies of milk are very rare.

A lot of women think their milk supply is low when
it actually isn't.  Thinking this can happen if
you lose the feeling of fullness in your breasts
or if the milk stops leaking from your nipples.
Babies that go through growth spurts may want
more milk than usual, and these more frequent
feedings may leave your breasts less than full.

Causes of it
A mother's milk supply may diminish for a brief
period of time if she isn't feeding her baby
often enough due to nipple pain, or a poor latch
on technique.  Illnesses or estrogen containing
birth control pills may also affect the production
of milk. 

What you should do
The best way to handle a low supply of breast
milk is through a doctor's care.  You should
make sure that your baby gets frequent feedings
and that nothing is wrong with your nipples or
your milk ducts.  Doctors are the best ones to
ask, as they can run tests to see if everything
is fine within your body.

A low supply of breast milk can affect your
baby, although it's more of a mental condition
than anything else.  If your baby isn't gaining
any weight or if he is losing weight, you
should call a doctor immediately.  Improved
techniques for breast feeding will normally
help, although in some cases weight gain or
weight loss will indicate a serious concern.

In most cases, you can still nurse with a
temporary decrease in milk supply, although
frequent breast feeding is the key to boosting
your production of milk.

How To Choose A Breast Pump

The milk production in the breasts, much like so many
other things, work on the shear principal of supply
and demand.  The more breast milk your baby consumes,
the more your body will need to make. 

Breast pumps are generally used to insure continued
production of breast milk when you cannot feed your
baby - whether you are back to work, traveling, taking
medication, or just out of town. 

Basic types of pumps
Breast pumps can either be battery operated, hand
operated, semi automatic electric, or even self cycling
electric.

Hand pumps
Manual hand pumps are designed to use the strength
of your hand or arm muscles for pumping one breast at
a time.  You can also get pumps that will use the leg
and foot muscles for pumping both breasts at one
time.  Mothers that with carpal tunnel syndrome may
want to consider using a pump designed for the arm
or leg muscles or even an automatic model.

Battery operated pumps
Pumps with battery operation are the best for women
who have an established supply of milk and want to
pump once or even twice a day.  These pumps use
batteries to create suction, minimizing any type of
muscle fatigue.  Most battery type pumps are designed
for pumping one breast at a time and are recommended
for occasional usage.

Electric pumps
Even though electric pumps are more efficient than
hand or even battery operated pumps, they also tend
to be more expensive.  You can however, rent them if
you need to.  Electric pumps can normally plug
directly into an outlet and are designed for pumping
both breasts at a time and even frequent use.  Hospital
grade pumps are the most efficient for initiating and
maintaining milk supply, and are available for rent
or purchase.

Health And Diet

The nutritional requirements for the baby will rely
soley on the breast milk, and therefore the mother will
need to maintain a healthy diet.  If the baby is
large and grows fast, the fat stores gained by the
mother during pregnancy can be depleted quickly,
meaning that she may have trouble eating good enough
to maintain and develop sufficient amounts of milk.

This type of diet normally involves a high calorie,
high nutrition diet which follows on from that in
pregnancy.  Even though mothers in famine conditions
can produce milk with nutritional content, a mother
that is malnourished may produce milk with lacking
levels of vitamins A, D, B6, and B12.

If they smoke, breast feeding mothers must use
extreme caution.  More than 20 cigarettes a day has
been shown to reduce the milk supply and cause vomiting,
diarrhoea, rapid heart rate, and restlessness in
the infants.  SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is
more common in babies that are exposed to smoke.

Heavy drinking is also known to harm the imfant, as
well as yourself.  If you are breast feeding, you
should avoid alcohol or consume very small amounts at
a time. 

The excessive consumption of alcohol by the mother can
result in irritability, sleeplessness, and increased
feeding in the infant.  Moderate use, normally 1 - 2
cups a day normally produces no effect.  Therefore,
mothers that are breast feeding are advised to avoid
caffeine or restrict intake of it.

By following a healthy diet and limiting your intake
of the above, you'll ensure that your baby gets the
right nutrients during your time of breast feeding. 
This stage of life is very important - as you don't
want anything to happen to your baby.