Common Weaning Problems

Weaning may be the most exciting phase in your baby’s development, but not without its share of problems and challenges.

Transitioning from exclusive breastfeeding to complementary feeding and solids is not an easy thing for your child who’s trying his best to adapt to new flavors and textures.

Here are some of the most common issues you may face while weaning your bundle of joy:

Lack of Appetite:

It’s normal for your baby to eat very little once in a while and suddenly turn into a picky eater. To be able to deal with your child’s lack of appetite pretty much linked to his growing independence, we recommend offering him the types of food that he wants even if you have to repeat them quite often, but keep returning to the foods he previously enjoyed and recently refused, using some tactical tricks.

Constipation:

It’s quite normal for your baby’s poop to change as he begins to wean. It’s also quite normal for him to develop constipation. To prevent your child from this uncomfortable, sometimes painful condition, make sure to enrich his meals with various high-fiber fruits and veggies, such as apples, pears and plums.

Food Allergy:

With a family history of asthma, eczema and food allergy, your baby can easily contract a food allergy. That said, we advise you to offer your little one new foods, especially those foods that pose an allergy risk (like fish, eggs, wheat and peanuts), one at a time and after the first year, so you can observe him very well, looking for any unusual reaction, such as skin rash, constipation, vomiting and swollen lips.

Sleep Disorders:

If your baby’s sleep is much related to breastfeeding; in other words, if you use breastfeeding to help your baby relax and sleep, expect his new way of eating and slow adaptability to unfamiliar food textures to affect his mood and prevent him from having good sleep, especially during the night.

Stomach Problems:

Your child may develop digestive problems early in weaning, as he’s not used to eat anything other than your breast milk. At this point of the process, you will just have to serve him light meals, like boiled rice with some yogurt.

Those were the most common problems that may be encountered during the weaning stage. All of them are temporary and have solutions, you just have to keep your calm and behave wisely using tactical tricks rather than punishment and force!

Read More: What Not To Feed Baby In The First Year!