One question that most mothers have in their mind during weaning is that how much milk a child will need during this time. It is obvious that once you start weaning, your child won t take to semi-solid foods in the first attempt and so the little one s diet has to be supplemented with either breast milk or formula feeds. For kids, who are exclusively breastfed, it is difficult to keep track how much breast milk they will need in a day, so it is best to give them feeds on demand. But for kids who are formula fed, you can keep a track of how much milk they need to drink and how to gradually wean them off formula feeds. Here are some weaning mistakes that parents should avoid at all costs.
Here are few tips to keep in mind:
In general, a child below one year of age might need around 600 to 700 ml of milk in a day which can be divided into six to seven feeds throughout the day. Once you start weaning this might come down by 100 or 150 ml as your child will be taking semi-solid foods.
With time as your child starts to take to semi-solid foods the number of formula feeds might come down. The best way to ensure that your child eats during weaning is to lessen one number of feed at a time.
If your child is over a year old then she should be able to feel the texture of foods and swallow food. During this time you can bring the formula feeds down to 300 or 400 ml per day divided into three or four feeds throughout the day.
For breastfeeding children, the WHO recommendation is to continue with breastfeeding for two years along with semi-solid and solid foods. However, with kids who are formula fed, you can stop formula after one year of age and start with pasteurised cow s milk. But keep in mind that it is not advisable to give your child cow s milk below one year of age.
However, if you find it difficult to wean your baby off formula even after one year of age, offer one feed a day and reduce its quantity (e.g., 50ml of formula during bedtime or when your baby demands). Reducing the quantity will gradually help you wean your baby off breast milk.
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