How Long Should I Breastfeed My Child?

                                 

The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding (i.e. no other fluids or solids) for six months and then continued breastfeeding combined with solid foods for 12-24 months or as long as mother and baby desire.

Your baby needs nutrients from breast milk until he is at least 12 months old. If you choose to stop breastfeeding your baby before he is 12 months old, you will need to use formula. His body needs the nutrients that breast milk and/or formula provides until he is 12 months old.

In Ayurveda, the weaning period called as ‘Stanya Apanayanakala’ and the ayurvedic teacher Acharya Vagbhata recommends that gradual weaning should be done after eruption of teeth and child should be given goat or cow’s milk with light and a brihana diet (nourishing diet). Stanya apanayana-vidhi (method of weaning) is also discussed in detail in Ayurvedic texts and is described as a transition period in which solid and table foods replace the milk or formula. Between 6 and 12 month of age, after the baby becomes familiar to solid foods and liquids by bottle and/or cup, most infants decrease the volume and frequency of breast feeding.

Breastfeeding for the first 6-12 months can decrease your baby’s risk for illnesses. These illnesses include respiratory (lung) infections, allergies, asthma, and stomach problems. Weaning can begin when your baby is about 6 months old. But, you can breastfeed longer if you choose to.