How and when to wean a baby. How to wean from breastfeeding: last resort

In life, there are situations when the question of how to wean from breastfeeding arises before the mother too early. The decision to urgently stop lactation should be dictated by good reasons. Indeed, in most cases, you can find ways to continue breastfeeding, adapting to different circumstances.
As a rule, this requires much less sacrifice and effort than the exhausting struggle with one's own milk. According to breastfeeding consultants, about 70% of mothers who decide to wean from breastfeeding earlier than nature has prescribed, return to it again within the next 2-3 weeks. Moreover, the younger the child, the more often the attempt to excommunicate fails. In addition, mammologists warn that many problems, including cancer, with which women turn to them already in adulthood, originate in the improper completion of breastfeeding.

How to wean from breastfeeding in a short time

If circumstances still force you to decide how to wean from breastfeeding in a short time, it is better to do this under the supervision of a specialist, mammologist or gynecologist. Your doctor may prescribe drugs that suppress lactation. But don't expect pills to solve your problem right away. Much depends on the type of your lactation, the age of the child, the level of prolactin production in your body, and a number of other factors. It happens that the medicine only briefly reduces the production of milk, but as soon as the drug is discontinued, lactation resumes. Once you have taken the first pill, you can no longer apply crumbs to your chest. On the one hand, this is associated with a danger to the baby (such drugs have strong side effects). On the other hand, a breastfeeding child stimulates lactation, while the medicine suppresses it at the same time. From such conflicting commands, the nervous and endocrine systems of the mother can malfunction. Be also prepared for the fact that at first you may need to express your breasts quite often.

How to wean from breastfeeding: what to do with breasts?

So, you stopped breastfeeding your baby and started expressing incoming milk six times a day. Now the main task is to reduce the amount of pumped milk to a minimum. Try not to empty your chest completely. Every 2-3 days, reduce the volume of milk expressed at a time by 10-15 ml. When you can pump no more than 50 ml at a time, start increasing the intervals between pumping. By increasing the time intervals, after a few days you will be able to squeeze out one pumping, there will be five of them.
Now you will express your breasts almost completely three times, and only two times you will only strain the milk until you feel relief. After a few days, try leaving only three pumps a day. Of these, once (preferably in the morning), pump completely, and twice only pump your chest. After 3-4 days, you will have only one pumping left, which you can gradually give up as well.

How to wean from breastfeeding: formula milk

We found out how to wean from breastfeeding, but there is another important point. Babies of the first months of life will have to be transferred to artificial feeding. Now you will have to observe clear intervals between feeding your baby - at least 3 hours during the day and 6 hours at night. When measuring the right amount of the mixture, it is very important to focus on the weight and age of the baby.
Pediatricians advise to be guided by the following norms: in the first 2 months of life, the daily volume of the mixture should be 1/5 of the body weight, at 2-4 months -1/6 of the weight, at 4-6 -1/7 of the weight, and after 6 months - 1/8, 1/9 of body weight. Please also note that when feeding with a formula, the baby should be supplemented.

  • Infusions of herbs such as sage and peppermint have a depressing effect on lactation. They reduce the production of milk and alcohol compresses, but they can be used only in cases where there are no congestion and inflammation in the chest.
  • Do not use the advice of your friends to endure, despite the high temperature, and wait until the milk itself burns out.
  • In no case do not overtighten the chest. Everyone understands what troubles can arise if, for example, a hand is pulled tightly: a violation of the lymph flow, blood circulation, oxygen supply to tissues is a serious matter. But pulling the chest is even more dangerous. Breast tissues are very delicate, easily injured, and microtraumas in combination with congestion often lead to mastitis.

How to wean children from breastfeeding after 1 year

  • Having decided to wean from breastfeeding, always keep some very exciting activity or game ready at the right time to quickly distract the child from the idea of ​​​​sucking at the breast. It is better to prepare options for such “distractions” in advance.
  • Provide yourself with things that do not require a long motionless sitting. Since usually, when he sees “easy prey” in the form of a mother chatting with a friend on the phone in an armchair, the baby rushes to her with pleasure to suck.
  • The "1000 kisses" method has proven itself well. Let the child feel that weaning does not mean the loss of mother's love. Hug, kiss, praise the baby more often. This will give him peace and confidence.
  • Spoil your baby with something tasty from time to time. Cook his favorite meals so that the child constantly feels full and satisfied.
  • Organize a waterhole. Put the mug or drinker in an accessible place. Let clean water, compote or fruit drink always be at hand.
  • People, both big and small, do not like to do what they are forced to do. Try to aggressively offer the breast in the midst of an interesting game, hold the baby at the breast when he wants to go on his important business. If breastfeeding turns from fun into a boring chore, the baby will soon start avoiding it on its own.
  • Choose the right time. The time when you decided to wean from breastfeeding should not coincide with other exciting events in the baby's life: moving to a new place, moving out of the parent's bed, or entering kindergarten
  • Postpone weaning if your baby has just been sick or is cutting another tooth. It is also desirable to ask how to wean from breastfeeding, not to plan during the hot months, when there is a high probability of meeting with intestinal infections, you should not do this during a flu epidemic or in early spring, when immunity is weakened.

The optimal duration of breastfeeding is up to one and a half to two years. If there is a lot of milk, the quality is high, you can pamper the baby up to 2.5 years. But there are situations when you have to urgently wean a child from the breast at 1 year.

How to stop breastfeeding with minimal effort, how to make the process less painful for mom and baby? For you - the recommendations of pediatricians, psychologists and mammologists.

Causes of early weaning

There are factors that prevent the useful process from continuing for at least a year and a half:

  • you urgently need to go to work so as not to lose your job;
  • a severe (contagious) illness of the mother, for the treatment of which potent drugs are required.

Interruption of lactation at the wrong time is a serious burden on the psyche and physiology of a woman. The baby, who is used to getting his portion of milk at the right time, also has a hard time. Study the recommendations of doctors, and you will cope with discomfort, save your nerves and the health of your child.

The main problems with the abrupt cessation of breastfeeding

Discomfort is felt by both mother and baby:

  • a decrease in the frequency of feeding provokes stagnation of milk, the mammary glands “fill up”, without regular pumping, there is a thickening, soreness of swollen tissues;
  • having to express milk frequently
  • pills to suppress lactation give a temporary effect: the abolition of drugs activates the process again;
  • a child who is used to getting food at any time is often nervous if mommy refuses to give “tity”;
  • problems often appear in a woman who is accustomed to unscheduled feeding to calm the baby (distract, stop the whims of the baby);
  • earlier weaning requires a revision of the diet, the selection of milk mixtures. In addition to unnecessary worries, financial costs increase.

How to stop lactation

Helpful Hints:

  • visit a gynecologist and mammologist, explain why you have to give up breastfeeding;
  • doctors will pick up pills, after taking which, milk production decreases;
  • drugs are not a panacea: drugs cannot completely suppress lactation. We will have to revise the feeding regimen, reduce the psychological dependence on the breast;
  • lactation pills and a return to breastfeeding are incompatible things. It's not just the toxicity of drugs for the baby. The mother's body does not understand what is happening: the drug inhibits the process, breast sucking stimulates milk production. There are problems with the nervous, endocrine system;
  • herbs will help reduce the amount of milk: mint, sage. Prepare a decoction, drink every day;
  • reduce the amount of liquid to the minimum allowable limit. Refuse hot tea with milk, stimulating lactation.

Radical Methods

Take note:

  • many mothers suggest making milk tasteless so that the child himself refuses to breastfeed. Some mothers recommend eating garlic or onions so that the liquid becomes bitter, others advise a decoction of wormwood;
  • some smear the mammary glands with mustard or greens to quickly discourage them from eating “like a little one”;
  • sometimes weaning is associated with a more critical situation: a mother with an infectious disease was hospitalized, there is no possibility for natural feeding. Relatives will have to take care of the child. In this case, after a few days of separation, the baby will inevitably wean from the breast. It is important to provide the children with maximum attention and care so that the baby is less nervous due to separation from his mother.

Important! Radical measures also have the right to exist. It is important to prevent psychological trauma in the crumbs, to offer tasty dishes in return, so that the process of weaning from the mother's breast is accompanied by the least amount of stressful situations.

Proper pumping

The baby has stopped receiving breasts, but the fluid in the ducts will not immediately disappear. Do not wait for the milk to “burn out”, be sure to express the incoming liquid. Remember: without the right measures, congestion, inflammatory processes in the mammary glands will occur with a high degree of probability.

Do this:

  • at first express milk 6 times a day;
  • it is important to reduce the volume to a minimum in order to reduce milk production;
  • Decrease the amount of pumped fluid every two or three days by 10-15 ml. Bring the volume up to 50 ml;
  • now you can reduce the number of pumping. What to do? Increase intervals. After a few days, you should empty your chest 5 times;
  • further actions: three times a day, express each mammary gland well, the remaining two times only slightly remove the milk;
  • after 4–5 days, leave three pumpings: in the morning completely get rid of milk, in the afternoon and in the evening, pump both mammary glands;
  • gradually the production of milk will decrease, one pumping every morning will be enough;
  • over time, the milk will disappear, the need for pumping too.

The process will take at least a couple of weeks. Do not force things: this way the milk will disappear without harm to the health of the mammary glands.

What to do is prohibited

Refuse dubious experiments:

  • do not overtighten, do not bandage the mammary glands tightly. The method, popular during the Union, has long been outdated and recognized as harmful. Injury to the delicate tissue of the mammary glands often causes mastitis;
  • use alcohol compresses to reduce milk production carefully, only with the permission of a mammologist. The doctor must make sure that there are no inflammatory processes in one or both mammary glands, there are no congestion.

How to wean a one year old baby

Take advice from pediatricians and mothers who have successfully weaned a baby at 1 year old:

  • gradually reduce the number of feedings;
  • tell your child more often that he has grown up and can eat new, healthy dishes;
  • if you are late with accustoming to a cup, plate, constantly spoon-feed your baby, do not encourage initiative, it's time to change the rules. Emphasize how your son (daughter) has grown up, how good it is to eat on your own. Let the words of approval come from the lips of other family members, not just from you;
  • Buy a beautiful set of children's dishes with a picture of cute animals, made of unbreakable material. Let the child get the joy of eating;
  • wear clothes that cover the mammary glands, do not change clothes if there is a small eater nearby;
  • approaching the time of the next feeding? Offer the child a beautifully designed dish so that the baby becomes interested, remembers less about his mother's breast;
  • indulge your son or daughter with something delicious, but do not forget about the benefits and vitamins. Offer food that your daughter or son enjoys eating;
  • if during the games on the playground one of the mothers on the side decided to breastfeed the baby, unobtrusively distract your child. It is important that he does not pay attention to the process, does not demand “tity” from you;
  • come up with interesting activities, new games, so that at the right time you can easily take your son or daughter. The child must be constantly busy, so that from idleness he does not want to kiss his mother's breast once again;
  • try to sit less in an armchair or lie on the couch if the fidget is spinning nearby. Quite often, smart children quickly rush to their mother, who has been talking with a friend on the phone for a long time, to demand their “food”;
  • show love and attention to the baby, praise, hug so that he feels your protection.

A few more tips:

  • first remove breast milk outside the regimen, then give up daytime feedings;
  • so that the baby falls asleep easily without mother's milk, tell a fairy tale, sing a song. An excellent solution (weather permitting) is a walk in a stroller. In the air, children fall asleep faster, have a good rest;
  • the next stage is the cancellation of feedings in the morning and in the evening. Offer your favorite dishes, stay away from the baby so that he does not reach his chest. Be sure to supplement if the baby eats artificial mixtures;
  • to refuse night feedings, stop putting the baby in your bed, otherwise all efforts will be in vain;
  • for evening bathing, add herbal decoctions with a calming effect to the bath. Suitable string, sage, chamomile;
  • during the day, keep the kids busy, organize games, and, if possible, take long walks in the fresh air. By evening, the fidget should be tired in order to quickly fall asleep without sweet smacking;
  • in a conspicuous place, put a beautiful container with water, juice, sweet and sour fruit drink. If the baby wants to drink, he will not have to look for his mother's breast: the bottle will always be at hand;

Note! Some mothers have successfully tried the original method of stopping breastfeeding. Bottom line: no one likes what they impose. In the midst of an interesting game, another exciting activity, persistently offer a one-year-old baby to “drink milk”. Right now, not later, when you finish the game or he really wants to finish his “important” business. If feeding turns into a boring duty, the child is more likely to abandon the usual way of “milking”.

The problem of emergency weaning at 1 year is not new. Thousands of mothers find themselves in this situation every day. If you find out that in a couple of weeks (a month) you will have to go to work, do not hesitate, switch to a new mode from tomorrow. And today, re-read the tips again, choose the method that is most suitable for you. Don't worry about illnesses. Health to you and the baby!

Some more useful tips for weaning from breastfeeding in the following video:

Instruction

You can just wait for the natural involution. So the breast itself will stop producing milk. The sucking reflex in the child by that time will be completely satisfied and weaning will be the most natural. But this case requires a long time, which a young mother sometimes does not have. After all, the modern world implies that the mother goes to work in the period from one and a half to three years of the child. In addition, this method has another disadvantage: both the physical and emotional health of a young mother can be greatly reduced.

There is a so-called grandmother's way of weaning. It is named so because this is how our mothers weaned us, and their grandmothers. The child was sent for several days to relatives so that he would not see his mother. The woman at this time strongly pulled the sheet over her chest. But this method is currently considered very traumatic for both the woman and the child. The kid at one moment is left without the best way for him to get rid of stress - the chest. At the same time, he is also left without the closest person in his life - his mother. For a mother, this is also stressful - constant worry for the child greatly worsens the emotional balance of a woman. In addition, a woman may suffer from physical ailments - breasts overflowing with milk become stone and very painful. Lactostasis may develop. In some cases, there is an increase in body temperature. It is the possibility of the formation of lactostasis, and subsequently mastitis, that makes this method of weaning from breastfeeding the most extreme.

The method that doctors most often recommend is called medication. Its essence is in taking a drug that sharply reduces the level of prolactin in a woman's body. Most often, doctors suggest taking the drug "Dostinex". It is enough to take the drug once or twice and lactation will decrease to a minimum.

Do not forget about the side effects of taking drugs such as Dostinex. In particular, women may experience dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, heart palpitations, abdominal pain, anxiety, diarrhea, and flatulence. Therefore, it is necessary to take such drugs strictly according to the prescription of the attending physician.

After taking the drug, you can not feed the baby with breast milk. Therefore, many mothers come to a wide variety of tricks to wean the baby from the breast. Some simply try to distract the child, walk on the street for a long time, play. Someone gives the child to relatives for a few days, and someone smears the nipples with mustard or brilliant green. Mustard sharply repels the desire of the child to suck, as it has a sharp taste unpleasant for the baby. Zelenka simply scares the child away. But the latter method can also be considered quite traumatic for the child. After all, such a mother’s breast, so dear to him, becomes unpleasant in taste and terrible in appearance.

The most optimal way is considered to be a smooth and soft weaning of the baby from the breast. But this process requires a lot of time from mom. This method differs from the first one in that excommunication occurs consciously and gradually.

First of all, it is necessary to abolish disorderly daytime feedings. Most often, a child who eats complementary foods uses the breast during the daytime only to calm down. Some mothers even notice that more and more often the child does not suck, but simply holds the nipple in his mouth. These feedings are the easiest to remove for mom. It is enough just to distract the child at the moments when he asks for a breast. Mom or dad just needs to play with the baby at these moments.

Now it is necessary to wean the baby from feeding before or during daytime sleep. Here, feeding is more of a ritual for the baby. You can try to wean the baby from breastfeeding before naptime, replacing it with another ritual. It can be rocking, reading fairy tales, singing a lullaby, or petting a baby. Thus, mother will replace one ritual with another.

The next stage is weaning from morning breastfeeding. Mom will just need to wake up a little earlier to feed her baby not with breast milk, but with freshly cooked porridge. The same goes for dinner. Gradually, you need to replace breastfeeding at night with feeding dinner before bedtime. In addition, before going to bed, you will also need to create a new ritual for the child. It will replace the baby's usual breast for the night.

The remaining night feedings, if they take place in the life of mother and baby, should also be replaced with stroking at those moments when the child wakes up. If the child does not fall asleep, then you can try to give him a drink of warm water or herbal tea.

Making the decision to wean your baby from breastfeeding is not easy. But it will have to be done sooner or later. Approach this issue responsibly. Here are some tips to help you.

When to wean a baby from breastfeeding?

Ideally, it is best to wait for natural weaning. And it's impossible to give a definite time. Every mother has a period at her own time. However, on average, the involution of lactation occurs at 2.5 years. It is at this age that the baby's sucking reflex begins to fade.

Is the baby ready to wean? Mom must answer this question herself. And she will definitely understand it. After all, no one knows the needs of their own child better than a mother. If there are still doubts, then the child is worth watching. If he is easily distracted from the breast and the number of feedings per day has already reached three, besides, the baby does not suck anything else, then it's time to start gradually weaning from the breast.

The readiness of the mother's body is also easy to understand. At this time, the breast is no longer overflowing with milk. The baby does not apply for more than 12 hours, and the mother feels comfortable. After the start of lactation involution, you can breastfeed your baby for another 2-3 months. During this time, the child will receive a supply of immunoglobulins with milk, which will be enough for him for 5-6 months.

It is worth noting that it is not necessary to wean the baby from breastfeeding immediately after an illness, after experienced stress, or during important life changes, for example, going to kindergarten. It happens, of course, when a child needs to be weaned urgently. Cases of serious illness in the mother are suitable here, when she begins to use drugs that are incompatible with breastfeeding.

And here it is necessary to act smoothly and accurately, observing all the rules, but in a short time.

Finishing breastfeeding

By the way, a mother's going to work or entering a kindergarten is not at all a reason to wean a baby from breastfeeding. On the contrary, it will be easier for the child to adapt to new conditions if the breast is not taken away. You should not wean your baby in the summer, because at this time of the year there are a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits. The temptation to feed the baby will be great, and this, in turn, can lead to indigestion.

How to wean from the chest?

It must be remembered that abrupt weaning of the baby from the breast is a huge stress. It is necessary to act smoothly and carefully, all the time to observe the reaction of the baby. Sometimes you have to start all over again. This is normal and you should not despair at such moments.


During the weaning of your beloved child from the breast, try to give him maximum attention. At least more than before. Constantly hug him, kiss, squeeze, tickle, toss him, in a word, give the baby as many tactile sensations as possible. This is very important because it makes the baby understand that, despite the fact that the breast is missing, the mother has not gone anywhere. And besides, it gives more love and attention.

At this time, the child must be closely monitored. If he begins to pull foreign objects into his mouth, for example, a finger, then he is stressed and worried. And that means he is not yet ready to stop breastfeeding.

Methods for weaning a child from breastfeeding

The easiest way is to leave home for a few days or take the baby to grandma. However, this method can only be used if the child has already been left without a mother for at least a day before. During the period of mother's absence, the child will understand that it is possible to live and fall asleep even without breast milk. And upon returning, the child should be informed that the milk is gone.

How to wean a child from breastfeeding? Doctor Komarovsky

You can tell an interesting story about how the milk went to a poor homeless dog or the milk the fox took to the forest for his cubs. When your daughter or son remembers the breast, then remember the story, worry and regret with him. You must definitely be on his side.

However, this method of weaning a baby from the breast can lead to stress in the baby. After all, not only a breast with milk, but also a beloved mother disappeared for several days. Such methods should be resorted to only if there is confidence that the baby will endure the separation well.


The most optimal and correct way to wean a baby from breast milk is to gradually reduce the number of applications during the day. Gradually, it is worth abandoning night and evening feedings. The main thing is to be decisive, because the kids feel the mood, the mood, and the confidence of their mother.

Gradual weaning from breastfeeding

Reduce the number of daily applications. Don't say "no" to your child. Better to distract him by any means. For example, interesting books, active games or fairy tales. At the same time, you need to dress in such a way that it is difficult for the baby to reach the chest, for example, knitted bodysuits or simple T-shirts. Forget about bathrobes, shirts and sweaters with cutouts for a while. In addition, you do not need to change clothes around the child.

Make it a rule to give suckling milk only in a certain place and in a certain position, for example, lying on a bed. Then in some situations (in the car) it will be easy for the baby to explain why he is not getting the breast. By the way, it will not be superfluous to introduce this rule already when the baby has already celebrated its first birthday.

Avoid breastfeeding before bedtime and upon waking up. Have a family member put the baby to bed, or just come up with a new bedtime ritual. For example, turn on an audio fairy tale or read a book. In this case, at first it is better to take the child in your arms.


And immediately after waking up, distract your baby with games and interesting tasks. And never lie in bed together. Use the same trick before bed. Let dad put the baby to sleep at night.

At first, it is worth reducing, and only then completely eliminating night feeding. This is one of the most important steps. The main thing here is not to fuss and not to rush. First, reduce the time of night feeding and do not let the baby fall asleep with the breast. And if the child wakes up and reaches for his chest, then it is better to offer him a drink. At the same time, you can tell a story that the “titya” is tired, sleeping and cannot come to the baby. And in the morning, when it's time to wake up, mom should not be around. Wake up before the child and distract him.

As a result, at one point you will realize that the baby has not taken the breast for several days. It turns out that feeding is completed.

Please note that the time it takes to wean a baby from the breast is different for everyone. For some it may take a week, for others it may take a couple of months. One way or another, after 2.5 years, this process is less painful.
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen

Breastfeeding is the best that Mother Nature could give to mankind. Mother's milk gives the baby all the useful substances that help develop strong immunity and contribute to the full development of the crumbs. A woman experiences incredible sensations that excite her feelings and awaken boundless love for the baby. But that “terrible” moment comes when the question arises of how to wean a child from breastfeeding.

It is associated with the mother's fatigue, because milk receives all the trace elements, vitamins from the woman's body, gradually weakening it. And yet, the baby grows, her teeth appear, her character develops, there are discontent that she shows, painfully biting her mother on the nipple and it is already impossible to endure.

It happens that the process of weaning a child from the breast is calm, without heartbreaking crying. But not all mothers can mentally tune in due to the presence of bad thoughts:

  • my baby is very small, how can you hurt such a crumb - take away the main joy in his life;
  • winter. Flu carriers everywhere, what if his immune system weakens and he gets sick;
  • How will my baby go to sleep?
  • It's hard to bear the cry of a baby.

We will analyze the most pressing issues of young mothers, how and when to wean the child from the accustomed way of life. Remember, at this moment a woman needs the support and help of loved ones.

Why should you stop breastfeeding your baby?

It is difficult for women to make such a decision, and there is an opinion that the child will someday get tired of suckling the breast, and he will be able to refuse it on his own. Is it possible to be so naive? After all, breast sucking turns into a habit that is no longer useful.

Factors that indicate that the child needs to be weaned from the breast:

  • after six months of lactation, the benefits of milk decrease, so there is no need to feed a child up to 1.5-2 years;
  • after a year, mother's milk completely loses its beneficial properties. Now it prevents the baby from adjusting to the consumption of adult food;
  • the bite is broken - the upper jaw does not come into contact with the upper;
  • the baby often wakes up because of her habit, and after a year a normal night sleep pattern should develop;
  • mother's body is depleted;
  • with a certain disease, the doctor prescribes potent drugs that force the woman to stop breastfeeding.

The talented doctor Yevgeny Komarovsky believes that the woman who breastfed the baby until the first day of his birth fulfilled her maternal duty by 100%.

How to understand that breastfeeding should not be interrupted?

  • Babies should not be weaned from breast milk between 3 and 6 months of age. A stressful situation can adversely affect the state of the child's body as a whole;
  • stopped breastfeeding cannot be resumed;
  • such a decision should be approached gradually;
  • it is impossible to wean a child from breastfeeding during the period of viral diseases, in violation of the gastrointestinal tract, teething. At such a time, the baby refuses any food, except for mother's milk, which is medicine for him, the main food, joy;
  • in sultry heat, after a preventive vaccination, you need to wait a little with the cessation of lactation.

How to understand that mother and child are ready to pass the test?

There is an opinion that the baby is ready to give up mother's milk only when he sleeps well at night and is applied to his native object only in the morning and in the evening. But the experience of many mothers proves otherwise! The child gets used to the way of life, and even if he is 2-3 years old, he will demand "titya" at night.

The correct signals about the readiness of the baby to refuse breast milk:

  • the baby has grown well - doubled his weight from the day he was born;
  • he does not refuse complementary foods;
  • can go without breast milk for 12 hours;
  • he does not suck his thumb, weaned from the pacifier, bottle.

At what age should a child be weaned?

The opinions of experts and the experience of women on this issue differ. You can consider several options and make your own choice.

  • up to 1 year. The time when the immunity of the child's body is developed, so there is no need to make hasty decisions;
  • 1.5 years. Mother's milk has already lost its wonderful properties, and the child's diet has expanded significantly, so he can get all the necessary nutrients from ordinary food. At this age, the child quickly adapts to a different lifestyle;
  • older than 1.5 years. Experienced women will agree that in this period of growing up, the “tit” is necessary for the baby only for consolation. Therefore, there is no need to delay such a decision so as not to complicate the future process of weaning.

Weaning Methods

Grandma's methods

How did our grandmothers and great-grandmothers cope? They sent children to relatives for a day or several days, expressed milk from the chest and pulled it with a diaper to stop lactation.

The presented method is not ideal for both parties - the mother constantly worries, not seeing the baby, and the baby, it turns out, was taken away from her mother and her beloved "titya". But if the mother’s decision is to use the outdated method, then the baby should be left with relatives for no more than 2 days.

Flaws

Seals appear in the mammary gland, accompanied by severe pain, the temperature rises.

Medical method

Not every woman can decide on a long parting with a baby, endure chest pains for days on end, therefore drugs are offered to suppress lactation in a short time. The child must receive "titya" according to the schedule. It is necessary to cancel the morning, evening feeding with milk.

Flaws

Taking the drug violates the hormonal background of a woman, nausea, headache, and malaise appear.

natural method

This method is effective, the safest for the mental, physical condition of the child. His body is gradually rebuilding to adult nutrition, without experiencing stress.

Gradual cessation of breastfeeding:

  1. application strictly according to the schedule. After a fall, frustration, the child requires a warm mother's chest to calm down, but there is no need to give up. You can hug the baby tightly, kiss, distract with some toy;
  2. gradual reduction in feedings . Every week, the schedule should be reduced by one feeding; over time, feedings should remain in the morning and evening hours;
  3. forget daily application. After going through many trials, this stage will be easy. In the morning, you need to feed the baby with porridge, kefir, go for a walk with him, so that he runs in plenty, jumps, breathes fresh air. Arriving home, you need to feed the child with soup and put to bed, reading a fairy tale or singing a lullaby;
  4. exciting menu. You can come up with several interesting dishes that the baby will not be able to refuse: draw a funny face on the porridge, bake a pancake that looks like a bird;
  5. stop applying before bedtime. This is a difficult step that completes the whole process. On a full stomach, he sleeps better, therefore, in the evening, the baby will not refuse low-fat kefir, milk, read a fairy tale. There are time-tested ways to wean a baby from feeding at night, you can read about them at the end of the article, but dad can also shake the baby in the crib so that mom does not prevent the baby from falling asleep.

Flaws

The mild way to stop breastfeeding is delayed for several months.

How to stop breastfeeding at night?

The crumbs prefer to fall asleep while sucking, and mothers are satisfied with such an energy-intensive process. Therefore, the moment of stopping night feedings causes trouble, requires patience, but not only from the mother, but also from the father, grandparents. Some helpful tips to help young parents cope with the task:

    • to invented rituals, meaning that we will soon sleep, the baby quickly gets used to it. You can read a book with colorful illustrations, drink evening kefir, turn on a weak light, sing a lullaby;
    • evening bathing with special soothing herbs or massage will help you tune in to sleep;
    • it is necessary to replace the process of sucking with motion sickness, pressing against the body, because mother is a source of warmth, joy and love;
    • a sleeping baby must be laid separately. Feeling the smell of mother and milk, the baby will become even more capricious;
    • Why do kids wake up at night? They are looking for a mother in order to receive a portion of love and affection from her, so during the day it is necessary to devote a lot of time to them;
    • the baby will not wake up at night, having received the required daily feeding rate;
    • if there is an older brother or sister, then you can persuade a child (1.5-2 years old) to sleep in a separate children's room;
    • teach your baby to drink water, milk in a chair or at a table, so that he understands that the bed is for sleeping, and the table is for eating;
    • the air where the baby sleeps should be no more than 20 grams, and the humidity should be 50-70%. Cool climate to ensure a healthy sound sleep for the baby;
    • daytime sleep should not be delayed.

Common mom tricks

What kind of tricks, horror stories do not come up with women to distract the child from breast milk. The most common of them:

  • they smear the nipple with brilliant green, mustard, tincture of motherwort or wormwood, mask the nipple with a plaster. In general, this cannot be done, because the skin of the chest is very delicate, irritation can be provoked;
  • mom complains to the baby that the pussy bit the “tit” and now it hurts, the uncle took the “titty”, etc. Such harmless words can get the child in trouble. He loves “titya” so much, and the terrible uncle came and took her away. This can lead to fear of strangers, causes of poor sleep, urinary incontinence;
  • distract the baby with games, colorful pictures, cartoons or send them to visit all kinds of nannies, grandparents;
  • often carry a child in their arms, kiss, hug, throw up;
  • women put on sweatshirts with a deaf collar.

How to deal with chest pain?

Stopping breastfeeding is stressful for the baby and for the mother. She suffers terrible pains in the area of ​​the mammary gland, the body temperature rises, the peripapillary part acquires a reddish tint, and malaise appears. You can eliminate the signs of inflammation of the mammary gland in the following way:

  • if the mammary gland continues to swell, then it is necessary to express milk manually or using a breast pump. You can slightly tighten the bust with a special elastic bandage or diaper, or even better, take anti-lactation pills;
  • relieves pain cold cabbage leaf, which must be softened and applied to the bust;
  • you can take painkillers - No-shpu or Paracetamol;
  • a gentle massage of the mammary glands, a warm shower help to soften the mammary gland.

During the cessation of lactation, it is necessary to abandon hot tea, soups in order to reduce the production of milk in the mammary glands. If these methods do not help to cope with the pain, then you need to visit a doctor.

Historical references

  1. Folk signs say that it is impossible to interrupt breastfeeding in "fasting" - the baby will always be hungry, and also in early spring, when the crown of the trees is "naked" - the baby's life will be poor.
  2. If the baby was born by caesarean section, then there is a need to prolong breastfeeding.
  3. Previously, it was believed that it was necessary to wean the baby from the breast during the flowering period of the bird cherry. According to folk signs, a cold snap should come, which contributes to an easy process.
  4. During religious holidays on Maundy Thursday before Easter. The little one was given a piece of bread sprinkled with salt, and they whispered: “Go to your bread, so that it is rich, big, like this holy bread.”

Weaning is a complex and time-consuming process in which the whole family is involved. At this moment, the child should receive a double portion of love, affection and care. Just do not scold the baby for whims! Understand that mother's breast for a baby is EVERYTHING, and it was suddenly taken and taken away. Be patient, keep calm and a new, and most importantly, comfortable rhythm of life will gradually improve.


Top