Breastfeeding, not only is a mother feeding her child, it is first and foremost a feeding relationship, a way of raising a child. Likewise, weaning is not only changing the child’s ration, but also changing many established habits in the child’s daily life such as eating, sleeping, and the satisfaction of psychological needs. Therefore, when to wean and how to wean, a mother needs to consider several aspects to make a proper decision. 1. How to balance nutrition with weaning? How important is breast milk to a child’s nutritional intake? This has to be seen by age group. For babies under 1 year old, milk is the main way for babies to get nutrition. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months, and then continue breastfeeding until at least 1 year old while gradually adding complementary foods. When you stop breastfeeding, you have to replace it with formula. This is a huge nutritional loss for the baby. For example, breast milk has a lot of cholesterol, a necessary nutrient for brain development in young children, but it is not found in formula because cholesterol cannot be reproduced artificially. Many mothers ask: It is said that breast milk is not nutritious after 8 months (or 6 months, 10 months, or 1 year), is that true? 1) The short answer is: No, it is not. (2) The longer answer is: breast milk is a special nutritional product prepared by the mother’s body for the baby, and it is nutritious at all times. Not only that, it will automatically adjust the composition and nutrition ratio with the baby’s growth and development. Some mothers ask: My baby does not eat milk powder, but the supplemental food is good, can I wean? Or, can I wean my baby from daytime milk and only take nighttime milk? The answer is, absolutely not! Supplementary food is called “supplemental food” because it is a supplementary food, and milk should be the main food for your baby. If you only eat supplemental food, you can fill your baby’s stomach and keep him/her from getting hungry. However, the nutrition is not enough. It is easy to cause malnutrition and even developmental delays. Dr. Sears, one of the most famous pediatricians in the United States, clearly stated that complementary foods should be given to babies in addition to breast milk, not in place of breast milk to provide nutrition to babies. What about babies over 1 year old? Milk is still necessary, although it is no longer the main source of nutrition. According to the latest WHO data, the total energy needs of babies between 1 and 2 years old is 894 kcal, of which 346 kcal is obtained from breast milk or formula, and another 548 kcal from complementary foods. After weaning from breast milk, you still have to take formula or fresh milk. From a nutritional point of view, it is still a case of giving up the best and taking the second best. Moreover, although formula is far inferior to breast milk in terms of vitamins, trace elements, enzymes, fatty acids and other important nutrients, it is processed in such a way that it retains the high protein, fat and energy content of milk, so it is less likely to be hungry than breast milk. Instead, babies drink too much formula and have no appetite to eat anything else and are reluctant to eat those nutritious meals. Maybe the baby’s weight gain is still normal, but such a diet structure is not balanced. Therefore, from a nutritional point of view, you should not wean your baby before the age of 1. Continuing to breastfeed after the age of 1 will also allow your child to consume a more comprehensive and balanced nutrition. 2. The importance of disease resistance When babies are born, they carry a full range of antibodies given by their mothers, which “shield” them until they are 6 months old, after which they become ineffective. Without the “golden shield”, you are left with an “iron shirt” of breast milk rich in antibodies. From this point on, the mother is faced with a simple choice: for the baby who is just starting to develop her own immune system, should she keep the “Iron Cloth” and give her a ride, or should she simply withdraw the “Iron Cloth” as well? In fact, this is a very simple choice: after 6 months, children can gradually crawl and walk and run, they can touch everything, go everywhere, meet everyone, and have the opportunity to come into contact with bacteria and viruses. The “Iron Cloth Shirt” is certainly good to wear again for a while. In the event that you encounter a powerful flu, your child is struck. The fever and runny nose is unbearable, the food is not thought of, at least there is breast milk can eat in, not to dehydration, not to describe emaciated. 3, food safety Eat domestic milk powder, worry about the quality of the milk source and production standards; eat imported milk powder, the price is nearly doubled. No matter what milk powder you eat, the absorption rate of various vitamins and trace elements in milk powder is much lower than breast milk. The mother of a baby with formula milk has to worry extra about supplementing zinc and calcium with vitamins. These things how to supplement, a variety of calcium supplements are safe, and is a heartache. Babies can get basically enough micronutrients and vitamins from their diet until they can eat a balanced meal after the age of 1. If weaned before the age of 1, it is clear that the child will be deprived of the most effective and safest “supplements”.