When should baby wean?

The article was professionally consulted by resident Doctor Ho Thi Hong Tho - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital. The doctor has 10 years of experience in the field of pediatrics and neonatology.

For mothers who breastfeed, when it comes to returning to work, it's time to consider weaning your baby. Many people hesitate to know at what time to wean their children so as not to suddenly affect their child's development. Parents should base on the needs of the baby, the actual conditions to decide the best time to wean.

Breast milk is a source of nutrition suitable for the baby's digestive system, providing adequate nutrients for the baby within the first 6 months of life. In milk there are many biological factors such as antibodies, enzymes and white blood cells, ... not found in formula milk. At the same time, the fatty acids found in breast milk also help the baby's brain development and cognitive enhancement. Casein - a special protein in breast milk - helps your baby prevent diarrhea, respiratory infections, ear infections and allergies,...
After the first 6 months of life, energy needs and The nutrition of the baby will be larger that breast milk is not enough to meet. At this time, parents need to supplement their baby with formula milk or solid foods. Parents should give the baby solid foods gradually, gradually, close to adult food so that by the time weaning, the baby will not be disappointed because of the change in eating habits.
>> See more: Choosing formula milk for babies - Article written by Dr. Dr. Pham Thi Viet Huong - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital

There is no specific rule on when to decide to wean your baby. The time may be early or late depending on the individual and specific family circumstances. Weaning is a process of gradual adaptation of children from milk to adult foods, so the transition must take place slowly for the baby to adapt in time.

As the baby moves to the following stages, parents can consider weaning the baby:
Baby can sit up straight and roll the ball forward without outside help. When the child can do these movements, the child is almost one year old, the nervous system and motor system are relatively well developed, the baby is strong and capable of self-resistance if there is a lack of breast milk. Baby can say 2-3 more words besides grandma, mom, dad or can already say a short sentence. This is the time when the child's nervous system and hearing are well developed, and the child can express his or her wishes in words. At this stage, parents can wean their children from breast milk, combined with weaning foods with a variety of foods. At the same time, parents should also add formula milk for the baby with the amount of about 500-600ml/day. Babies can eat porridge and sticky rice: when children are able to chew and swallow, the digestive system has developed. At this time, the baby is 18-24 months old. This is the ideal time to make the decision to wean your baby. Parents can let their children sit at the table with the family. This is very beneficial for children's intellectual development and helps to strengthen family bonds. When the baby can recognize and be impressed with color: by changing the color of the nipple, the mother can wean the baby. When the color of the nipple is not familiar, the baby will gradually stop sucking. Advice for mothers is to only use natural colors applied to the nipples such as turmeric to make yellow, beets to make red,... Children can climb up and down stairs: at this time, babies been over 24 months. This is the age when doctors recommend weaning. In some special cases, children should be weaned immediately when the mother has an infectious disease or breast-related diseases such as cracked nipples. Note: The appropriate time to wean is when the child is 18-24 months old, has normal health, does not have disease or illness. If the baby is weaned when the baby is unwell, the baby's health will not be as good as those who are fully breastfed, later prone to anorexia, rickets.

Fully equipped with the necessary knowledge and experience before weaning your baby. When weaning should begin slowly, not abruptly stopping breastfeeding. This means that mothers need to actively shorten the time and intensity of breastfeeding to avoid adverse trauma to the child's psyche later on. Besides, from the 4th month, parents should start letting children taste adult foods (drinking vegetable juices, broths, ...) so that children get used to different flavors of food. Combine feeding with milk substitutes such as powdered milk, canned milk, condensed milk or cow's milk (only applicable to children over 1 year old) and solid foods. Weaning foods for babies need to be processed very soft and pure like porridge or powder, which is both good for digestion and the development of children's teeth, while eliminating the risk of choking or choking. Gradually increase the amount of food and the consistency of the snacks.

Feed your baby several small meals throughout the day. Choose foods and prepare a variety of foods to create excitement for children and avoid anorexia. The time of weaning may depend on the needs of the child and the family's conditions and circumstances. However, in general, the right time to be recommended by doctors is to wean children when they are 18-24 months old. In addition, when weaning begins, the child's health must be normal, without diseases. Deciding when to wean and how to wean is very important for your baby's future development.
For more nutritional knowledge and child care for each age, parents should regularly visit the website vimec.com and make an appointment with the leading doctors, pediatric and nutrition experts of the National General Hospital. Vinmec when needing advice on children's health.