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How Long Should You Breastfeed Your Baby

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Recommended Information About How Long Should You Breastfeed

It is Pediatrics suggested to breastfeed your baby for six months. The reason given for this recommendation is that when you breastfeed your baby for six months, then it can drastically reduce their chances of getting any illness. Some of the diseases that breastfeeding continuously for six months protects your child from include but is not limited to stomach ailments, sensitivity to substances that are usually harmless, infections, etc. Pediatrics i.e. those experts who deal with the health challenges of babies urge mothers to continue breastfeeding up to the time they are one year that is twelve months, that is even after they have begun consuming food that is solid. The above information to a great extent answers the question how long should you breastfeed. If you prefer to continue breastfeeding your baby even after they are twelve months, you should feel free to do so as no harm is in doing so.

The True Meaning of Weaning

Weaning can only be defined as giving your baby a reduced amount of breast milk or ceasing to breastfeed completely. How Long Should you breastfeed your kid? When your child starts to consume foods that are solid, that marks the beginning of weaning. It is important to note that the beginning of weaning also ushers your baby into a season of much reduced periods of breastfeeding. Bearing in mind that you already have the answer to the question how long should you breastfeed?

How Long Should You Breastfeed

When Should You Wean Your Baby Commence?

It is important to consult a health professional concerning the exact time that the weaning of your baby commences.

  • Introduction to Foods That is Solid

    When your child is nearly six months, then this should mark the commencement of weaning them.  During this time it is important to watch your baby keenly as they may show signs of being ready to begin consuming food that is solid. One of the signs may be that your child pays close attention to other people as they are eating. By the time weaning commences your child should be able to support comfortably holding their head up and being equally able to on a chair from which they can be feed from.

  • Weaning From Breast Milk

    Your baby shall need to continue to receive the nutrients that are gotten from breast milk up to the time that they are twelve months of age. Formula milk is highly recommended if, for whatever reason, you cease to breastfeed your baby before they have become twelve months of age. There is a great need for your child to continue receiving nutrients into his body either from formula milk or from breast milk up to when they attain the age of twelve months.

What Reason is There for You Avoid Early Weaning?

There are certainly many health challenges that come as a result of early weaning that consist of the following;

  • Digestion Problem

    Up to the time that your baby is nearly six months old, their digestive structure is not prepared for food that is solid. Diarrhea may be amongst the initial challenges emerging as a result of early weaning. Another problem for your baby may be that they may develop some inability to digest a material known as gluten that is present in wheat, wheat products, and grains. (This condition is known as celiac disease)

  • Problem That Have Everything To Do With The Skin

    The risk factor for skin conditions such as eczema which causes much irritation on the skin is significantly increased by early weaning.

  • Increase in Extra Weight

    Later on in life your baby can experience serious challenges with excess weight gain.

  • Nutrition Problem

    The less breast milk your baby consumes, the fewer nutrients their body increases. Breast milk is in itself a very balanced diet meaning that it can provide for all the nutritional requirements of your baby.

When is Early Weaning An Avoidable?

In particular circumstances early weaning may be completely unavoidable, most of the time it is because you are experiencing certain problems. The encouraging thing is that whatever the problem you are having; there is a solution for it that can give you the opportunity to go on with breastfeeding. It is, however, crucial to consult a professional health caretaker. If for any reason you are planning to wean your baby early.

  • Problem With Your Breasts

    Aching nipples are one of the problems that can cause early weaning. In the very first two weeks of breastfeeding it is ordinary to have some pain on the nipples, but after a while this pain should be able to go away naturally. It should not be a painful thing to breastfeed.  Obstructed ducts can also pose a serious challenge to proper and comfortable breastfeeding. Blocked ducts ultimately lead to sore lumps in your breast. Puffiness of the breast can happen between two or three days after giving birth. The inflammation that comes about as a result of the puffiness in the chest can bring discomfort when it comes to breastfeeding.

  • Low Supply of Breast Milk

    Another big challenge is when there is a low supply of breast milk. The fact about milk supply is that a majority of mothers produce sufficient amounts of milk to meet their baby’s daily needs. However, not many mothers believe that the milk they are producing is enough for their baby’s.

  • Resuming Work

    Combining work and breastfeeding is a tough balancing act for most mothers. However, it is important to consult your boss or supervisor concerning being given some time to either breastfeed your baby or to express milk at your place of work.

  • Health Challenges

    Health challenges on the part of your child can certainly make it difficult for you to breastfeed your baby. This is likely to happen when your child has to remain in hospital after birth.

Why is it Important For Your Baby To Be Start Given Solid food After Six Month of Their Birth?

  • Your Baby Need Extra Nutrition

    Besides the breast milk, your baby at six months needs some other types of foods so as to be able to meet their daily nutritional requirements. For proper growth and the good health of your baby various minerals and vitamins are required. Above information answer the question how long should you breastfeed?

  • Eating Skills Learned by Your Baby

    The art of eating and chewing food has to be learned, and your child quickly acquires these skills including using a spoon when they practically do it.

Food With Tastes & Textures

  • How to Start Giving Solid  Food to Your Baby

    The only way your baby can gain knowledge of the various kinds of foods that are available is when they try out these foods.  Eating all the kinds of foods makes weaning easy as these foods provide all the nutrients that are needed after weaning has taken place.

  • Foods that are solid should be given to your baby between 2 or 3 times in the cause of the day.

    Purees from fruits and vegetables are amongst the foods that you can begin to feed your baby with. Between the ages of 8 to 9 months, all the food that you give to your child must be pureed or mashed.

  • Change the food texture for your baby when they are 6 to 9 months.

    At this stage food that has no hard lumps should be introduced. The bumps are meant to assist your child to get used to food that has additional texture. Soft foods such as bananas can also be given at this stage. During this period, it is very likely that your baby shall have acquired the necessary skills required to feed themselves. Liquids given from a cup that has a lid can also be given at this time. It is critical to mention that at this stage breastfeeding should not cease, but should continue and should be done for approximately 4 to 6 times during each day.

  • Solid Food Should be Given To Your Baby for Approximately 3 to 4 Times a Day in Age of 9 to 12 Months.

    At this stage snacks that are healthy can be introduced. Cereals with low levels of sugar can also be given during this period. Foods that are pounded and chopped are also highly recommended. At this stage also, you should give your baby the same food that your family is taking. Equally important at this stage is the fact that your child can feed themselves, using a spoon which is a significant aspect of learning to feed on their own without much or with no assistance at all.

  • Table Foods are Recommended at Age of 12 Months

    The energy that is an important aspect of your baby’s growth at this stage should be gotten from consuming various types of table foods. You are forbidden from giving your child foods at this juncture that have a high probability of choking them. Cow milk can also be introduced at this stage but certainly not before they are 12 months. Consulting a professional caretaker concerning the healthy kinds of foods, which you are supposed to give your baby at this stage, would be a prudent thing to do.

Challenges You Could Encounter in The Process of Weaning Your Baby From Breast Milk?

It is a good idea to consult in depth with your professional caretaker concerning how you should wean your child as this goes a long way in trying to avert particular problems as mentioned below.

  • Blocked Ducts, Puffiness of Infections

    To avoid these problems, there should be a gradual increase in the amount of time between one feeding and the next. Also highly recommended is the expression of milk between one feed and the next one.

Your Baby Defying Every Effort To Wean Them

For some babies, they may not want to give up the breastfeeding they have been so used to without a fight. To take off the pressure from your child during weaning, a gradual commencement of the utilization of the bottle or cup should be done. You should also be able to set certain specific times for breastfeeding your baby, most likely every time before they go to sleep. If your child has reached the age where you can talk to them in a way they can understand, then you should tell them why they have to breastfeed fewer times at this stage.

When Should You Contact The Doctor

  • When there is a low breast milk production that fails to meet the daily nutritive requirements of your baby.
  • Bleeding splintered or painful nipples.
  • Your body aches, and you have any fever.
  • Inflammation, pain, redness on any of your breast.
  • Puffiness that does not get better within 24 hours.
  • You have numerous questions and no answer concerning weaning and breastfeeding your baby.

In conclusion, it is quite important to mention that all the above information is for the purpose of educating you and not for giving you professional medical advice.  For medical guidance, it would be important to consult your doctor or professional health caretaker

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