Meaning of weaning

Question

Hi,I have a question.Can phrase "to wean onto solids" have the same meaning as "to introduce solids"? I know that "to wean" means "to stop breastfeeding", but there are plenty of articles telling us how and when to start solids, giving lists of suitable products etc, and calling this "weaning" or "weaning onto solids" but NOT telling how to STOP breastfeeding and apparently not meaning that breastfeeding must be stopped shortly after introduction of the first food. I think it's the same thing, but maybe there is some difference I can't get. I.e. if some mom tells you that she "weans her baby onto solids" would you think she is no longer wants to breastfeed baby or would you think she is giving her baby complementary (non-milk) food?Thanks

Ant_222 · Accepted Answer

I think it is the steady and gradual process of substituting solid food for milk. It may take weeks.

Nona the brit · Answer

Weaning usually means the ending of providing breast milk.  There is often a period of months (sometimes even years) when a baby/toddler is getting both milk and solid food.

Irene L · Answer

Nona, thanks a lot for reply!
Does it mean that I can't replace 'weaning onto solids' with 'introducing solids' in sentence? The question was about this excerpt:

http://www.sacn.gov.uk/pdfs/smcn_03_08.pdf
19. Stevenson and Allaire (1991) suggest the conventional practice of progressing from liquids to semi-solid of pureed foods to solids must be recognized as a belief that is not supported by empirical data. Other cultures do not dwell on transitional feeding but continue breastfeeding or infant formula milk and wean straight onto solid foods.

I thought the last sentence meant STARTING introduction of solid food, not stopping breastfeeding, i.e. that the first food was't pureed or semi-solid, so this sentence might be rephrase with "introduction of solids", something like this: 'but continue breastfeeding or infant formula milk and introduce solids as first food' or 'give solid food at the begining of complementary feeding'.

We have two different terms for "weaning" and "introducing solids" in my language, and they can't be substituted with one another in translation :-(

Nona the brit · Answer

It sounds to me as though they are comparing two different approaches in different cultures.

Some cultures use a 'halfway house' of soft semi-solid pureed foods while the baby is still getting milk, while other cultures go straight to feeding normal solid food when they stop giving milk (presumably when the babies are a bit older) without a transitional stage.

Cultures A - milk to milk plus pureed foods to solid foods.

Cultures B - milk to solid foods.

Meaning of weaning

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