Signs that your baby is "ready" to wean

This is an automatically translated article.

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.
All babies need to be breastfed as soon as possible to ensure adequate nutrition. But at a certain point, babies need to be weaned. The weaning time of each child is not the same, depending on the condition and characteristics of each child. Parents need to pay close attention to the signs that the baby is "ready" to wean.

1. The child is able to sit firmly, without outside help

When a child can sit on his own without an adult's support, it shows that the child's nervous system and motor system have developed relatively. At that time, the baby is quite strong, can swallow fluently without choking and can produce antibodies on his own without the need for breast milk.
Parents can test this feature by having the child sit with a ball, if the child rolls the ball forward without any help, the child can be weaned.

2. Children can speak a short sentence

Babies can say a word very early, only when they are 4-5 months old. Every day, children babble and call "grandma", "dad", "mom". If your baby starts to be able to say longer sentences, saying 3-4 words at a time, it is a sign that the baby is able to wean. At this time, the child's nervous system and hearing have developed, the child wants to express himself by practicing speaking continuously. Children may not speak much but form meaningful sentences, complete with subject - predicate.
At this time, you can wean your baby and feed him more foods, especially nutrients that are good for the brain.

3. Children can eat porridge and rice paste

Eating porridge and rice paste proves that children can chew and swallow. A baby's digestive system has developed, and it doesn't need to rely on breast milk. You can wean and let your child sit at the family dinner table every day so that he can imitate and learn from adults and feel the family's affection.
Usually, children can eat sticky rice when they are more than one year old to almost two years old.

4. Children can distinguish colors

If the baby is able to distinguish and recognize a few basic colors, the mother can wean the baby. A folk method of weaning has used this ability of the baby by changing the color of the mother's nipple so that the baby feels strange and confused, is not used to the nipple and gradually stops breastfeeding.
Mothers can dye the nipples with natural colors such as turmeric, beetroot red... Many people also use black tape to stick the nipples so that the baby is afraid to wean themselves.

5. Children can climb stairs by themselves

Children can climb stairs on their own when they are proficient at walking, usually when they are about two years old. Nutritionists also recommend that mothers wean their children from breast milk when they are 24 months old.

6. Special circumstances

There are many special cases for some reason that cause mothers to have to wean children early, such as: mother has an infectious disease, mother has a disease related to nipples...

7. Notes on weaning for children

Babies should not be weaned too soon. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that babies should be breastfed for at least 24 months so that babies can fully absorb the nutrients of breast milk, increase resistance, have time to prepare and perfect the nutrition. function of your digestive system.
Do not wean the child when the child is sick, the resistance is weak There is no fixed time to conduct weaning for the child. You should only wean children when they are really ready, otherwise it will affect their health, make them anorexic and malnourished. In addition, when children are weaned, parents need to pay special attention to their child's diet to ensure adequate nutrition. It is possible to add essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to help fully meet nutrient needs, support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, and improve nutrient absorption. improve anorexia, help children eat well.
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.