You take your first steps toward weaning your baby from breast milk when you begin to feed him solid foods, including cereal and pureed fruits and vegetables. Although it might take months or years until he weans completely, those first spoonfuls of cereal give him a taste of the foods that will eventually replace breast milk in his diet. Since you will need to replace the nutrients he obtained from breast milk with other foods, weaning gradually is often the best way to ensure he gets adequate nutrition during the weaning process.
Babies Under 1 Year of Age
Since most babies in this age range do not yet eat a wide array of nutritious solids -- and because the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for a year if possible -- wait until your baby turns 1 to begin the weaning process. If you decide to wean before one year, you will need to replace the breast milk in your baby's diet with iron-fortified formula. When she reaches 4 to 6 months, introduce cereals and pureed fruits and vegetables. Offer her finger foods around 8 months, when babies can usually pick soft foods up and put them into their mouths.
Babies Over 1 Year of Age
When your baby eats three meals and two snacks a day, the Kids Health website suggests that he might naturally start to lose interest in breastfeeding. If you want to accelerate the process, slowly replace his breastfeeding sessions with a snack or whole milk in a cup. If he refuses to eat solids regularly or you worry about his nutrition, talk to your pediatrician, who can often recommend vitamins and other supplements to help your baby get the nutrients he needs during the weaning process.
Misconceptions
Although many people feel they have to wean at age 1 -- when solids usually make up the bulk of a baby's daily nutrition -- the American Academy of Pediatrics stresses that breastfeeding past this point continues to have health benefits for children. Breastfeed for as long as both you and your child desire to do so. Your breast milk can help strengthen your child's immune system, and it can help fill in any nutritional gaps in his diet.
Prevention/Solution
The easiest way to wean, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, is to follow your child's lead and wean her when she loses interest in nursing. This might occur in the early toddler years when she becomes more physically active. At this point, you can often gradually taper off the number of nursing sessions without her even noticing that they are gone. Since toddlers can usually drink whole milk from a cup, you will not need to worry about buying formula, which is more expensive than regular milk, for your child.
Warning
Weaning your baby too early might increase his risk of certain medical conditions and problems. According to Drugs.com, a health advice website, giving your baby solid foods before the age of 4 months might put him at an increased risk of developing allergies. It might also cause him to have stomach problems if he is too young to properly digest and break down the solid foods. He might also have difficulties digesting the proteins in cow's milk or milk-based formula, which can lead to vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain.
