You’ve been breastfeeding your baby from the start. You’ve gotten past those two-hourly feedings your baby had in the first weeks, to starting solids and drinking from a cup. What now?

When to wean

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, then continued breastfeeding while solids are introduced during the second six months of life. Weaning can happen at one year, but breastfeeding can continue as long as mom and baby are both happy with it. The World Health Organization recommends nursing to two years or beyond. Experts say the natural age for weaning is between 2.5 years and 7 years.

Weaning without worries

If you want to wean your baby, you need to consider his age and his developmental stage. If your baby is younger than one year, those at-breast feedings will need to be replaced with expressed breastmilk or formula.

If your baby is older than one year, you can gradually wean from the breast by eliminating one feeding every few days. If your baby resists or regresses in other areas, then weaning is going too fast for him. Gradual weaning is also preferred so that your breasts do not become engorged, risking plugged ducts and mastitis for you.

For older babies, weaning strategies might include: distractions at normal feeding times, substitutions with other foods, shortened nursing sessions, and don’t offer don’t refuse.

Expect weaning to take time – maybe even months. Night nursing and naptime sessions are typically the last to go.

What if you’re being pressured to wean?

How do you feel about continuing to breastfeed? It’s entirely your own private decision about whether or not to continue nursing your baby. The benefits of breastfeeding don’t end just because your baby turns a certain age. How you deal with judgments from others depends on how close you are to that person. You may be more emotionally offended if the person questioning your continued breastfeeding is your partner or a family member. You can always use phrases, such as “My doctor thinks this is best for our baby” or “This is working for our family” when people start asking when you’re going to wean.

Extended breastfeeding

Breastmilk doesn’t turn to water at one year. It continues to be a source of nutrients for your toddler. Your child will still get the immunological benefits along with the calories and comfort of breastfeeding no matter how many months (or years) old he is.

How long are you planning to nurse your baby? What are your #breastfeedinggoals?

Written by Michelle, childbirth instructor, lactation consultant, and mother to 4 busy kids

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice.  All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Head banging in babies and toddlers is a distressing but surprisingly common behavior. It is thought that as many as one in five children go through a phase of head banging. If you’ve noticed your child banging her head against the side of her crib, you’re likely to be feeling worried about whether something is wrong. It’s not pleasant to watch, but this behavior is considered normal and shouldn’t give you too much cause for concern.

Why does my baby bang her head?

Head banging can be a self soothing behavior for some babies and toddlers, a way to help them unwind at the end of the day. Alternatively, other children may use it to distract from discomforts such as teething or ear infections. The behavior is most commonly seen in boys, and often starts in the second half of the first year. Head banging usually peaks between the age of 18 and 24 months, and most children have grown out of it by their third birthday. Some children engage in the behavior for just a few weeks, but for others it can last months or even years.

How to prevent head banging

In rare cases, head banging can be a sign of a more serious problem so it’s worth mentioning it to your child’s doctor. In most cases, however, head banging is nothing to worry about. Many parents worry that their child will hurt herself, but this is very unlikely. You may feel inclined to wrap the bars with blankets to soften the blow, but this could increase the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and is not advised.

Some babies bang their heads to self soothe before going to sleep. By helping your child to relax before bedtime, it may be possible to eliminate the need for head banging. Moving to a quiet room and reading stories before bed could help your child to unwind after a busy day. A relaxing bath and soothing baby massage could also help your child to prepare for bedtime.

Bedtime behaviors could also be caused by stresses during the day. Babies can quickly become overstimulated by crowds, loud noises and bright lights. They may also feel anxious when separated from their primary caregiver. Make sure you are spending enough quality time with your child during the day. Avoiding busy places probably isn’t an option, but you should make sure your baby has somewhere quiet and safe to retreat to in the event of overstimulation. A sling or wrap that snuggles your baby into your chest is a great option for this, and gives your baby the benefit of some quality cuddle time with you.

If head banging is an ongoing issue in your home, be sure to check the bolts and screws on your baby’s cot regularly. The repeated motion could cause the screws to work free, making the cot a less secure place for your baby to sleep. If you are concerned about your babies behaviour, contact your healthcare provider or pediatrician.

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

As your baby grows older, parenting gets trickier. These days, you’re not worried about the logistics of diaper changes or which diaper cream to use, the problems you encounter are growing more complex. You may be starting to think carefully about how you talk to your child. As your baby becomes a toddler, the words you say could have a big impact on his perception of the world. Choosing your words carefully could also save you a lot of hassle, so it’s worth taking a moment to think before you open your mouth. Here are five things you shouldn’t say to a toddler (and what to say instead):

1. Be careful!

Toddlers are a little unsteady on their feet and sometimes they stumble. For a parent, this can be nerve wracking, and you may find yourself shouting “Be careful,” a lot. While this may seem like a good way of keeping your toddler accident-free, your words could actually distract him from the task in hand, leaving him more likely to tumble. Toddlers and babies are good at picking up on your emotions. Even from across the playground, your toddler can sense that you’re scared by the sound of your voice. This, in turn, could then leave your toddler feeling scared as well. If you can’t keep quiet, try saying “hold on tight,” or “one step at a time”.

2. Don’t

Toddlers (and, in fact, adults) respond better to dos than don’ts. It’s just easier for our brains to understand a simple instruction than try to work backwards from a don’t. Instead of saying “don’t run” you could say “walk please”. Instead of saying “don’t draw on the table,”, you could say “paper is for drawing on.”  It may not come naturally at first, but after a bit a bit of practice you should find that it gets easier. You’ll also be able to see the benefits of this one straight away. Why not challenge yourself to a week without don’ts and see how you get on?

3. I’m busy

Being interrupted every five minutes can be frustrating, especially when you’re in the middle of something important. Try to remember, however, that children are only little once. Before you know it, that little boy will have grown into a teenager and you’ll be left wondering what’s going on inside his head. Telling him you’re too busy to talk now could instill the belief in him that you don’t want to hear what he has to say. It’s ok to be busy, but try to explain nicely, “I need to finish this job, it will take five minutes, then we can play together.”

4. Hurry up!

Children have no real sense of urgency, and that is particularly annoying when you’re running late for work or are about to miss your train. If you often find yourself pleading with your kids to ‘hurry up’, then you’ve probably already noticed how ineffective this tactic is. Instead of demanding that they hurry up, incentivize them to be faster. That doesn’t mean offering bribes, instead it means turning it into a game. This theory can be applied to pretty much all toddler dilemmas. Toddlers love to play and utilizing this will make your life easier. See who can get their shoes on the fastest, or do the funniest walk on the way to the train station.

5. No

The thought of parenting a toddler without using the word ‘no’ probably sends shivers down your spine. Perhaps you’re not even aware of how often you use it, but that word is likely to be a regular feature in your day to day life. Does that matter? Yes, the more toddlers are told no, the less attention they pay to the word. If you use it only in times of danger, your toddler is likely to take it seriously. If, however, ‘no’ is the most commonly used word in your vocabulary, your toddler will, in time, simply ignore it. Instead of just saying ‘no’, try calmly explaining why you don’t want your toddler to do something. You may be surprised to discover how many times you automatically try to stop your child doing something for no real reason.

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

It’s never too early to start thinking about cultivating a love of reading. But how can you do this with the little bundle all swaddled in a blanket in the cradle?

Read to your baby. Even if you’re reading the New York Times to your newborn, he will not only enjoy hearing your voice, but will learn about sounds and patterns of sounds. Change the inflection of your voice, and read with feeling.

Tell your baby stories. You don’t need to be an expert storyteller or to know every detail of a fairy tale. Simply use your imagination and tell your baby a tale. Even if you’re talking about grocery shopping or changing his diaper, your baby will attend to the changes in your voice and will expand his vocabulary.

Your very young baby will prefer faces to any other pictures, so choose books accordingly. Consider books with textures and bright colors. As your reading, change the inflection of your voice, or make different voices for the different characters.

Make reading routine. Read a book or two to your child before nap time or bedtime every day. Be sure to follow your baby’s cues for when he’s had enough, though. Make sure your children see you reading, too! Children will imitate what they see you doing regularly.

Once your baby can start to handle books on his own, make sure he has lots of board books he can play with. He may chew the edges and not really understand going from start to finish, but the more you read the books out loud with baby in your lap, the more familiar he will become with a routine. After a while, try skipping a page of his favorite book, and you’ll see that he has already memorized it!

As your baby gets older, be sure to keep lots of books at baby-level (not on a high shelf). Allowing your baby to manipulate and play with books, in addition to reading books to him, will set him on a path to the love of the written word.

Take your baby to the library. Often the children’s department will have programs for different age levels. Ask a librarian for book recommendations, and tell your baby all about the wonders found behind a library’s doors.

Literacy is about more than just reading words on the page. Understanding conversation and context are also part of the equation. Every interaction you have with your baby – from birth on – helps baby to read signals around him, from body language to feelings to vocabulary and more.

Written by Michelle, childbirth instructor, lactation consultant, and mother to 4 busy kids

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice.  All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

First of all, you should never actually try to juggle with a toddler and a newborn. The toddler is way too heavy for you to catch easily in one hand and the newborn doesn’t have the neck strength for life as a juggling ball just yet. Joking aside, looking after a toddler and a newborn at the same time isn’t always easy, in fact, some days it may feel pretty impossible. You will have times where the newborn naps allowing you to spend quality time with your toddler, and other times where the toddler plays happily by himself allowing you to breastfeed in peace. But you’ll also face the struggle of keeping both your young children happy despite their varying needs. Here are some top tips to help you through:

1. Invest in a doll

Toddlers are just learning how to play, and a doll is a great way for them to learn the ins and outs of imaginative play. Your toddler will be able to mimic the way you care for the baby. You can even buy some accessories such as diapers and a pram to accompany the doll, so your child can really enjoy the responsibilities of being a parent.

2. Get a sling

A sling could be a complete lifesaver for you as you try to balance the needs of two children. A sling will allow your newborn to nap happily against your chest and leave your arms free to engage in some play with your toddler. Some toddlers feel jealous of the new baby, but a sling will allow you to ensure the toddler is still getting plenty of one-on-one attention throughout the day.

3. Create a breastfeeding box

Just as you might create a breastfeeding station for yourself with magazines, the TV remote and a bottle of water, you should now create one for your toddler. Have a selection of toys, books and snacks nearby so you can keep your toddler happy during breastfeeds. Storybooks make for a great distraction and are a simple way to keep your toddler happy during long feeds.

4. Get your toddler involved

Your toddler may feel happier if she feels involved in the baby’s life. Let her help you out whenever possible. She can get diapers, wipes or other things from across the room. She can also help to play with the baby with you and will learn a lot from seeing you interact with the newborn.

5. Be positive

What we say has a big impact on how children feel. Think about the way you talk about being a big sister, does it sound like an important and fun job or something that comes with a lot of expectations? Try to speak positively about the sibling relationship and make sure your toddler knows how valued she is as a big sister. Do you have any tips for keeping a toddler happy when there is a newborn in the house?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.