Weaning a Toddler? Follow These Simple Techniques

Weaning a toddler can be a challenging task for a mother. You may choose to wait until the age of six months to wean off your toddler. You can wean your baby from breastfeeding gradually or abruptly, depending on your toddler’s response. Gradual weaning should be preferred.

Gradual Weaning

As the name suggests, this process of weaning a toddler from breastfeeding takes some time. Under this way of weaning, a mother doesn’t offer to breastfeed but instead doesn’t always refuse, too. This is a slow process but allows a child to wean himself by adjusting to other alternatives.

• Make yourself less available for nursing – Unlike previous days when your child cried out of hunger, you were there to breastfeed him, do not do that now. If your baby calls of desire or asks you to breastfeed, do not be available for that. Wear more layers of clothes to show uneasiness to your child.

• Shorten the breastfeeding session – Earlier, you used to breastfeed for a longer duration. Now start gradually decreasing the time duration of breastfeeding. When the toddler has had a minute or two, ask the child to stop or make him distracted by something else.

• Distract your toddler – Keep the life of your toddler so busy with toys and other activities that he forgets to ask about breastfeeding. Keep him occupied with all of his favorite toys, read him a book, etc.

• Substitute with foods or drinks – If your child still uses breastfeeding as the primary source of satisfying hunger, then start giving him semi-solid foods, including fruit juices.

• Give him/her formula feed or animal milk during day time and avoid breastfeeding.

Abrupt weaning

This should on chosen only when their is some medical emergency in family. Your baby will take time to adjust to it.

Some mothers prefer to wean their toddler from the breast abruptly. This abrupt approach may be best suited for a toddler who nurses fewer.
When you decide to wean abruptly, ensure your child does not significantly impact his behavior. You must have sufficient time for him to spend.

• Say No and offer distractions. When your child asks for breastfeeding, say no to him and distract his attention to some other place or thing. Take him for a bicycle ride, or let him play with his favorite toy.
• Make yourself less available for breastfeeding. Whenever your baby asks for such, show yourself busy in household chores.
• Let someone else take care of your toddler for a few days. When your toddler cries for it, ask your partner or someone else in your family to take care of him for the time being.

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