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Self-weaning is when a baby voluntarily quits breastfeeding, self-weaning usually happens at a slow pace over time. As children get older, they will need more nutrition from solid foods and become more independent. Many babies also begin to have less need to breastfeed than they did when they were young. In fact, weaning doesn't usually happen until the baby is over a year old.
1. Does self-weaning occur in children?
Self-weaning in infants can occur. Some babies will wean earlier, while others will wean later. It is very rare for babies to wean themselves before 1 year of age. Some mothers often mistakenly believe that a “breastfeeding strike” – a baby who stops breastfeeding for two or three days, when the baby is 3-5 months old, means that the baby is weaned on its own.
Trẻ khoảng 6 - 9 tháng tuổi có biểu hiện bú ít thường xuyên hơn, bú trong thời gian ngắn hơn,thậm chí bỏ bú mẹ hoàn toàn
At around 4 months old, babies suddenly discover life going on around them. Many babies form the habit of sucking a few times, then leave the breast, look around, and go back to suckling. Breastfeeding patterns also change dramatically as babies go through different stages of development, such as babbling, rolling over, sitting up, crawling, and learning to walk. Sometimes, babies may stop sucking for no apparent reason.
Some babies seem to lose interest in breastfeeding around 6 - 9 months of age. During this time, your baby will feed less often, feed for less time, or even quit breastfeeding altogether.
If your baby loses interest in breastfeeding within a few days, maintain your baby's nutritional supply by pumping and continuing to breastfeed.
The weaning process usually lasts from a few days to a few months, even a few years. It will start as soon as you regularly introduce new foods other than breast milk, such as formula or solid foods.
2. Reasons why children wean themselves from breast milk
Trẻ mọc răng có thể khiến trẻ cảm thấy khó chịu và không muốn bú
Here are some of the main reasons for self-weaning in babies, including:
New hobbies: When babies get a little older and start noticing new, interesting things around them , it will be harder for your baby to sit still and breastfeed than before. At this point, you should put your baby in a quiet area, away from the TV, toys or anything else that could distract from breastfeeding. Teething: The pain caused by teething can make babies feel uncomfortable and not want to suckle. At that time, you should try to relieve your baby's pain by massaging the gums before starting to breastfeed. Insufficient breast milk supply: Babies may become frustrated and stop feeding if breast milk production is reduced. Factors that decrease breast milk supply may include returning of periods, recent pregnancy, etc. If you decide to wean your baby before one year of age, be sure to continue to breastfeed your baby with expressed breast milk or formula. Alternative formula milk for infants to ensure adequate nutrition for babies. In addition, you can seek help from medical professionals to understand more about weaning and nutritional options appropriate for your baby's age.
3. Some tips if you don't want to wean your baby at this time
Nên cho trẻ bú sữa mẹ trước khi cho trẻ ăn bất kỳ loại thức ăn khác nếu không muốn cai sữa cho con tại thời điểm này
Although your baby shows signs of being bored with breastfeeding, if you still want to continue breastfeeding at this time, you can refer to some of the following tips:
Continue to breastfeed often Try Breastfeed your baby before giving him any other food, drink or snack. When babies feel hungry or thirsty, they will be more willing to breastfeed. Minimize distractions when it's time to breastfeed If your natural breast milk supply is dwindling, there are steps you can take to stimulate increased milk production, such as pumping. Ensure adequate nutrition for children when they are not breastfed. Especially children under one year of age still need to be provided with nutrition from breast milk or formula. Try to be patient and remember that this is just a normal stage of development that many children go through. Ideally, you should consult a counselor or doctor if you have any questions about nutrition or breastfeeding. Besides, parents also need to supplement their children with essential micro-minerals such as zinc, lysine, chromium, selenium, vitamin B1, ... to fully meet the nutritional needs of children. The addition of these essential vitamins also supports digestion, enhances nutrient absorption, improves anorexia, and helps children eat well. Parents can simultaneously apply dietary supplements and functional foods derived from nature for easy absorption. The most important thing is that improving your baby's symptoms often takes a long time. The combination of many types of functional foods at the same time or continuously changing many types in a short time can cause the baby's digestive system not to adapt and completely not good. Therefore, parents must be really patient with their children and regularly visit the website vimec.com to update useful baby care information.
References: verywellfamily.com, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, babycenter.com
