You’ve made the decision to wean your baby. But weaning isn’t always easy to do. Dad can play a very important part in the process and help make the transition away from mother’s milk smooth and easy for both baby and mom. Here is how dad can help.
Successful weaning can depend on two strategical techniques. One is distraction away from the breast and the other is substitution of other forms of emotional nourishment. Breast feeding provides both nutrition and emotional comfort. You need to address how you will handle both when you wean.
Here is where dad can really shine. Let’s take the first point of distractions. Dads can be wonderful at distraction. They generally play differently with their children than do moms, with more physical play and gentle rough housing. Having dad come in and playfully swoop up a child can go a long way to distracting that baby away from the breast. And dads may have more success than moms when it comes to substituting whole milk, water, juice or formula in a sippy cup. Babies are pretty smart, and they may refuse other nourishment from mom, since they know what they like best.
The second point is with emotional substitution. Weaning from person to person is more comforting to the baby than weaning from breast to thing. Many parents choose to try to rely on a pacifier, shiny toys or teddy bear and present this object to the baby whenever he or she wants to breast feed. But these things can’t provide the real emotional comfort and love. Allow dad to take on a more significant role in comforting your baby at different times of the day, not just during feeding. Perhaps dad could put your baby to bed or pick him or her up when she cries, more often. As a mom, you’ll know that your baby is in good hands, even if you aren’t breast feeding.
How did you wean your baby?
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.
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