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Pregnancy & Parenting Categories
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Planning Your Pregnancy
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Fertility
- Ovulation and Fertility Pregnancy Planning
- Ovulation and Transport of Egg
- Find Your Ovulation Day
- Infertility: Problems With Ovulation
- Ovulation
- Superovulation
- Interactive Tool: When are you most fertile?
- Infertility
- Infertility: Emotional and Social Support
- Pregnancy after Age 35
- Infertility: Ethical and Legal Concerns
- Infertility: Factors That Affect Treatment Success
- Infertility: Setting Limits on Testing
- Infertility: Problems With the Man's Reproductive System
- Infertility: Problems With Fallopian Tubes
- Infertility: Problems With the Uterus and Cervix
- Cancer Treatment and Infertility
- Fertility Problems: Should I Be Tested?
- Infertility Tests
- Fertility Drugs
- Infertility
- Fertility Problems: Should I Have a Tubal Procedure or In Vitro Fertilization?
- Insemination for Infertility
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection for Infertility
- Infertility Treatment for Women With PCOS
- In Vitro Fertilization for Infertility
- Infertility: Setting Limits on Treatment
- Infertility: Questions to Ask About Medicine or Hormone Treatment
- Infertility: Questions to Ask About Assisted Reproductive Technology
- Infertility: Should I Have Treatment?
- Insemination Procedures for Infertility
- Gamete and Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer for Infertility
- Varicocele Repair for Infertility
- Fallopian Tube Procedures for Infertility
- Follicle-Stimulating Hormone
- Luteinizing Hormone
- Progesterone
- Sperm Penetration Tests
- Basal Body Temperature (BBT) Charting
- Your Health When Planning to Become Pregnant
- Ending a Pregnancy
- Adoption
- Planning for Maternity and Parental Leave
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Fertility
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Pregnancy
- Healthcare Providers During Pregnancy
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Your Health During Pregnancy
- Dental Care During Pregnancy
- Immunizations and Pregnancy
- Quick Tips: Healthy Pregnancy Habits
- Massage Therapy during Pregnancy
- Sex During Pregnancy
- Leg Cramps During Pregnancy
- Medicines During Pregnancy
- Swelling During Pregnancy
- Electronic Fetal Heart Monitoring
- Getting Help for Perinatal Depression
- Depression: Should I Take Antidepressants While I'm Pregnant?
- Pregnancy: Dealing With Morning Sickness
- Back Pain During Pregnancy
- Bedrest for Preterm Labour
- Abnormal Pap Test While Pregnant
- Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy
- Acupressure for Morning Sickness
- Automated Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring
- Pregnancy After Weight-Loss (Bariatric) Surgery
- Braxton Hicks Contractions
- Caffeine During Pregnancy
- Exercise During Pregnancy
- Fatigue During Pregnancy
- Fever During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Pregnancy: Changes in Bowel Habits
- Pregnancy: Healthy Weight Gain
- Pregnancy: Hemorrhoids and Constipation
- Pregnancy: Hot Tub and Sauna Use
- Pregnancy: Pelvic and Hip Pain
- Pregnancy: Ways to Find Your Due Date
- Estrogens
- External Cephalic Version (Version) for Breech Position
- Symptoms of Pregnancy
- Sexually Transmitted Infections During Pregnancy
- Pre-Eclampsia: Checkups and Monitoring
- Pre-Eclampsia: Expectant Management
- Gestational Diabetes
- Insulin Injection Areas for Gestational Diabetes
- Gestational Diabetes: Checking Your Blood Sugar
- Gestational Diabetes: Counting Carbs
- Gestational Diabetes: Dealing With Low Blood Sugar
- Gestational Diabetes: Giving Yourself Insulin Shots
- Ginger for Morning Sickness
- Heartburn During Pregnancy
- Nausea or Vomiting During Pregnancy
- Urinary Problems During Pregnancy
- Health Conditions and Pregnancy
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Body Changes During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Varicose Veins
- Pregnancy: Hand Changes
- Sleep Problems During Pregnancy
- Managing Emotional Changes During Pregnancy
- Breast Changes During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Hair Changes
- Pregnancy: Belly, Pelvic and Back Pain
- Pregnancy: Stretch Marks, Itching, and Skin Changes
- Pregnancy: Changes in Feet and Ankles
- Pregnancy: Vaginal Discharge and Leaking Fluid
- Interactive Tool: From Embryo to Baby in 9 Months
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Your First Trimester
- Check-ups and Tests In the First Trimester
- Embryo and Fetal Development In the First Trimester
- Mothers' Physical Changes in the First Trimester
- Normal Pregnancy: First Trimester
- Week 8 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 8 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 12 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 12 weeks of pregnancy
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Your Second Trimester
- Mothers' Physical Changes During the Second Trimester
- Check-ups and Tests in the Second Trimester
- Normal Pregnancy: Second Trimester
- Week 16 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside /
- Fetal development at 16 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 20 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 20 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 24 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside /
- Fetal development at 24 weeks of pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Kick Counts
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Your Third Trimester
- Check-ups and Tests in the Third Trimester
- Fetal Development in the Third Trimester
- Mothers' Physical Changes in the Third Trimester
- Prenatal Classes in the Third Trimester
- Writing Your Birth Plan or Wishes
- Normal Pregnancy: Third Trimester
- Week 28 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 28 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 32 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 32 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 36 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 36 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 40 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 40 weeks of pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Dropping (Lightening)
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Risks and Complications During Pregnancy
- High-risk Pregnancy
- Rh Sensitization during Pregnancy
- Post-Term Pregnancy
- Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding
- Intrauterine Fetal Blood Transfusion for Rh Disease
- Miscarriage
- Abruptio Placenta
- Anemia During Pregnancy
- Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Pregnancy /
- Asthma During Pregnancy
- Bedrest in Pregnancy
- Eclampsia (Seizures) and Pre-Eclampsia
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Endometriosis
- Functional Ovarian Cysts /
- High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
- Laparoscopic Ovarian Drilling for PCOS
- Low Amniotic Fluid
- Low-Lying Placenta Versus Placenta Previa
- Miscarriage: Should I Have Treatment to Complete a Miscarriage?
- Molar Pregnancy
- Passing Tissue During Pregnancy
- Placenta Previa
- Polyhydramnios
- Pre-Eclampsia
- Special Health Concerns During Pregnancy
- Subchorionic Hemorrhage
- Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy
- Vaginal Bleeding During Pregnancy
- Healthy Eating and Physical Activity
- Emotional Health and Support During Pregnancy
- Safety During Pregnancy
- Alcohol and Other Drug Use During Pregnancy
- Twins and Other Multiples
- Preparing for Your Newborn
- Interactive Tool: What Is Your Due Date?
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Labour and Birth
- Labour and Delivery
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Planning Your Delivery
- Childbirth Classes
- Childbirth: Labouring in Water and Water Delivery /
- Childbirth: Perineal Massage Before Labour
- Choosing Where to Give Birth Hospital or Home
- Doulas and Support During Childbirth
- Making a Birth Plan
- Packing for Birth at a Hospital
- Pregnancy: Deciding Where to Deliver
- Vaginal Birth After Caesarean (VBAC)
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Stages of Labour
- Cervical Cerclage to Prevent Preterm Delivery
- First Stage of Labour - Early Phase
- First Stage of Labour Active Phase
- First Stage of Labour Transition Phase
- Information on Fourth Stage of Labour
- Information on Second Stage of Labour
- Information on Third Stage of Labour
- Preterm Labour and Short Cervix
- Preterm Labour
- Preterm Labour: Testing for Fetal Fibronectin
- Preterm Prelabour Rupture of Membranes (pPROM)
- Telling Pre-Labour and True Labour Part
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During Labour
- Breathing Techniques for Childbirth
- Caesarean Section
- Cervical Effacement and Dilatation
- Cervical Insufficiency
- Childbirth: Epidurals
- Childbirth: Opioid Pain Medicines
- Childbirth: Pudendal and Paracervical Blocks
- Childbirth: Strep Infections During Delivery
- Comfort Positions Labour and Birth
- Epidural Anesthesia
- Epidural and Spinal Anesthesia
- Episiotomy and Perineal Tears
- Epistiotomy Vacuum and Forceps During Labour and Birth
- Fetal Monitoring During Labour HY
- Labour Induction and Augmentation
- Local Anesthesia for Childbirth
- Pain Relief Options Labour and Birth
- Postpartum Bleeding
- Postpartum: First 6 Weeks After Childbirth
- Postural Management for Breech Position
- Practicing Breathing Techniques for Labour
- Spinal Block for Childbirth
- Stillbirth
- VBAC: Labour Induction
- VBAC: Participation During Birth
- VBAC: Uterine Scar Rupture
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After Labour and Care for New Moms
- After Childbirth: Coping and Adjusting
- After Childbirth: Pelvic Bone Problems
- After Childbirth: Urination and Bowel Problems
- Childbirth Afterpains
- Help with Urination After Giving Birth
- Managing Bowel Movements After Pregnancy
- Mom and Baby Staying Together
- New Moms and Abuse
- Postpartum Depression
- Problems After Delivery of Your Baby
- Vaginal Care After Giving Birth
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Parenting Babies (0-12 months)
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New Parents
- Alcohol and Smoking After Pregnancy
- Baby Blues
- Baby's Daily Needs: What to Expect
- Bonding With Your Baby
- Coping Strategies to Avoid Harming a Baby
- Coping When Your Baby Cries A Lot
- Crying: Tired or Overstimulated
- Depression: Managing Postpartum Depression
- Fitness: Staying Active When You Have Young Children
- Infant Crying
- Parenting With Your Partner
- Quick Tips: Babyproofing Your Home
- Sex After Childbirth
- Support Teams for New Parents
- Taking Care of Yourself When Your Baby Is Fussy
- Tips for Soothing Babies
- Ways to Comfort a Crying Baby
- Your Body After Pregnancy
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Newborns
- Bathing and Skin Care For Newborn Babies
- Bonding With Your Newborn
- Cognitive Growth in Newborns
- Drug Withdrawal in Newborns
- Early Disease Screening of Newborns
- Group B Streptococcal Infections in Newborns
- Helping Your Newborn Learn
- Immunizations for Premature Infants
- Important Paperwork for Newborns
- Jaundice in Newborns (Hyperbilirubinemia)
- Language Development in Newborns
- NICU: Communicating With the Staff
- Newborn Blood Spot Card Screening
- Newborn Rashes and Skin Conditions
- Physical Growth in Newborns
- Premature (Preterm) Infant
- Premature Infant: Safe Travel With Your Baby
- Sensory and Motor Growth in Newborns
- Tips for Diapering a Newborn Baby
- Umbilical Cord Care
- Ways to Comfort a Baby in the Hospital
- What to Expect When You Have an Extremely Premature Infant
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Baby Care
- Birthmarks
- Biting
- Caring for More Than One Baby
- Caring for a Baby's Nails
- Circumcision
- Circumcision: Should I Keep My Son's Penis Natural?
- Cleaning Your Young Child's Natural (Uncircumcised) Penis
- Cleft Lip
- Cleft Palate
- Club Foot
- Common Types of Birthmarks
- Diaper Rash
- Infant Massage
- Oral Care For Your Baby
- Positional Plagiocephaly
- Quick Tips: Getting Baby to Sleep
- Screening for Hearing Problems
- Separation Protests: Helping Your Child
- Thumb-Sucking Versus Pacifier Use
- Using Soothers and Stopping When it is Time
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Breastfeeding
- A Video on Breastfeeding Positions
- A Video on Breastfeeding and Skin-to-Skin Contact
- A Video on Hand Expressing Breastmilk
- Breast Engorgement
- Breast Surgery and Breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding After Breast Surgery
- Breastfeeding After a C-Section
- Breastfeeding During Pregnancy
- Breastfeeding Multiple Infants
- Breastfeeding Positions
- Breastfeeding With Inverted Nipples
- Breastfeeding Your Newborn and an Older Child
- Breastfeeding a Sick Baby
- Breastfeeding and Your Milk Supply
- Breastfeeding at Work
- Breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding: Baby's Poor Weight Gain
- Breastfeeding: Planning Ahead
- Breastfeeding: Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs
- Breastfeeding: Waking Your Baby
- Breastfeeding: When Baby Doesn't Want to Stop
- Common Breastfeeding Concerns
- Common Breastfeeding Positions
- Coping With Thrush When You’re Breastfeeding
- Experiencing Let-Down Reflex
- FAQs About Breastfeeding
- Get Started on Expressing Breastmilk
- Getting Comfortable Breastfeeding in Public
- Hospital Policies and Breastfeeding
- Latching Your Baby - Video
- Learning Basics of Breastfeeding
- Learning to Latch
- Mastitis While Breastfeeding
- Medications and Herbal Products for Breastfeeding Moms
- Medicine Use While Breastfeeding
- Milk Oversupply
- Nipple Shields for Breastfeeding Problems
- Oxytocin
- Partner Support for Breastfeeding
- Plugged Milk Ducts When You're Breastfeeding
- Poor Let-Down While Breastfeeding
- Preventing Mastitis
- Pumping Breast Milk
- Quick Tips: Successful Breastfeeding
- Signs That Your Baby Is Getting Enough Breast Milk
- Sleep, Rest, and Breastfeeding
- Storing Breast Milk
- Storing and Using Breastmilk
- Under or Over Production of Milk During Breastfeeding
- Vitamin D Supplements for Breastfeeding Babies
- What you need to Know About Supplementing Baby Formula
- Your Milk Supply
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Feeding Your Baby
- Alternative Feeding Methods for Newborns
- Baby Feeding Cues - Video
- Bottle-Feeding: When Baby Doesn't Want to Stop
- Burping a Baby
- Choosing Baby Bottles and Nipples
- Cleft Palate: Feeding Your Baby
- Combining Breastfeeding and Formula-Feeding
- Cup-Feeding Baby With Breast Milk or Formula
- Feeding Schedule for Babies
- Feeding Your Child Using Division of Responsibility
- Feeding Your Infant
- Feeding Your Premature Infant
- Getting Started and Feeding Cues
- How Often and How Long to Feed
- Introducing Solid Foods to Your Baby
- Learn More Before You Supplement Formula
- Safe Drinking Water - Your Baby's First Year
- Safe Water for Mixing Infant Formula
- Signs of a Good Feed
- Spitting Up
- Weaning
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Baby Health
- Abdominal Gas and Colic
- Basic Dental Care From Birth to 16 Years
- Bowel Movements in Babies
- Cataracts in Children
- Chronic Lung Disease in Infants
- Colic Diary
- Colic
- Colic: Harmful Treatments
- Comforting a Child Who Has a Respiratory Illness
- Common Health Concerns for Babies First Year
- Cough Symptoms in Children
- Cradle Cap
- Croup
- Croup: Managing a Croup Attack
- Crying Child That Is Not Acting Normally
- Dehydration: Drinking Enough Fluids
- Dental Care From Birth to 6 Months
- Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip
- Developmental Problems: Testing
- Failure to Thrive
- Gastroesophageal Reflux in Babies and Children
- Health and Safety, Birth to 2 Years
- Healthy Hearing and Vision For Babies
- Immunization, Your Baby's First Year
- Orchiopexy for Undescended Testicle
- Reducing Biting in Children Ages 8 to 14 Months
- Reducing Biting in Teething Babies
- Teething Products
- Teething: Common Concerns
- Treating Asthma in Babies and Younger Children
- Tongue-tie and tethered oral tissues
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Baby Growth and Development
- Babies' social and emotional development
- Children's Growth Chart
- Cognitive Development 9-12 mos
- Cognitive Development First 6-9 Mos
- Emotional and Social Growth in Newborns
- Growth and Development Milestones
- Growth and Development, Newborn
- Importance of Tummy Time for Babies' Development
- Speech and Language Milestones, Birth to 1 Year
- Stimulate Your Baby's Learning
- Tooth Development in Children
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Baby Safety
- Baby's Sleep Position and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- Baby Proofing Your Home First Year
- Choking Rescue for Babies
- Safer Sleep for My Baby
- Crib Safety
- Safe Chairs for Baby's First Year
- Safer Sleeping
- Safety at Home for Baby's First Year
- Shaken Baby Syndrome
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Sun Safety Babies for their First Year
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New Parents
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Parenting Toddlers (12-36 months)
- Mealtime and Your Toddler
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Caring for Your Toddler
- Acetaminophen Use in Young Children
- Breath-Holding Spells
- Breath-Holding Spells: Keeping a Record
- Brushing and Flossing a Child's Teeth
- Care for Toddlers' Colds and Coughs
- Crying, Age 3 and Younger
- Dental Care and Teething in Toddlers
- Egocentric and Magical Thinking
- Hearing Health for Toddlers
- Ibuprofen Use in Young Children
- Managing Your Toddler's Frustrating Behaviours
- Positive Parenting
- Preparing Your Toddler for Health Care Visits
- Preventing Breath-Holding Spells in Children
- Promoting Positive Behaviour in Your Toddler
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Toddler Growth and Development
- Cognitive Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Growth and Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Growth and Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Growth and Development, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Language Development 12-18 Months
- Language Development 18-24 Months
- Language Development 24-30 Months
- Milestones for 2-Year-Olds
- Milestones for 3-Year-Olds
- Physical Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Physical Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Sensory and Motor Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Sensory and Motor Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Speech and Language Development: Helping Your 1- to 2-Year-Old
- Speech and Language Milestones, Ages 1 to 3 Years
- Toddler Play Activities
- Toddlers Language Development 30-36 Months
- Toddlers Physical Development 18-24 Months
- Toddlers Physical Development 24-30 Months
- Toddlers Physical Development 30-36 Months
- Toddlers Social and Emotional Development 12-18 Months
- Toddlers Social and Emotional Development 18-24 months
- Toddlers Social and Emotional Development 30-36 Months
- Toddlers social and Emotional Development 24-30 months
- Toilet Training
- Toilet Training: Knowing When Your Child Is Ready
- Understanding your Toddlers Development
- Toddler Safety
- Toddler Sleep
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Parenting Preschoolers (3-5 years)
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Caring for Your Preschooler
- Daytime Accidental Wetting
- Dental Care: 3 Years to 6 Years
- Health and Safety, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Preschoolers: Building Self-Control
- Preschoolers: Building Social Skills
- Preschoolers: Building a Sense of Security
- Preschoolers: Encouraging Independence
- Preschoolers: Helping Your Child Explore
- Preventing Tooth Decay in Young Children
- Temper Tantrums
- Temper Tantrums: Keeping a Record
- Thumb-Sucking: Helping Your Child Stop
- Your Child and the Dentist
- Good Sleep Habits: 10 Tips
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Preschooler Growth and Development
- Emotional Development, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Encouraging Language Development in Your Preschooler
- How Reading Helps Language Development
- How to Teach Your Child by Example
- Milestones for 4-Year-Olds
- Milestones for 5-Year-Olds
- Speech Problems: Normal Disfluency
- Speech and Language Delays: Common Misconceptions 49
- Speech and Language Development
- Speech and Language Development: Red Flags
- Speech and Language Milestones, Ages 3 to 5 Years
- Stuttering
- Thumb-Sucking
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Caring for Your Preschooler
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Parenting School-Age Children (6-11 years)
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Caring for Your School-Age Child
- Bedwetting
- Building Kids Resilience
- Childhood Fears and Exposure to Violence
- Conversations that Teach Children Resilience
- Establishing Limits With Your School-Age Child
- Help Your School-Age Child Develop Social Skills
- Helping Your School-Age Child Learn About the Body
- Quick Tips: Using Backpacks Safely
- Sample School Plan
- Self-Esteem, Ages 6 to 10
- Back to School
- School-Age Children Growth and Development 6-11
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Caring for Your School-Age Child
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Parenting Teens (12-18 years)
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Teen Growth and Development
- Adolescent Sensory and Motor Development
- Cognitive Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Growth and Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years
- Growth and Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Menarche
- Menstruation: Not Having a Period by Age 15
- Milestones for Ages 11 to 14
- Milestones for Ages 15 to 18
- Physical Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years /
- Physical Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Puberty Issues
- Teenage Sleep Patterns
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Caring for Your Teen
- Conversations that Teach Resilience
- Help Your Working Teen Balance Responsibilities and Set Priorities
- Helping Adolescents Develop More Mature Ways of Thinking
- Helping Your Child Transition Into Middle School or Junior High
- Helping Your Teen Become a Safe Driver
- How to Get Back on Track After Conflict with Teenagers
- How to Start a Conversation with Teens About Alcohol
- Medical Checkups for Adolescents
- Talking to Your Adolescent or Teen About Problems
- Teen Relationship Abuse
- Teen Substance Use: Making a Contract With Your Teen
- Teenage Substance Use: Choosing a Treatment Program
- Teenage Tobacco Use
- Teens With Diabetes: Issues for Parents
- Tips for Parents of Teens
- Your Teen's Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
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Teen Growth and Development
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Keeping Your Child Safe
- Child Safety: Preventing Burns
- Child Safety: Preventing Drowning
- Child Safety: Preventing Child Abduction
- Child Safety: Fires
- Protecting Your Child From Infections
- Child Safety: Pets
- Child Safety: Preventing Falls
- Child Safety: Streets and Motor Vehicles
- Child Safety: Washing Toys to Prevent Germs
- Preventing Choking in Small Children
- Preventing Children's Injuries From Sports and Other Activities
- Quick Tips: Helping Your Child Stay Safe and Healthy
- Child Safety: Air Pollution
- Child Safety: Bathing
- Child Safety: Bicycles and Tricycles
- Child Safety: Drowning Prevention in Pools and Hot Tubs
- Child Safety: Guns and Firearms
- Child Safety: Strollers and Shopping Carts
- Head Injuries in Children: Problems to Watch For
- Head Injury, Age 3 and Younger
- Object Stuck in a Child's Airway
- Playground Safety
- Preventing Choking
- Quick Tips: Safely Giving Over-the-Counter Medicines to Children
- Preventing Poisoning in Young Children
- Staying Healthy Around Animals
- Thinking About Child Safety
- Abuse and Neglect
- Rule of Nines for Babies and Young Children
- Bullying and Online Safety
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Relationships and Emotional Health
- Helping Your Child Build Inner Strength
- Helping Your Child Build a Healthy Body Image
- Symptoms of Depression in Children
- Active Listening
- Aggression in Youth
- Appreciating Your Child's Personality
- Family Life Cycle
- Family Meetings
- Recognizing and Developing Your Children's Special Talents
- Sibling Rivalry: Reducing Conflict and Jealousy
- Violent Behaviour in Children and Teens
- Growth and Development: Helping Your Child Build Self-Esteem
- Effective Parenting: Discipline
- Corporal Punishment
- Talking With Your Child About Sex
- Helping Kids Handle Peer Pressure
- Substance Use Problems: How to Help Your Teen
- Helping Your Child Avoid Tobacco, Drugs, and Alcohol
- Stress in Children and Teenagers
- Stress Management: Helping Your Child With Stress
- Family Therapy for Depression in Children
- Comparing Symptoms of Normal Moodiness With Depression in Children
- Conditions With Symptoms Similar to Depression in Children and Teens
- Warning Signs of Suicide in Children and Teens
- Taking Care of Yourself When You Have a Child With Physical, Emotional, or Behavioural Problems
- Taking Care of Yourself When Your Child Is Sick
- Grief: Helping Children With Grief
- Grief: Helping Children Understand
- Grief: Helping Teens With Grief
- ADHD: Taking Care of Yourself When Your Child Has ADHD
- Baby's Best Chance
- Toddler's First Steps
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Birth Control
- Birth Control for Teens
- Birth Control Hormones: The Pill
- Birth Control Hormones: The Shot
- Birth Control Hormones: The Mini-Pill
- Birth Control Hormones: The Patch
- Birth Control Hormones: The Ring
- Breastfeeding as Birth Control
- Birth Control: How to Use a Diaphragm
- Birth Control
- Birth Control: Myths About Sex and Pregnancy
- What to Do About Missed or Skipped Birth Control Pills
- Birth Control Pills: Missed or Skipped Periods
- How Birth Control Methods Prevent Pregnancy
- How to Take Birth Control Pills
- Birth Control: How to Use the Patch
- Birth Control: How to Use the Ring
- Hormonal Birth Control: Risk of Blood Clots
- Effectiveness Rate of Birth Control Methods
- Birth Control
- Diaphragm for Birth Control
- Spermicide for Birth Control
- Contraceptive Sponge for Birth Control
- Cervical Cap for Birth Control
- Birth Control: Pros and Cons of Hormonal Methods
- Intrauterine Device (IUD) for Birth Control
- Personal Stories About Choosing Birth Control Methods
- Hormonal Methods of Birth Control
- Barrier Methods of Birth Control
- Tubal Implants for Permanent Birth Control
- Birth Control Patch
- How Pregnancy (Conception) Occurs
- Getting Pregnant After Stopping Birth Control
- Male Condoms
- Emergency Contraception
Overview
Weaning is the process of switching your baby from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding, or from a breast or bottle to a cup or solid foods. Weaning usually works best when it is done gradually over several weeks, months, or even longer.
There is no right or wrong time to wean. It depends on how ready you and your baby are to start.
Experts recommend feeding your baby only breast milk for about 6 months. They also support breastfeeding for 2 years or longer.footnote 1 But your baby benefits from any amount of time that you breastfeed. Try to breastfeed for as long as it works for you and your baby.
Starting around 6 months of age, your baby needs solid foods along with breast milk or iron-fortified formula. Offer your baby iron-rich foods first. It's okay to give foods that may cause allergic reactions at 6 months of age. footnote 2
Weaning From Breastfeeding
There are two ways to wean. Gradual weaning happens over time. It lets your baby have more control over when to stop breastfeeding. Abrupt weaning happens all at once. Which style you use will depend on your preferences, why you plan to wean, and how often your baby breastfeeds.
Gradual weaning
One way to let a baby control weaning is through the "don't offer, don't refuse" method. This means that you never offer to breastfeed your child. But you don't refuse when your child asks or shows a desire to breastfeed.
This can be a slow process. But when you're committed to weaning and provide encouragement, your baby can wean successfully and happily.
These tips may help you gradually wean your baby:
- Make your breasts less available for nursing.
Stop wearing nursing clothing such as nursing bras and tops with nursing slits. Wear more layers of clothing, or wear clothing that is less easily adapted to nursing. The baby may demand to nurse less often because of the lack of easy access. This technique is usually combined with other techniques.
- Shorten each breastfeeding session before stopping it completely.
A baby may just need a minute or two at the breast, more for comfort than for food. When the baby has had a minute or two, urge the child to stop and interest them in something else.
- Postpone breastfeeding sessions.
Tell your baby that you'll nurse later, such as after you finish preparing dinner. This will space out sessions until you can eventually postpone a whole nursing session until the next one. It may also allow your baby to become distracted before the breastfeeding ever begins.
- Substitute food, drinks, or comfort for breastfeeding.
If your child still uses breastfeeding as a primary way of satisfying hunger or thirst, be ready with other foods and drinks before your child asks to breastfeed. (Milk or water is better than juice because of the high sugar content of juice.) If your baby isn't hungry or thirsty, encourage the use of a comfort object, such as a stuffed animal, blanket, or doll. Offer it often. Also substitute close cuddling without breastfeeding. A child may fear that weaning means losing that comforting sense of being held.
- Distract your baby.
Make life so interesting and busy that your baby forgets to ask to breastfeed. Read a book to your baby while holding them on your lap (which provides close contact). Or suggest a walk, a ride on a tricycle, or a trip to a playground or sandbox. Distractions can be time-consuming, but they work well.
Abrupt weaning
You may prefer to abruptly wean your baby from the breast. This approach may be best suited for a baby who nurses fewer than 3 times a day.
When weaning abruptly, choose a time when you don't expect other major changes in your or your baby's life and when you have extra time to spend with your child.
The following tips may help.
- Say "no," and offer distractions.
Try reading a book while holding your baby on your lap. This provides the close contact your child wants. Or suggest a walk, a ride on a tricycle, or a trip to a playground or sandbox.
- Make your breasts less available for nursing.
Stop wearing nursing clothing such as nursing bras and tops with nursing slits. Wear more layers of clothing, or wear clothing that is less easily adapted to nursing.
- Let someone else take care of your baby for a few days.
Your child should stay with a trusted caregiver, such as a spouse, grandparent, or other family member. Since you aren't available for breastfeeding, your child will adjust to the other caregivers. Over time, your child will come to accept that breastfeeding isn't needed. If you are gone for less than a week, your child may ask to breastfeed again when you return. But your child is likely to accept a refusal without too much complaining.
Getting past barriers
There may be times when you want to stop breastfeeding, but your baby shows signs of wanting to continue. If possible, keep breastfeeding a while longer. If you can't, then try these tips:
- Offer breast milk pumped from your breast, formula, or whole cow's milk (if your baby is 9 to 12 months of age and eating a variety of iron-rich foods) in a cup or bottle. Do this before you breastfeed or between breastfeedings. Slowly increase the amount in the cup or bottle. If possible, have someone else feed your baby with a bottle or cup.
- If your baby spits out the bottle nipple when first starting to bottle-feed, keep trying. Experiment with different nipple types. It often takes time for a breastfed baby to get used to an artificial nipple. Or it may be time to use a cup.
- If your weaned baby wants to nurse again, try giving your baby extra hugs and attention instead of going back to the old way of feeding.
Learn more
Weaning From Bottle-Feeding
Here are some tips for weaning your baby from the bottle:
- Don't allow the baby to carry the bottle around.
This can help prevent injuries if your baby falls. It also can help keep the bottle from being a comfort item for your baby.
- Help transfer the baby's attachment from the bottle to another comfort object.
When your baby asks for the bottle outside of meal or snack time, encourage the use of a comfort object, such as a stuffed animal, blanket, or doll. For example, tie an empty bottle securely around the neck of a favourite stuffed animal or other comfort object, then remove the bottle after your baby thinks of the new object as the source of comfort (after a few days or weeks). Make sure the bottle is tied securely and that the string has no slack or loose ends that could become wrapped around your baby's neck and cause choking.
- Make changes in the baby's routine, especially the rituals that are connected to bottle-feeding.
For example, after a fall, comfort your baby with hugs and attention rather than the bottle.
- Keep the baby busy with new activities.
This can be in the home or in a museum, at a zoo, or at a playground.
- Make a cup part of weaning.
Make using a cup part of your baby's solid-meal routine. Then, over time, stop their bottle-feedings.
- Take the bottle away, and make it an event.
Make a big announcement that "today is the day you'll eat like a big kid." Celebrate by having your baby throw out the old nipples and bottles and by taking them to the store to pick out a personal cup. The bottle may be a comfort object, so replace it with hugs and attention or another comfort object, such as a stuffed animal.
- Be ready for feeding time.
When feeding time approaches, offer your baby a snack. If this is filling, it may take the child's mind off the feeding.
Getting past barriers
Some babies grow attached to the bottle and do not want to give it up. Here are some common behaviours and suggestions on how to deal with them.
- Your baby always wants to have a bottle in his or her mouth.
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Do not let your baby crawl, walk around, or go to bed with a bottle. This will make him or her more prone to dental cavities (caries). Also, a baby with a bottle or other object in his or her mouth is at risk for face and mouth injuries if he or she were to fall. Offer a stuffed toy or blanket for comfort instead of a bottle.
- Your baby does not want to give up the bedtime bottle.
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Bottle-feeding at bedtime can often be part of your baby's regular routine. This feeding is usually the hardest to give up. Cuddle your baby often, and gradually replace the bedtime bottle ritual with a new one. For example, 1 to 2 hours before bedtime give your baby something to eat or drink. (Don't give your baby cow's milk until he or she is 9 to 12 months of age and eating a variety of iron-rich foods.) Then at bedtime, brush your baby's teeth, give him or her a bath, or read a storybook instead of offering a bottle.
- Your 18-month-old still drinks from a bottle.
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Start using a cup to feed your child if you have not already. Dilute the liquid in the bottle to make it less tasty.
- Your weaned baby wants to bottle-feed again.
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Try giving your baby extra hugs and attention instead of going back to the old way of feeding.
Learn more
Cup-Feeding
Cup-feeding is a way to provide breast milk or formula to a baby who is unwilling or unable to breastfeed or drink from a bottle. If you do breastfeed, you can also use cup-feeding instead of bottle-feeding if your baby needs supplementation for a few days.
Many babies with special needs can easily learn how to cup-feed. This feeding technique can promote the physical bond between the parent and baby when breastfeeding or bottle-feeding isn't possible.
How to cup-feed
To cup-feed your baby, you want your baby to slurp or sip the milk. Do not pour the milk into his or her mouth. To do this:
- Fill a medicine cup to about 30 mL (1 fl oz) with breast milk or formula.
- Support your baby in an upright position.
- Wrap or swaddle your baby to keep his or her hands from getting in the way and spilling the cup. When you swaddle your baby, keep the blanket loose around the hips and legs. If the legs are wrapped tightly or straight, hip problems may develop.
- Make sure your baby is alert.
- Stimulate your baby's rooting reflex (as you would when you breastfeed).
Tap the baby's lower lip with the cup. This signals that it's time to eat.
- Rest the brim of the cup lightly on your baby's lower lip, with the brim placed on the outer corners of the upper lip.
The tongue should be able to move freely to the cup's lower edge.
- Tip the cup so the milk comes to the edge of your baby's lower lip.
Leave the cup in this position, even as your baby takes breaks.
- Make sure your baby swallows after slurping or sipping the milk.
- Stop for occasional burping.
The feeding should last no more than about 30 minutes. Follow your baby's cues about when to stop.
Solid Foods
Your baby may be ready to eat solid foods when your baby:
- Is about 6 months old.
- Starts to get curious about foods. Your baby may reach for what you're eating and drinking.
- Can sit alone or with support.
- Has good head and neck control.
- Is able to hold small objects, such as toys or food.
- Can move food to the back of their mouth to swallow.
Foods to avoid
When you start to feed solid foods to your baby, there are some things you want to avoid. Some foods aren't safe or healthy for babies.
Here's a list of foods to avoid for your baby:
- Foods that may cause your baby to choke. These include hot dogs, whole or chopped nuts and seeds, chunks of nut butter, popcorn, raw carrots and apples, and uncut grapes, berries, and cherry tomatoes.
- Honey. Babies shouldn't have honey at all until they're 12 months old.
- Unpasteurized or raw dairy products.
- Fish that's high in mercury. You'll want to avoid serving fresh or frozen tuna (not canned "light" tuna), shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy, and escolar.
- Foods and drinks with added sugars. Some examples include cookies, flavoured yogurt, and juice.
- Foods and drinks that have a lot of salt. These include canned soups, processed meats, and frozen meals.
When to start
Breast milk or iron-fortified formula is the only food that babies need for the first 6 months of life. Breastfed babies need 400 IU of vitamin D each day from a supplement. At about 6 months, you can slowly start to introduce solid foods along with breast milk or formula.footnote 3, footnote 1
Learn more
When To Call
Talk to your child's doctor about weaning if:
- Your baby refuses all solid food and is older than 6 to 8 months of age.
- Your baby has changed from sleeping through the night to waking up during the night hungry.
- Your baby develops dental cavities.
- Your baby seems overweight for your baby's age, size, or birth weight.
- Your toddler (1 to 2 years old) focuses on breast- or bottle-feeding and does not play with other children.
- Your toddler never wants to be away from you.
- Your baby is older than 18 months of age and is still drinking from a bottle.
- You are emotionally ready to wean your baby.
Related Information
References
Citations
- Health Canada, et al. (2014). Nutrition for healthy term infants: Recommendations from six to 24 months. Health Canada. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/infant-nourisson/recom/recom-6-24-months-6-24-mois-eng.php. Accessed April 28, 2014.
- Abrams EM, et al. (2021). Dietary exposures and allergy prevention in high-risk infants. Paediatrics and Child Health, 26(8): 504–505. DOI: 10.1093/pch/pxab064. November 2, 2022.
- Health Canada, et al. (2012). Nutrition for healthy term infants: Recommendations from birth to six months. A joint statement of Health Canada, Canadian Paediatric Society, Dietitians of Canada, and Breastfeeding Committee for Canada. Available online: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/infant-nourisson/recom/index-eng.php.
Credits
Adaptation Date: 6/14/2023
Adapted By: HealthLink BC
Adaptation Reviewed By: HealthLink BC
Adaptation Date: 6/14/2023
Adapted By: HealthLink BC
Adaptation Reviewed By: HealthLink BC
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