Your baby will eventually move from being breastfed to additional fluids and solids. Weaning baby need not be traumatic of difficult, as long as mum remains relaxed and unfazed and remembers that baby will always find a way to nourish herself. It can be an emotional time, but it need not be difficult.

Breastfeeding will eventually come to an end. If it is to come to an end before the baby is 12 months, it is recommended that infant formula be substituted.  A good way to do that is to replace one breast feed a day with a bottle fed for the first few weeks.

This is a common question and one which leads to much debate. There are very strong schools of thought on this topic, and you will come across passionate views from many, including your family and close friends. It is generally accepted practice in western countries to begin to wean from six months. The baby’s digestive system is only designed to take breast milk or comparable formula in those first few months. There are numerous benefits for starting off and staying with breastfeeding the bulk of the first year.

But the change must occur: at some time either side of 6 months is ok. This will involve the supplement bottle (infant formula) and gradually reducing the breastfeeds and introducing solids. By the time baby is 12 months, in most cases, breastfeeding has ceased, mum is no longer producing milk, and bottles have become the chief supply of nutrient and fluid, and the intake of solids has begun to increase. Baby may transition from the breast to formula to cow’s milk. Cow’s milk, however, should not be introduced before 12 months.

There is no hard and fast rule. Many will breastfeed for much longer, others will move completely to the bottle in the first few months of life for reasons such as illness, insufficient milk production or some other reason. Whatever your timeframe, remember...it is ok...plenty of children have gone on to survive and thrive from an early or late weaning regime, whichever suits your baby and you.

Start by replacing one breast feed with the appropriate bottle of formula. Make it the same meal every day; say an afternoon feed, or early evening feed. Like everything with babies, routine is the key. Get the routine established, with one bottle feed, and this gives your body time to adjust to reduced demand, and the milk supply will begin to taper off.

Once settled, replace another feed. Same process, let baby adjust, and let mum’s body adjust. Replace each feed over a few weeks. Don’t do it too quickly because you can become engorged with milk. Try not to express, as this will stimulate supply. Slow and gradual is the order of the day, so everyone makes the transition smoothly.

Many mums like to keep that one final feed of the day as a breastfeed for the final few months. Baby certainly loves it too. Make sure you keep up the cuddles and close intimacy you and baby have grown accustomed to in the first few months of life. It is essential for both mum and baby.

The introduction of rice cereals or mashed vegies can occur in the second six months of life, at the same time as the transition to the bottle. Weaning baby is an essential event and milestone in the first few years of life, and like everything with parenting, it is an adventure every day. Treat the highs and lows and the ups and downs as an adventure with your child, because before you know it....it will be all over, and she will be demanding a mocha latte and a steak cooked medium-rare!

Another school of thought when it comes to weaning baby is “Baby-led weaning”. Baby-Led weaning is a way of introducing solid foods that allows the baby to feed herself, on a timetable that suits baby – going straight to the “normal” food, that the rest of the family eats.  The baby sits with the rest of the family at mealtimes, and joins in when she is ready. Hopefully, the family takes the time to sit and eat – unlike many families these days that eat on the run or in front of the television. Mum and Dad offer her food in sizes and shapes that she can handle and she feeds herself with her fingers, choosing what to eat, how much and how quickly. A useful information site on baby-led weaning is here.