Wondering about Weaning

I cannot give the exact date when my son finally weaned from breastfeeding. I guess it was about on the start of this year, he had just turned 3 years old. Now, he just promptly refuses whenever I offer to nurse him, just for the fun of  it. We would just turn away from my breasts, as if nursing was the ickiest portion of his young life.;)

Now after weaning, i can finally drink beer or wine without having to worry about nursing later. Now i can drink gallons of coffee without needing to count the milligrams of caffeine i've taken in. Now my wardrobe won't be confined to nursing clothes! But a wee bit part of me often misses that side of me, the nursing mama.

Looking back, here are some key points about our own weaning journey:

My life without breastfeeding

My son is nearing his 20^th month and we’re 4 months shy of my 2-year nursing goal.  Now I’m reading up on weaning stories from other moms. I realized, weaning is not easy! You need to be firm in not offering the breast despite the child’s pleading.  Gosh how can i do that when breastfeeding is in our routine? This makes me wonder how to initiate the weaning process. Anyway, I have about four more months to reflect on my weaning strategy. Or maybe I’ll see if he weans naturally? Read more on weaning from Kellymom and La Leche League International.

My life without breastfeeding

My son P is nearing his 20^th month and we’re 4 months shy of my 2-year nursing goal.  Now I’m reading up on weaning stories from other moms. I realized, weaning is not easy! You need to be firm in not offering the breast despite the child's pleading.  Gosh how can i do that when breastfeeding is in our routine? This makes me wonder how to initiate the weaning process. Anyway, I have about four more months to reflect on my weaning strategy. Or maybe I’ll see if he weans naturally? Read more on weaning from Kellymom and La Leche League International.

Talking about weaning makes me think of my mommy life without breastfeeding! Hmmm.. A life without breast pump and breast milk storage?  I’d certainly like that! For me, it’s only  the system of pumping and storing breast milk that complicates my nursing life.

Here are what i look forward to when my son finally weans:

No more office pumping

This i look forward to! I'll definitely do more office stuff. Hehehe.. No more checking the time and rushing when it's time to express milk.

I'd appreciate life without a bulky breast pump and all its parts. My commuting life will be easier once i stop carrying the pump and the cooler bag daily from home to work and work to home. Plus, this means no more cleaning pump parts and bottles! Cleanup is among the stuff i definitely won't miss.

No more breast milk storage

I won't be stressing myself about keeping breast milk safe in storage. I won't be bothered every time brownout strikes. This is a relief!

Hooray for more space in the refrigerator, too. I'll free up the ref space once i pull out those BM containers. I won't be freezing the ice packs, too. That means more space in the freezer and lower electricity consumption. Yehey for that!

No more biting

Now this is a relief, right? My child sometimes bites my nipple when he's sleepy or when he's teething.  It really hurts when he does this.  I definitely won't miss all the pain from biting.

More wardrobe choices

I made it a point to wear breastfeeding friendly clothes. This is a must for easy nursing.  I also look for clothes that allow easy access. I usually wear button-down shirts and  v necks. Wearing such is a must when pumping at work,  definitely gives you privacy and ease as you about your pumping business

Nursing is a  major consideration when i buy clothes, Now i can wear round neck shirts and high-neck blouses. Hooray for more clothing options!

[caption id="attachment_2908" align="aligncenter" width="239"] From the start, my son has been an avid nurser.[/caption]

Missing nursing

Nursing has been a great bonding experience between me and my son.  Till now, we still rely on nursing as a main form of bonding, My favorite part is when we nurse during the night, when everyone else is asleep. It's our own "mom and me" time.

Nursing is my own convenient way to soothe a distressed baby. My toddler is fast approaching the "terrible twos", but sometimes,  nursing still works to calm him. Nursing is my secret weapon! My kid learned to sleep on his own, especially during daytime when i'm out. But often, during the night, he comes to me to nurse to sleep. For me, nothing beats the convenience of side-lying position while nursing. I can lie down while my son drinks his milk.

His first word in the morning is "Dede", even if he's not that hungry and will suck on for only a few minutes. At night his last word is "Dede", too as he cozies himself to sleep.

Breastfeeding became a big part of my life! I truly think it’s among my proudest moments. I  exclusively breastfed for 6 months and we're still nursing till now. I think that's a big achievement. This makes me wonder how i'll get started weaning him.

Uh oh...  Sounds like i'm going to truly miss nursing. I think i need more time to prepare for weaning! It's a two-way street. It's not only my son who needs to be prepared for weaning.  I'll need some conditioning as well.  Weaning is among those stages a child must get through. My kid can't breastfeed forever right?

For more tips about breastfeeding, please read my All About Breastfeeding page.

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Feeding Older Babies

Breast milk should be baby's primary source of nutrition until his first year. But offering him a variety of solids is necessary once he reach 6 months.

But i'm gonna make a confession. Baby was fed with Cerelac on the 4th month by the MIL. I was really irked by this, well siguro she meant no harm naman. She was just as excited rearing baby as my husband and i were, i guess. But just the same, i really did not want feed him with solids that early. This is because most breastfeeding advocates recommend delaying solids .

Complementary foods are important to prepare baby for "real food". He won't be spoon fed for the rest of his life, so adding solids gradually will train him for the real stuff.

At first i was kinda sad because my breasts isn't his lone nutrition anymore. But  what can i do? Syempre kailangan naman nyang mag-move on at mag-upgrade to real food diba? Bilang pampalubag-loob, i made it a point to personally prepare his food. I also feed him every chance i get.

Here are some of my solids feeding learnings so far:

Breast milk intake

Actually one of my biggest concerns when he started taking solids was the decrease in breast milk in take. Medyo malaki din kasi ang nabawas sa daily breast milk intake nya. From 16 ounces, naging 8 to 12 ounces na lang during the period na wala ako sa bahay. I guess this is a common concern among mommies.

Here are my suggestions to help his breast milk intake up:

• Breastfeed before nursing.


• Use breast milk to dilute baby food instead of water.


• Expect the decrease in breast milk intake. It's normal but do consult your pedia if he's drinking much less.

Making a mess

At his age, baby's getting more and more curious and mobile so it's really getting hard to feed him with making a mess.  He has learned to sit so i put him on his high chair whenever he's feeding.

Have all the stuff you need nearby so you won't leave his side as you feed him. Prepare these: spoon, bib, rugs for any spills, cup with water, vitamins, if any

[caption id="attachment_1174" align="aligncenter" width="225"] My baby now reaches for any food put in front of him. We've been giving him bits and pieces of real food just for him to have a taste. I do hope he maintains his good appetite.[/caption]

My son tends to grab the spoon. According to What to Expect: The First Year, it's a sign that he wants to feed himself.  WTE suggests giving him his own spoon while feeding him. You can also give him pea-sized pieces of soft fruits and veggies, which he can grab and eat, like a finger food.

Don't rush

Carefully plan when introducing new foods. This is World Health Organization's  recommendation:

• At 6 months of age infants can eat pureed or mashed foods, thick soups and porridges.


• At 8 months most infants can also eat 'finger foods' (snacks that children can eat by themselves).


• By 12 months, most children can eat the same types of foods as the rest of the family.

Note: Try giving baby various types of food. On baby's 7th month, he skin color turned yellowish. Our pedia said this condition is called carotenemia, caused by excessive intake of yellowish and orange colored foods like carrots and squash.

Proper portions

You may be asking, how much and how often should you offer solids to baby? Aside from his regular breast milk feedings,  WHO suggests:

• 6–8 months: 2–3 spoonfuls per feeding, increasing to 1/2 of a 250-millilitre cup.  2-3 feedings per day


• 9–11 months: 1/2  of a 250-millilitre cup per feeding. 3 to 4 feedings per day


• 12 months to 23 months - 3/4 to 1 250 ml cup per feeding. 3 to 4 feedings per day plus additional snacks


• 24 months or older - at least 1 250 ml cup per feeding.  3 to 4 feedings per day plus additional snacks

Note: Number and amount of servings are  suggestions. Kapag gusto pa ni baby pagkatapos mo pakainin depende sa WHO suggestion,by all means, go!

About commercial baby food

Husband and i were hung up on giving baby only organic food. Healthy Options' Earth's Best was the only organic food we found in the malls.  Medyo mahal siya, pero since at 6 months keri pa namin.  Around P45.00 ang isang 2.5 ounce of fruit puree.  Pakonti-konti lang naman ang intake nya at 6 months, ok lang. First sweet potato, prunes and squash are P's favorite in the EB line on his first months of solids.

[caption id="attachment_1254" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I used to serve commercial baby food, since it's more convenient. But i now enjoy concocting recipes for my son. Home made baby food is cheaper too![/caption]

Pero ngayon, he's nearing 10 months na at medyo malakas na kumain.  So i got practical and learned how to make baby food at home.  I also check out different concoctions from the Earth's Best baby food line and make my own version. This site  has a lot for recipes and tips for feeding babies.

Making your own baby food is somewhat tedious. But seeing just how much you save, all the work will be worth it. It's much cheaper. Imagine a piece of fruit can make baby food for baby's entire day.

When you also make baby food from scratch, you know just what you're putting in it.  You're also guaranteed that no preservatives are added.

How about organic baby food?

Going organic on baby food is really up to you. Mayoclinic says there's no study saying that organic food are more nutritious than non organic.

I'm not using organic fruits and veggies as baby food. There's no independent office in the Philippines that certify fresh fruits or veggies are organically grown. So you really can't be sure whether it's organic or not. Plus, most pesticide,  which conscious moms avoid, stay on the skin. Hindi naman daw nanunuot sa mismong prutas or gulay. So sa aking palagay, safe din kung non-organic ang gagamitin.

Have fun feeding your baby. These months will layout the foundation to raise a happy and healthy eater.

Watch out for my post on my baby's favorite mom-made recipes!

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