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1. Stock up on nursing pads
When weaning off breastfeeding, you may have to wear nursing pads for a while, as breasts tend to leak during the weaning process.
2. Avoid mastitis
Watch out for lumpy breasts when weaning, as it might indicate the beginnings of mastitis. Try massaging the lumps or expressing a small amount of milk to reduce the lumpiness. If any lump is persistent or painful, see your doctor.
3. Give your baby lots of snuggles
When weaning off the breast, extra cuddles and spending a lot of time with your baby can help them feel secure and loved.
4. Remember to take care of you!
It’s quite common to feel a bit down after your last breastfeed, even if you were looking forward to weaning. So be sure to nurture yourself as well as your baby during weaning.
5. Don’t disappear
Wean gradually and not by desertion (such as going on holiday without your baby).
6. Keep up the milk
When weaning onto solids, it’s recommended that your child continue to have three or four breast or formula milk drinks per day, or if over 12-months-old, a full cream dairy equivalent.
7. Offer solid foods at milk feeding intervals
When weaning on to solids, offer them between milk feeds, when your baby is neither too hungry nor too full.
8. It’s all about texture
A baby’s first taste of solids should be smooth in texture and the spoon should be small, shallow and soft.
9. Keep first food bland
Babies are born with four times as many tastebuds as adults, which means there’s no need to add salt or sugar to their first solid foods.
10. Storing baby food
Always store prepared baby food in covered containers at the back of the fridge. Never store formula in the door, as it will be difficult to keep it at the required temperature to keep bacteria at bay.