Q: Our daughter is 20 months old. We are trying for the last few months to give her food other than mother’s feeds. She doesn’t take any solids or liquids (not even milk) and is almost totally dependent on breast milk. We want to wean her. My wife feels tired and is suffering from headache, body ache and weakness. For a few days she is also experiencing pain in her left breast that spreads to the shoulder and arms. Please advise.

A:Twenty months is high time your daughter was weaned. Please feed her only semi-solids. She will cry and throw tantrums but you have to be firm and not feed her anything but that. It is difficult but has to be done. You pediatrician must have advised you to wean her from 6 months of age. It would have been easier and better if you had done that. Since this is not the case, do not despair but be firm. When she is very hungry, she will eat the semi solids and then go on to solids. You have a trying few days ahead. Have patience.