Breast feeding is one of the best foods for babies up to a year. Breast feeding has long lasting benefits like avoiding infections, asthma, chronic diseases such as diabetes and cholesterol and the list goes on.
The only reason for a mother to stop breast feeding her baby is to get the baby used to different types of food that adults eat. From the month of 6, one can start feeding juices of vegetables and fruit. Solid food can be double cooked and fed to the baby. Different types of formulas can also be given, but continue nursing. From the age of one, try and depend more on formulas and semi solid foods. For two years, one can hold back on cow's milk if any allergies arise, and depend on soy milk. Soy milk has to be tested on the baby before it is made a routine.
If you are a working mother, you could breastfeed once at night only. Once your baby is getting accustomed to normal food, it can be reduced to a frequency of weekly twice, fortnightly and monthly once. By then, your baby will be independent, and will be able to recognize other foods and consume them. So, up to 1.5 to two years, breast feeding is allowed. But, after a year the frequency has to definitely reduce. Soon, your little one will learn how to eat other foods that everybody at home eats regularly and you would have successfully weaned him/her out of breastfeeding.
