Weaning
Angela Oswalt, MSWAs babies begin to eat more solid foods, they no longer need the bottle or breast to fill their nutritional needs. However, breastfeeding and bottle-feeding do not supply only physical needs; they also fill the social, cognitive, and emotional needs of the child. Therefore, when weaning babies or toddlers, it's important not only to replace the milk with solid foods but also to replace the love and nurturing from intimate feeding times with other forms. Different medical and child development experts disagree about the appropriate time to wean babies from the breast or bottle, but the majority agrees that weaning best occurs gradually between ages 12 and 24 months. At first, caretakers could omit baby's least-favorite bottle or breast times, such as mid-morning, and replace that feeding with a special playtime or cuddling time. This way, the baby is losing a feeding but gaining a new time of love and social interaction.
During this weaning period, caregivers can choose not to offer the breast or bottle, but provide it if the child is demanding it, as not to make weaning a hostile process. As toddlers begin to become mobile around the house, parents and caregivers can enforce a rule that the child can't drink while toddling around the house. This will also decrease dependence on the bottle. This rule is good for both cups and bottles, because the constant sipping of any sugary fluids can cause tooth decay in toddlers. The most difficult feedings to wean toddlers from are often the bedtime and naptime bottles. This can be accomplished by not allowing toddlers to fall asleep with the bottle in their hands or mouths. Also, if it's time to wean and toddlers are being stubborn about letting go of that bedtime bottle, gradually water down that bottle to transition even more slowly.
Resources
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Articles
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Infant Development: How Your Baby Grows and Matures
- Infancy Introduction
- Infancy Physical Development
- Infancy Physical Development: Motor Development
- Infancy Physical Development: Gross Motor Skills
- Infancy Physical Development: Fine Motor Skills
- Infancy Physical Development: Average Growth
- Infancy Cognitive Development
- Infancy Cognitive Development Continued
- Infancy Cognitive Development: Language Development
- Cognitive Development: Language Development Continued
- Infancy Emotional/Social Development: Emotional Expression and Understanding
- Infancy Emotional/Social Development: Temperament
- Infancy Emotional and Social Development: Social Connections
- Infancy Sexuality and Body Awareness Development
- Infancy Conclusion
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Infant Parenting: Keeping Your Baby Healthy and Happy
- Infancy Parenting Introduction
- Holding and Physical Support
- Facilitating Growth and Movement
- Feeding and Nutrition
- How Much to Feed
- Breastfeeding
- Selecting and Preparing Bottles
- How to Feed
- Burping and Spitting Up
- When and What Solid Foods to Introduce
- How to Feed Solid Foods
- How Much to Feed Toddlers
- Weaning
- Elimination and How to Diaper
- Penis and Cord Care
- Sleeping
- Bathing
- Other Baby Hygiene
- Dressing Baby
- Soothing a Crying Baby
- Well-Baby Checks and Immunizations
- Common Baby Medical Concerns
- Common Baby Medical Concerns - Teething
- Common Baby Medical Concerns - Colic
- Common Baby Medical Concerns - Coughs and Colds
- Common Baby Medical Concerns - Fever
- Common Baby Medical Concerns - Diarrhea and Vomiting
- Nurturing children
- Discipline
- Baby Safety
- Baby Safety Continued
- Conclusion
- Infant Safety: Keeping Your Baby Safe
- Infant Enrichment: Stimulating Your Baby
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Infant Development: How Your Baby Grows and Matures
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Questions and Answers
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Links
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Videos
- What Your Baby Sees
- Safe Sleep for Babies
- Safe Sleep for Infants
- Button Batteries Sending Kids to the ER
- Uncovering Top Causes of Diaper Rash
- Holiday Travel - Child Safety Away from Home
- Safe Seats for Baby
- Vaccination: A Key Piece of the Puzzle
- Babies on the Move: Protecting Babies with Vaccination
- The Breast Feeding Boost
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- How to Get Your Baby to Sleep
- Diaper Rash Dos & Don’ts
- Sunscreen Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers
- When Breastfeeding Doesn’t Come Naturally
- Diaper Dilemma: Baby Powders & Wipes
- Breast Feeding and Gluten Introduction: What Research Tells Us
- Dealing with Diaper Rash
- Strategies for Encouraging Your Child's Speech and Language Development
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- Infant Hearing Loss
- Household Poisonings and Childhood Dangers
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