Weaning - the transition to family foods & stopping breastfeeding
Weaning is the transition from breastfeeding to family foods.
It starts with the first taste of anything other than breast milk and ends once the child is eating a diet consisting fully of family foods.
During this process, breast milk continues to play a large and important part in providing nutrition, comfort and antibodies.
Weaning may be sudden, or may take place gradually over many years. It may be mother initiated, or be led by the child. You may feel it is being forced on you, or you may be ready to move on to the next stage of the parenting journey.
Whatever it means to you, the links below discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each path.
In ancient writings, the word "wean" meant "to ripen" --- like a fruit nourished to readiness, its time to leave the vine… Weaning was a joyous occasion because a weaned child was valued as a fulfilled child; a child was so filled with the basic tools of the earlier stages of development that she graduated to take on the next stage of development more independently. -- from The Baby Book by William Sears. MD and Martha Sears, RN, p. 187
Introducing solid foods
Starting Solids - The Facts Behind Today's Media Hype
When do I introduce solids to my baby? (NCT)
Baby led weaning website by Gill Rapley and a good introductory leaflet about baby led weaning to download.
Weaning off the breast
If you are considering weaning the Kellymom weaning page is the place to go. It has lots of links to articles on topics such as:
as well as personal stories such as Toddlers do wean."
Mums may feel some sadness when their baby weans - however old their baby or child may be - a lovely poem that summs it up for me is this one http://www.breastfeeding.com/reading_room/wean_me_gently.html