-
Babies Under 12 Months Old DO NOT Self-Wean
- Oct 31, 2009 at 10:13 PM
- By
- Comments (48) Total Views (2658) Everyone can see this journal post.
It is also physically impossible for babies under six months to self wean. Weaning means they no longer need mother's milk. A baby transitioned from breast to bottle has NOT self weaned. They are still drinking milk, they are not weaned (if they need bottled milk then they still needed human milk. )
Ever seen a baby self-wean from a bottle under six months of age? A bottle is stuck in their mouth and they suck...sometimes they fuss and refuse...but how often does someone suggest they just be put back on the breast because they appear to be self-bottle-weaning!? If it doesn't make sense in the reverse it doesn't make sense the other way.
1. A baby under six months has a tongue thrust reflex designed specifically for expelling anything but liquid from the mouth.
2. A baby under six months is designed for a suck-swallow as the tongue massages a nipple, they do not have the tongue control to move food purposefully to the back of the throat. That's why feeding young babies mush is messy. They try to suck it off the spoon and then the tongue randomly shoves it out again. They also can choke more easily.
3. (Most) Babies under six months do not sit up. Eating anything but liquid from a nipple that the baby can control, in a reclined position is a choking hazard.
4. Babies digestive systems are not fully matured to handle solids efficiently. That takes time.
A baby who can not properly process solids would never self-wean. They are, instead, encouraged to wean either accidentally or on purpose. A baby under a year old (between nine and twele months) self-weaning is extremely rare. What may happen at times is a temporary nursing strike because of teething or other interests. And sometimes encouraged accidental parent-led weaning when the baby is put on a schedule and encouraged to eat solids before breast in an effort to bulk them up or have them 'eat something' to appease others who think they should be eating a lot more. In other words, feeding the baby rather than letting the baby feed themselves is encouraging weaning.
The problem with breastfeeding issues is not with the baby...the baby knows what it wants and needs and knows how to do it instinctively...it is with US. The culture one lives in determines success of the breastfeeding relationship. If we have had no prior exposure or experiences, we may encounter common issues that we think are the end and inadvertantly encourage bottle preference. Somtimes babies fuss at the breast and we may not know what to do or are given bad advice. Every where we turn someone is suggesting a bottle or pacifier or saying it doesn't matter where the baby gets milk. It does matter! Every time a substitute is put in place of the breast it affects the feedback loop for producing milk. Babies go through bouts of needing to suck constantly because they are builing up a milk supply -- a pacifier interferes with that.
As much as the people around us want to help, often their advice is the wrong advice and leads to early breast weaning and transition to a bottle -- not self-weaning. Sometimes breastfeeding advocates forget to mention the hard parts for fear of scaring people. The truth is that even though breastfeeding shouldn't be excrutiatingly painful, nipples can get very sore...especially with novices. New mothers are learning and their nipples aren't used to the attention and their nipples may get hurt a little as they and the baby learn holds and latches. It can also be disconcerting when an undue amount of pressue is put on a woman to know exactly how many ounces a baby is getting. Boobs don't come with milliliter marks or ounces stamped on them so a woman should not be pressured to know any such thing.
Some babies fuss at the breast...it doesn't mean the are weaning...it may mean they want the other breast, or find the let down too fast, or too slow, or they are tired, or have to pee/poop, or have an itch, or have a cramp/itch, or are hot/cold. It could be that their latch isn't quite right and it is taking a lot of effort to get only a little milk so they are trying to fix the problem. It might be that they want to suck but are irritated that milk is coming out just then and they aren't ready for dessert. Even a loud noise may have frightend them and they are apprehensive, or they have a belly ache. Pretty much similar sorts of issues adults may have with a meal. Ever been so hot you wanted to finish a drink, but were so full it was uncomfortable to do so? Ever had to eat lunch when you weren't hungry? Ever had to wolf down food in a rush? Ever had to wait an hour for lunch and then can barely eat it because it is so hot soyou have to eat slowly even though you are starving? That wouldn't put you in a good mood would it?
Babies are smart. They aren't passive in their care. When they are hungry, they eat. When they have full bladder they pee. When they feel the urge they poop. When tired they sleep. When they need something they cry.
They are desinged to drink milk. It is not in their realm of thinking to regect their primary, ingrained food source.
Comments:
I agree. Allie just recently weaned. She is almost 16 months and she only breastfeeds early in the morning. I don't know if her weaning has to do with me being pregnant or if I accidentally did it without meaning to. I fully intended to tandum nurse. I am unsure as to what happened exactly.
3. Babies under six months do not sit up.
Edit: 3. Most babies under six months canot sit up. ;)
LOVE it. I'm so tired of stupidity.
True True True :) LOL except number three, ALL of my kids sat up before six months. On their own, getting into their own sitting position, and all of them crawled before or at 6 months. (the latest crawler being 6 months and 5 days)
That being said... none of them WEANED at 6 months! And when I finally let my baby decide when she wanted to start solids it wasnt until well after 7 months old. (the other two I started around 5 months for some stupid reason).
I just wish with Bianca, at 13 months, I wouldve been able to get her to start nursing again after my milk completely turned to colostrum and she wanted nothing to do with it :( I dont really consider that self weaning because it wouldnt have happened if I wasnt pregnant.
I felt like my dd knew she wanted to wean at 11-12 months, but then again I don't know. I just remember she began to taper off her feedings and my breasts adjusted. She became more interested in what daddy was eating, lol. Genetics aside, I think we ignorantly introduced solids too soon and she has been struggling with eczema her whole life.
So because of our constant struggle with her eczema, I vowed that I would not introduce solids to the new baby until she weans or shows interest in what we adults eat. She'll probably still develop eczema because of dad's genes, but at least I will know solid foods wasn't a contributing factor.
Great post!
my daughter self weaned so to speak. When I went back to work when she was 6 months old her dad would give her breast milk that I froze for him from a sippy cup (he held it) because I worked later than I was suppose to. She gave up on the day time feedings. She ate her food and drank beast milk from a cup. she still liked the morning, nap time and evening cuddling breast feedings......... But the rest of the day it was the cup with her food. she would fuss and not want to nurse.... No bottles for her; she had nipple confusion breast or the cup!
yep
I find fault with this, primarily because my daughter DID self wean at 7 months. how do i know? because it was the june following her birth, we did not have air conditioning where I normally fed her (wait, I'll get there) and she REFUSED to lay up against me to nurse.
I tried moving to the bedroom right under the air conditioner to help cool her off, she wouldn't take it. I tried for HOURS freezing my ass off under that AC ands he wouldn't take it.
I shut off every noise had complete silence, thank GOD my 3 year old (now almost 5) knew her sister needed to eat, so she needed to be quiet. she understood, and stayed quiet.
I had PLENTY of a supply, and would try for HOURS at a a time staying relaxed, so relaxed in fact, I fell asleep next to her, waiting for her to latch on and nurse.
We asked her Ped, who is HUGE on BF-ing, encourages it to 12 months, what we could do. He told us to try to pump for her, but if she wouldn't eat for hours, we may have to break down and give her formula, but try BM in a bottle.
I pumped for her, and still.... we would warm it up for her, she did NOT want warm milk anymore, we had to chill my breast milk for her, she would not take it from the breast because it was too warm. I tried for a full MONTH to get her to nurse. Nope. didn't happen.
From 7/2/08, she didn't nurse anymore, and I was devastated. I quite obviously tried everything I could think of. but from then on, she would not take warm milk, warm anything, it disgusts her. I tried giving her some hot chocolate (warm) because it's starting to get cold here, she still won't drink it. She'll be 2 next month, and she still will not drink warm drinks. it has to be cold.
while most babies won't do it on their own, mine, certainly did.
that is somewhat true and not true sometimes baby will self wean under 12 months if the mother becomes pregnant because the change in the milk flavor.
Already a member? Click here to log in
I couldn't agree more! Of course you will get blasted for this post but oh well. My kiddos are 30 & 14 months and still nursing. =)
- NoahsMomma418
Message Friend Invite