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Mommy
& Baby: Teething & Weaning
By Kirsten Hawkins
These are two topics that strike fear in the hearts of all parents:
what will happen when my baby starts teething? How will he respond when
it’s time to wean him (from the breast)?
Teething
Teething is not a disease, but a condition of growth. It
shouldn’t be dreaded, but simply seen as an accomplishment of
a healthy, growing child. Most
begin
teething between 6-8
months of age, but as in all children, it may vary wildly. Some
are
known to teethe as early as
2 months or as late as 14 months. Pediatric dentists agree that the
longer it takes a baby to teethe, the stronger and healthier the teeth
are. Additionally, the later the teeth take to arrive, the later they
will fall out and be replaced by permanent teeth.
Teething should not affect nursing in any way, unless your baby begins
chomping down on your nipple. While this is painful and one’s
natural response would be to yelp, if you can stay calm and remove him
from your breast while
saying, “No, no!” you will have a much better
response and less biting later on.
Some will
experience fussiness,
irritability, increased salivation, and a slightly raised temperature
as they teethe. A proactive dose of infant Tylenol will help greatly,
especially before bedtime.
Weaning
Weaning is defined by the process in which parents offer food
supplements in place of or in addition to mother’s milk. This
process begins the moment parents offer a bottle of formula or when
their baby first tastes cereal. It is a gradual process.
When weaning from breastfeeding, it’s typically easier to
drop the late-afternoon feeding first. Replace each feeding dropped
with six to eight ounces of formula or milk, depending on the
baby’s age.
Weaning from the bottle typically begins with your baby’s
arrival at his first birthday. Again, it is a gradual process. Most
moms wean straight to a sippy cup with great success. As you replace
each bottle (one at a time, though) with a sippy full of milk, be
patient. It will take time for your child to catch on to drinking from
one of these cups, and you don’t want to unduly frustrate him
in the process.About The Author: Kirsten Hawkins is a baby and
parenting expert specializing new mothers and single parent issues.
Visit http://www.babyhelp411.com/
for more information on how to raising healthy, happy children.
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