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How to quickly wean your baby off breastfeeding. Is the baby ready to give up breastfeeding? Why do you need to stop feeding your baby breast milk?

No matter how successful breastfeeding is, each specific mother-baby pair sooner or later faces the question of how to wean the child from the breast. Regardless of the reasons for stopping breastfeeding, it is almost always extremely stressful for the child and mother. That is why, when the task arises of weaning a child from breastfeeding, this must be done as correctly and correctly as possible.

Modern pediatricians agree that it is not advisable to wean a child off breastfeeding before he is 6 months old, since babies during the first six months of life do not need any other food other than mother’s milk.

Theoretically, you can gradually stop breastfeeding your baby after he is 6 months old. But if the mother and the baby have the opportunity and desire to do this, then it is better if the question of stopping breastfeeding is raised after the baby is one year old. This will protect the child from infections, maintain a close psychological connection between mother and baby, and the baby will undoubtedly feel better psychologically, feeling protected.

There is an opinion that you can stop breastfeeding in infancy, but only the child must be one year old, and this will be correct. But modern medicine also has good reason to say that breastfeeding can be continued until the child is 2 years old. Mother's milk is priceless, it is beneficial for the baby's body and supports its immunity. And if mother and baby wish, then natural feeding can be successfully extended to two years or more.

How to understand when it's time to wean your baby

As a rule, the need to wean a child from breastfeeding arises more from the mother than from the baby. For a child, mother and mother’s breasts are the most dear thing in his life and are associated with a feeling of complete security. Therefore, in the process of weaning, you need to focus primarily on the baby’s readiness.

It is not recommended to wean a child under one year of age. As a rule, a one-year-old child should be transferred to the “adult table”, but this does not mean that he cannot be supplemented with mother’s milk, although after a year the need for it is no longer as great as during the first six months of life. If you have the desire and opportunity, you can continue to breastfeed your child until the age of two.

Typically, certain signs can tell a new mother that it may be time to wean her baby:

The baby is two years old.
The baby loses interest in the breast and turns away.
Mom has very little milk, it “burns out.”
Mom is physically tired.
Mom needs to go to work (engage in social activities, etc.).

Maybe feed a little more

Sometimes a situation arises when it seems like it’s time to stop breastfeeding, but it’s better to wait.

The best time to wean a baby from the breast is when he is teething or if the child is sick. It is also better not to wean at a time when serious changes are occurring or are brewing in the life of your family (moving, mom will soon go to work, etc.).

The process of weaning from the mother's breast is stressful for the child in itself, and it should not be aggravated by additional circumstances.

The baby does not fall asleep without the breast

Perhaps one of the most difficult tasks for many mothers is to wean their baby from feeding at night. After a year, many babies may persistently retain the habit of falling asleep under the breast. It can last up to three years. This is especially true for the last feeding before the night and waking up at night to “hang” on the chest.

After a year, you can try to teach your child to fall asleep to lullabies, stroking, and fairy tales. Weaning from breastfeeding and replacing night feedings with the transition to this method of placing the baby requires a certain amount of patience from the parents. The desired result can be achieved if your actions are consistent and constant. Teach your baby to fall asleep at the same time in a calm environment. As an option, a child can be taught to fall asleep by rocking him in his mother’s arms.

After two years, you can try to teach your baby to fall asleep on his own without the presence of his mother. How to do it right? Let dad or grandma deal with the issue of motion sickness. At the same time, the mother should pay as much attention as possible to the baby during the day so that he does not feel abandoned.

As for night feedings, a one-year-old child does not have a physiological need for them; it is rather a habit on a psychological level. At the same time, the child experiences a sense of security, which allows him to fall asleep peacefully. If you plan to wean your baby from breastfeeding, then after a year you should gradually reduce the number of night feedings.

Rules for safe weaning

If possible, it is better to wean your baby no earlier than after a year.
WHO recommends breastfeeding children up to two years of age.
You should not try to quickly wean your baby off the breast using radical methods.
You can teach your baby to quickly fall asleep without a breast by rocking him to his favorite lullaby, observing the same ritual of falling asleep every day.
You can give up night feedings as quickly as possible if you have a warm drink for your baby in a bottle on hand.
Avoiding night feedings will not make your baby's sleep more restful, so be prepared for this.

What are the options for stopping breastfeeding?

As a matter of fact, there are several ways to stop lactation and wean a child from breastfeeding:

Drug cessation of lactation. In modern medicine, hormonal agents are widely used to help painlessly stop the production of breast milk. Their action is aimed at suppressing the hormone prolactin.
Natural cessation of lactation. Involution – a woman’s body independently stops producing breast milk. It is also possible for the baby to self-wean.
"The old fashioned way." Among our mothers and grandmothers, the method of pulling the chest with sheets was popular.
Gradual reduction of feedings.

Side effects of the chosen method

Any of the possible methods of stopping lactation and weaning a child from breastfeeding has its negative sides. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to achieve your goal absolutely painlessly, and you have to choose the most gentle option.

Stages of baby weaning

You should not try to quickly wean your baby from the breast; it is better to do it gradually, in several stages. To make this process as painless as possible for the baby, it can be extended over several months.

It is necessary to pay more attention to the child during the day, hug and kiss him, and take him in your arms. This way, weaning your baby off the breast will be less painful and traumatic for him.
You should not teach your baby to fall asleep in the parent's bed.
Teach your baby to fall asleep without breastfeeding until weaning.
To stop breastfeeding, it is better to choose a cold season. This way you can significantly reduce the risk of intestinal infections.
It will be easier for the baby to refuse mother's milk when he regularly receives complementary foods (from ten months - at least 3 times a day).
You should not give your baby to relatives during weaning. This is extremely stressful for the baby and mother.
If a child has a persistent habit of falling asleep under the breast, then it needs to be replaced, for example, by rocking.
Weaning off breastfeeding at night will require the mother's perseverance and patience. At first, you can use a bottle of water or sweet tea, which should be prepared in advance.
You should not wear T-shirts or blouses with a low neckline when you are weaning your baby.

Dear mothers, in this article we tried to describe in as much detail as possible when and how to stop breastfeeding your baby. Undoubtedly, in the life of each specific family there are various circumstances that do not always make it possible to properly wean the baby. Under no circumstances should you invent “mistakes” for yourself, blame yourself and get upset if something goes wrong. In addition to breast milk, you can give your child no less valuable warmth, affection, love and care, which your baby so needs.

Be happy and grow up healthy!

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How to wean a child from breastfeeding? What age is suitable for this procedure? These questions arise for many mothers when their children turn one or one and a half years old. There is no ideal time or age to wean from breastfeeding. Modern WHO recommendations advise feeding children until they are one and a half or two years old, and longer if desired. Be sure to continue feeding with mother's milk for up to a year. Its further continuation depends on the wishes of the mother and baby, their health.

To excommunicate or not?

Breastfeeding a child after one year has two components. This is additional nutrition for the baby, and a moment of close communication with the mother. Breast milk during this period is not able to satisfy all the baby's nutritional needs. After a year, children already eat almost all “adult” foods, so they will not go hungry without breast milk. But it retains antibodies that can protect the baby from various infections.

The psychological aspect of feeding for a one-and-a-half-year-old or two-year-old child is of greater importance than the nutritional one. The baby considers his mother's breast as a way of calming and entertainment when he is bored. Many children cannot fall asleep without sucking milk before bed. This is an important moment of communication between baby and mother. But is it really necessary? If both like it, nothing should interfere. When a mother feels discomfort, she needs to decide whether it is worth sticking to this regimen, or whether it is time to start weaning the baby from breastfeeding.

There are several reasons why mothers want to stop breastfeeding:

Emotional and physical fatigue, poor sleep, due to the constant need to breastfeed.
Health problems.
The need to go to work.
Opinion of relatives and friends.

If the mother is tired, daytime sleep and rest do not work, or she has older children, the child should be gradually weaned. The same applies to health problems that are incompatible with breastfeeding. In such cases, you have to give it up abruptly, which does not have the best effect on mother and baby. When there is a need to go to work, you can maintain morning and evening feeding, but you should not breastfeed at night, otherwise the mother will not be able to get enough sleep. You should not pay attention to the opinion of relatives if it differs from your own. After all, this is not their baby, but yours.

Weaning methods

There are several ways to wean your baby off breastfeeding correctly. Some are considered outdated and are not accepted by most pediatricians. Others are still controversial. This is not to say that they are ideal. Here are some known methods of weaning from breastfeeding:

Breast bandaging
Lubricating nipples with irritating substances
Mother's departure for a few days
Medication methods
Natural involution
Gradual weaning of the baby.

Grandmothers once advised bandaging the breasts and spreading the nipples with onion, mustard, garlic or pepper. Nowadays, these folk methods are considered not the best. When dressing, blood circulation in the mammary glands is disrupted, and lactostasis occurs. This can even lead to mastitis. Irritants damage the nipples and harm both mother and baby. Many mothers try to leave the baby with dad or grandma for a couple of days so that he weans from breastfeeding. This method is effective if the baby is accustomed to being without his mother for some time since infancy. In other cases, this situation will lead to unnecessary stress.

Drug methods of artificial cessation of lactation are suitable in cases where the child must be weaned abruptly. For example, you need to urgently stop breastfeeding due to mother's illness. Tablets can only be prescribed by a doctor; they have a number of contraindications and cause unwanted reactions.

Before weaning a baby from breastfeeding, the mother must decide whether to do it abruptly or gradually. According to Dr. Komarovsky, there is no need to delay weaning. He prefers abrupt methods of stopping feeding. Some other pediatricians advise waiting for natural involution. But this process can take up to 3-4 years. You can try to gradually wean your baby off the breast after a year or a year and a half. Let's take a closer look at these methods.

Natural breast involution

Proponents of long-term breastfeeding believe that the mother should wait for the natural involution of the mammary glands. What it is? In most women, 18-20 months after pregnancy, the glandular tissue in the mammary glands gradually begins to be replaced by fatty tissue. The level of prolactin in the blood drops, the amount of milk decreases. Sensations such as chest pain and a feeling of fullness disappear. With long breaks between feedings, the mother no longer needs to pump. It becomes more difficult for the baby to suck to get milk. Gradually he gets tired of it, he independently and painlessly gives up the breast.

How long does natural involution last? This process is very individual. Some mothers already feel a significant decrease in milk production as early as 9-10 months after giving birth. For others, after a year, the tide is so large that even a 3-4 hour break in feeding causes discomfort. It is in such cases that weaning off breastfeeding after a year or two is a problem. After all, not only is it difficult for a child to get rid of the habit of eating milk, but also the mother does not feel very well after weaning.

What to do if natural involution lasts up to two or three years? The mother must tell herself: “I can breastfeed my baby as much as I want. Who can stop this? Then the situation will no longer be a problem. If for one reason or another a woman wants to stop breastfeeding, or she cannot feed the baby for medical reasons, you can try to wean the baby off breastfeeding gradually.

Weaning after one year

When your baby turns 12 months old, you can start thinking about how to wean him off breastfeeding gradually. First, you need to firmly insist that asking for boobs for any reason is not worth it. The baby is already big enough; you can calm him down or entertain him in other ways. When a baby asks for the breast out of boredom, it is better to play with him, read a book, or make a pyramid. Children quickly become distracted and forget about their original request.

When a child is naughty, it is worth understanding why he is doing this. The reason may be boredom, poor health, discomfort in the diaper, fear of strangers. If the mother manages to satisfy the baby's needs, the desire to suckle will disappear on its own. The exception is illness. At this time, it is not recommended to wean the child from breastfeeding; it is better to wait for his recovery. It is not recommended to stop feeding during the summer, as the risk of intestinal infections increases.

Weaning your baby off breastfeeding during the day is not always easy. Mom needs to be firm and not succumb to his whims and persuasion. It is already possible to explain to a child who is one or one and a half years old that breastfeeding will only be given before bedtime. After a week or two, he will clearly understand this rule and will stop demanding milk throughout the day. Then you need to smoothly move on to the next stage, weaning yourself from breastfeeding before bed. There are different methods, here are some tips:

Feed your baby well before bed
Give the baby milk or water in a bottle
Read a book to your child
Sing a song or play calming music
Carry the baby in your arms, but do not breastfeed
Place the baby in the crib and pat him gently on the head
Leave it for a couple of minutes, saying you're busy.

All these ways to wean yourself off breastfeeding after a year can be combined with each other until you choose the best one for your child. When he learns to fall asleep on his own, you can gradually remove morning or afternoon feedings. After the baby wakes up, you can take him in your arms. Try to feed or drink him immediately. It is advisable that after waking up the baby does not see his mother lying next to him. He will associate this with breastfeeding. Therefore, it is better to wake up a little earlier than the baby and leave. It's okay if he whines for a minute.

Weaning a baby after two years

The process of stopping breastfeeding may take more than one month. Especially in cases where the mother does not show sufficient firmness, or she has a lot of milk. Weaning off breastfeeding at age 2 can be challenging. At this time, many women go to work or are simply tired of constant feeding, they have a catastrophic lack of time for themselves. Perhaps a second baby is about to appear in the house. Or an older child goes to school, which requires additional attention from the mother.

A two-year-old baby is not a one-year-old child; he understands a lot. Despite all the value of mother's milk, it no longer has nutritional value at this age. Children eat almost all foods from which they get their nutrients. If the mother fed the child until two years old, he received a sufficient supply of antibodies, his immunity is already ready to cope with diseases on its own. Breastfeeding now for the child is mainly a moment of psychological closeness with the mother.

Dad needs to be actively included in the process of weaning from breastfeeding. If he studies with the child in the evenings or on weekends, letting the mother go for a walk on her own, the baby will learn that the mother is not the only person close to him. You can instruct the father to feed the baby before bedtime and put him in the crib. Then the habit of sucking the breast when falling asleep will be lost faster. If dad is unable to pay enough attention to the child, involve grandparents. You can send your baby to visit them for a while, then after returning he can forget about the breast.

There are situations in life when the question of how to wean a mother from breastfeeding arises too early. The decision to urgently stop lactation must be dictated by compelling 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 your own milk. According to consultants on breastfeeding problems, about 70% of mothers who decide to wean from breastfeeding earlier than nature intended, return to it again over the next 2-3 weeks. Moreover, the younger the child, the more often the weaning attempt fails. In addition, breast doctors warn that many problems, including cancer, with which women turn to them already in adulthood, have their origins in improper completion of breastfeeding.

How to wean off breastfeeding in a short time

If circumstances still force you to decide how to wean yourself 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 medications that suppress lactation. But don't expect pills to immediately solve your problem. Much depends on the type of lactation you have, the age of the baby, the level of prolactin production in your body and a number of other factors. It happens that the medicine only briefly reduces milk production, but as soon as the drug is stopped, lactation resumes. Once you have taken the first pill, you can no longer put your baby to your breast. On the one hand, this is associated with danger for the baby (such drugs have strong side effects). On the other hand, a baby suckling at the breast stimulates lactation, while the medicine suppresses it at the same time. From such contradictory commands, the mother’s nervous and endocrine systems can malfunction. Be also prepared for the fact that at first you may need to pump your breasts quite often.

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

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

How to wean from breastfeeding: formula milk

We have figured out how to wean you off breastfeeding, but there is one more important point. Babies in the first months of life will have to be switched to artificial feeding. Now you will have to maintain clear intervals between feeding your baby - at least 3 hours during the day and 6 hours at night. When measuring the right amount of formula, it is very important to focus on the weight and age of the baby.
Pediatricians advise following the following standards: in the first 2 months of life, the daily volume of the mixture should be 1/5 of body weight, at 2-4 months -1/6 of weight, at 4-6 -1/7 of weight, and after 6 months - 1/8, 1/9 of body weight. Please also note that when feeding a formula, the baby should be given additional food.

Infusions of herbs such as sage and peppermint have a depressing effect on lactation. Alcohol compresses also reduce milk production, but they can be used only in cases where there is no congestion or inflammation in the breast.
Do not use the advice of your friends to endure it, despite the high temperature, and wait until the milk burns out on its own.
Do not under any circumstances overtighten your chest. Everyone understands what troubles can arise if, for example, a hand is pulled tightly: disruption of lymph flow, blood circulation, oxygen supply to tissues is a serious matter. But over-tightening the chest is even more dangerous. Breast tissue is very delicate, easily injured, and microtraumas combined with congestion often lead to mastitis.

How to wean children from breastfeeding after 1 year

When you decide to wean off breastfeeding, always have some very exciting activity or game ready to quickly distract the child from the idea of breastfeeding at the right time. It is better to prepare options for such “distractions” in advance.
Provide yourself with activities that do not require long periods of sitting still. As usual, upon seeing “easy prey” in the form of a mother chatting with a friend on the phone in a chair, the baby gladly rushes to her to suck.
The “1000 kisses” method has proven itself well. Let your 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 of mind and confidence.
Pamper your baby with something tasty from time to time. Prepare his favorite dishes so that your child always feels full and satisfied.
Organize a watering hole. Place the mug or sippy cup in an accessible place. Let him always have clean water, compote or fruit drink at hand.
People, both big and small, do not like to do what they force. Try to persistently offer the breast in the midst of an interesting game, hold the baby at the breast when he wants to go about his important business. If breastfeeding turns from fun into a boring chore, the baby will soon begin to avoid it.
Choose the right time. The time when you decide to wean from breastfeeding should not coincide with other exciting events in the baby’s life: moving to a new place, leaving the parent’s bed, or entering kindergarten
Delay weaning if your baby has just had an illness or is cutting another tooth. It is also advisable to ask the question of how to wean from breastfeeding; do not plan it during the hot months, when the likelihood of encountering intestinal infections is high; you should not do this during a flu epidemic or in early spring, when the immune system is weakened.

All doctors recommend natural feeding. Thanks to it, the baby receives those substances that are not included in dry formulas, but at the same time, the mother eventually faces the problem of how to wean the child from breastfeeding. This is a very difficult question, since improper weaning can lead to psychological trauma in the baby. For him, the loss of mother's milk can be considered very big, especially if he does not accept regular food well.

Before weaning your baby off breastfeeding, you should think about the reasons for this decision. Many people believe that a mother’s illness is a reason to stop feeding, even if the child is a newborn, but not all diseases are an absolute contraindication to breastfeeding (BF). When taking some medications, it is indeed necessary to temporarily wean the child. During treatment, the mother needs to pump regularly to maintain lactation. WHO representatives believe that most often you can do without this. Now doctors prescribe drugs that pass into breast milk in minimal doses and do not affect the baby’s health.

Such pharmacological agents are in the following drug groups:

local aseptics;
antitussives;
antibiotics:
painkillers;
antipyretic.

lactostasis or mastitis;
pronounced cracks in the nipples;
exacerbation of chronic somatic disease;
herpes rashes on the nipples.

It is necessary to completely stop breastfeeding if there are serious health problems in the mother:

open form of tuberculosis;
acute mental disorders;
state of decompensation due to chronic diseases of the kidneys, lungs, liver or heart;
hyperthyroidism;
dangerous infections requiring the use of potent drugs.

Weaning for these diseases occurs regardless of the wishes of the mother and the age of the child. According to statistics, pathological conditions incompatible with breastfeeding occur in a small percentage of women. In all other cases, the cessation of natural feeding occurs when the baby is already stronger.

At what age should you stop breastfeeding?

For every mother, the question of when to wean a child from breastfeeding is very difficult. In this matter, you do not need to listen to the recommendations of other mothers and neighbors. Focus only on your feelings and the child’s condition.

Psychologists note that breastfeeding should be stopped when the mother is absolutely ready. The child must be over a year old at that time. If she is abruptly separated (due to illness), she may experience a feeling of guilt and a decrease in self-esteem. Therefore, you should not stop lactation under pressure from others.

Symptoms that require stopping natural feeding:

lack of breast filling (it seems “empty”);
painful sensations in the mother during feeding;
breastfeeding became part of the ritual of falling asleep.

Children under one year of age often refuse to breastfeed after the introduction of complementary foods. At seven or nine months it is easy to wean them off their natural diet, but it is not worth doing. After one year, the child will learn to combine mother's milk and complementary foods.

Choose the time to completely stop breastfeeding so that it does not occur in the summer. This time of year is dangerous for intestinal infections.

There are several situations when you need to refrain from stopping natural feeding:

the appearance of a nanny in the house;
adaptation period in kindergarten;
the baby sucks a finger or lower lip;
mother going to work or leaving;
the baby is sick;
the baby will be vaccinated in the next week;
transition of the child to a new room;
stopping co-sleeping with the mother;
baby sleep problems.

Changing the environment at home is stressful for the baby. If you further separate the baby from breastfeeding, he will suffer serious psychological trauma. The only controversial situation is one in which the mother stops feeding the baby due to departure. Evgeniy Olegovich Komarovsky believes that the separation method can be used to transfer the baby to nursery nutrition. The only limitation is that during this period the baby must stay with a familiar and no less loved than the mother family member - dad or grandmother.

Features of soft weaning

Psychologists recommend gradual weaning from breastfeeding. This is the most natural and gentle way, but it requires strong willpower and self-organization. Gradual weaning will take time.

A step-by-step plan on how to wean a child off breastfeeding in a gentle way looks like this:

First, all feedings that are used to comfort the baby are removed. Learn to calm your baby down with simple hugs. Make the most of your baby's day with activities, reading, and games.
Avoid daytime feedings before or during bedtime. Before going to bed, start reading fairy tales, singing songs, or just lie down with your child. Don't give up on two or more applications at once. Give up one at first, and then stop breastfeeding during the day completely.
Stop morning feeding and start getting up earlier than your baby to prepare porridge for him.
The penultimate stage is the abolition of evening feedings. Replace them with kefir or other dairy products. Put your baby to bed the same way as during the day: with stroking, songs, reading fairy tales. To make the process of going to bed in the evening easier, stop active games 3 hours before bedtime, and add motherwort decoction to your evening bath.
The last thing you need to do is stop night feedings. Take the baby to you, stroke it and rock it to sleep.

These instructions will help gently guide your baby towards self-weaning. Canceled feedings should be replaced with complementary foods and nursery dishes. Weaning can begin as early as eight months. The more satisfying the regular food is, the easier the weaning will be. If necessary, you can adjust the given plan. If the baby easily falls asleep in the evening without breastfeeding, it would be right to remove these particular feedings first, then calm him down without breastfeeding at night.

The described process cannot be called fast: it will take up to six months to implement the plan. It is considered the only correct one. The transition to a new stage is possible only after the child has easily completed the previous one. If the baby does not remember natural feeding in the morning, then you can refuse it during the day.

Abrupt cessation of feeding

In some circumstances, there is no other way out and you need a way to quickly wean your child off breastfeeding. All you need to do is not give your baby the breast, distracting him from the process in every possible way. You need to unlearn the rules:

Maintain physical and physical contact with your baby.
Spend more time together.
Do not provoke your baby with clothes with a large neckline, do not change clothes in front of him. Wear turtleneck shirts and turtlenecks for a while.
Try not to sit in a chair or place where feeding was regularly done.
Take your day. Do some general cleaning, bake pies or preserve several kilograms of vegetables. The less you sit idle, the less often your baby will remember the need to refresh herself.
Ask grandma and dad to help you distract your baby.

If the butuz still remembers your chest, take him in your arms and then distract him with the landscape outside the window, a cat or a bright book. You can negotiate with a child older than one year. He still speaks poorly, but understands his parents well.

With this method, you will stop feeding with minimal damage. The baby will continue to communicate with you, but will not receive milk, which you can do without after a year.

Using "grandmother's" methods

Often, as a quick way to wean a child off the breast, they offer “grandmother’s” techniques, which involve lubricating the nipples:

mustard;
iodine;
brilliant green;
tincture of wormwood or motherwort;
a slurry of drotaverine or chloramphenicol tablets.

The same folk methods include the words: “the uncle took away the tit” or sealing the nipples with a plaster. This threatens psychological discomfort for the baby, who may be wary of his own body or strangers. Pediatricians recommend not using such methods, as this is fraught with mental disorders in children and even physical problems such as urinary incontinence or restless night sleep.

For some babies, these quick methods do not work: they can safely grab a smeared breast or tear off an adhesive plaster.

Separation method

Abrupt cessation of breastfeeding.

It is used if the mother needs hospital treatment or needs to leave for work or family issues. Pediatricians have different opinions about this method, but psychologists believe that it is possible to unlearn this method, but you need to understand that it often becomes the cause of hidden resentment towards the mother.

However, this technique is often used by mothers who do not have enough willpower to overcome the protest of their babies. To make the process smoother, combine this method with the gradual removal of part of the feedings. You can send your child to visit grandma at the stage when you only have one latch left per day.

Separation should only be done if you have a relative you can completely trust. Otherwise it will be stressful for the mother herself. The child should have a warm relationship with his grandmother or father and enjoy the opportunity to spend time together.

How to stop lactation?

It is not enough to solve the question of how to properly wean a child from breastfeeding; the mother also needs to take care of her health. After stopping feeding, the body needs some time to readjust. If you reduce the number of applications gradually, there will be no serious discomfort. Otherwise, the mother will experience physical ailments:

heat;
pain in the mammary glands;
the appearance of compactions;

You can cope with discomfort in the following ways:

pumping until relief;
a compress of cabbage leaves, slightly cooled and crushed;
taking medications (“No-spa” or “Paracetamol”);
regular warm showers;

Weaning is always a difficult stage in the life of mother and child. With weaning, the relationship between mother and baby changes. The child becomes more independent, and the mother returns to her previous psychophysical state that she had before pregnancy.

Weaning has a great impact not only on the psychological state of the baby, but also on the state of the mother. This may be accompanied by changes in the mother's mood, attacks of aggression, or a depressive state. Such changes in the psycho-emotional state are explained by a sharp reduction in the amount of the hormone prolactin in the blood, produced during lactation. Prolactin is an anti-stress hormone that affects the emotional state and mood of the mother, so you need to wean the baby off the breast gradually so that the level of prolactin in the blood decreases gradually. Mom and baby should both be ready for such a step.

When should you start weaning your baby?

Experts say that the best time to wean a child naturally is between 2 and 3 years of age. Some children by this time lose interest in breastfeeding on their own. If this does not happen, it becomes necessary to wean the baby from the breast.

Under no circumstances should a child be separated from the mother’s breast too early or abruptly, because at an early age the baby is too psychologically attached to his mother. Therefore, in order to begin gradual weaning, you need to understand that mother and child are ready for this. The mother's readiness is determined by the cessation of filling the breast with milk. That is, when the breasts do not fill for a long time (for example, all day or all night) to the point of physical discomfort. In most cases, the mother is able to determine the readiness of the child herself.

How to understand that your baby is ready to wean

Here are some signs that indicate your baby is ready to wean:

the child asked for the breast, and you firmly said “no”, the child is not capricious, does not cry, does not throw hysterics, but calmly forgets about it after a short time (of course, if he is not hungry);
when putting the baby to bed, he asks for his mother’s breast, cries, but then calms down within 15 minutes;
The child began to refuse pacifiers and bottles.

Gradual weaning of a child from the breast can begin when the child himself refuses to take the breast or when complementary foods are introduced or the child switches to food from the common table. After about six months, breast milk ceases to satisfy all the child’s body’s needs for food, as well as nutrients and vitamins. By this time, complementary feeding is the main energy nutrition, and breastfeeding remains only additional complementary feeding and occurs, as a rule, only in the morning and (or) at night. The baby completely switches to the “common table”. From this time on, gradual weaning can begin. During this period, it is painless for most children.

If a child is less than a year old and refuses to latch on to the breast, you need to be wary, because this may be a signal of some changes in the baby’s health.

Such changes may include:

sore throat or ear,
the child is cutting a tooth,
nose can't breathe
oral infections - candidiasis, stomatitis,
the baby is nervous or anxious,
pungent odor from the mother's body (use of perfume or cream).

If you suspect that your baby's refusal to breastfeed may be caused by these reasons, they must be eliminated.

When not to wean your baby

If you want to start weaning, but the baby does not show initiative, you can try to start the weaning process yourself. However, you need to act very carefully when there are no other changes in the baby’s life other than weaning. At the same time, the mother should have a positive attitude and good health, and when the number of feedings is reduced, there is no painful sensation of a full breast. It is necessary to take into account some factors, in the presence of which it is better to postpone weaning:

baby is less than 6 months old
the baby is cutting teeth,
the child is sick,
the baby went to kindergarten or nursery,
mother going to work or other separation from mother,
new nanny,
moving,
a change of scenery, a vacation is planned, or vice versa, you have just returned from vacation or a long trip.

Don't wean your baby in the summer because quenching your baby's thirst with breast milk is natural and enjoyable. Also in summer, the risk of getting intestinal and rotavirus infections increases.

Why is early cessation of breastfeeding not recommended?

Infants weaned from mother's milk before six months of age are at greater risk of experiencing the negative consequences of early interruption of breastfeeding. What problems may arise:

digestive disorders,
skin problems (eczema, pustules),
allergic reactions (dermatitis),
general decrease in immunity,
increased risk of ear infections and colds and flu.

If for some reason you decide to stop breastfeeding early (before 6 months), try to replace breast milk with better nutritional formulas (preferably with probiotics). It will also be necessary to begin introducing complementary foods that contain important components and nutrients for this age.

Ways to wean a baby

There are several ways to wean a baby.

Emergency weaning

There are situations when weaning occurs urgently: when the mother is hospitalized; her illness, for the treatment of which it is necessary to take medications that are contraindicated during breastfeeding; long absence of the mother for other reasons.

In such situations, you need to do everything necessary so that you can continue feeding later. It is enough to pump regularly so that at the first opportunity, mother and baby can immediately return to breastfeeding.

Using medications to stop breastfeeding

The use of medications lowers the level of the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for lactation and, as a result, a woman’s milk gradually disappears. This is perhaps the most unnatural and harmful way of weaning. Indeed, in this case, it is important to reduce the number of times the baby feeds, and not the volume of breast milk. And if it is possible to do without medications, it is better to do so, since the medicinal method can have negative consequences. It is best used as a last resort.

Expressing during emergency weaning or when using medications should be carried out until relief is felt. If you get too carried away with pumping, milk production will never stop.

How to start weaning your baby off mom's breast

In order to begin weaning, you need to understand what time of day is easiest to replace breastfeeding with regular food or play. Hug and caress your child more often. Try to give your child more physical contact and attention.

If your baby is no longer breastfeeding during the day, you can reduce feeding your baby at night. However, if the number of breastfeedings suddenly increases at night, this indicates that your baby cannot stop breastfeeding just yet. Therefore, you should wait a little longer.

The baby's poor readiness for weaning can also be indicated by the emerging or intensified habit of sucking fingers, fists or lower lip. If this behavior occurs, weaning should be postponed, since the baby appears to react strongly to stress. Therefore, gradually eliminate feedings that are not associated with sleep or an urgent need to calm the baby. In the future, attachments are canceled after the child sleeps. Then the child will have to learn to fall asleep without the breast during the day, and then at night.

If you are planning to wean your baby from the breast, you need to understand that the baby does not require the breast to spite you, but because it is his way to calm down, unwind and have fun. And, alas, he still has few other ways. The older the child who is weaned, the easier it is to switch his attention to games, walks and other entertainment. The child does not have a strong need for his mother’s breast as a source of nutrition, only as a source of peace. Sometimes it is enough not to provoke him again: do not change clothes in front of him, do not expose your breasts, do not sit next to him without moving, kiss the child more and hug him, trying to give the child more physical contact in advance, even before he remembers about the breast.

Under no circumstances use traditional methods such as smearing your nipples with various unpleasant-tasting compounds. This always negatively affects the relationship with the child - trust is lost. It can be very traumatic for a child if the mother’s breast, which has always served as comfort, protection and nutrition, has now suddenly become something very tasteless, and most importantly, extremely inaccessible.

The most important thing is to take your time. It is necessary to wait each time until reducing breastfeeding at each stage becomes a habit. It is quite logical to give breastfeeding to a child if he is tired or sick or hurts.

It is very important that a mother does not hesitate when starting to wean her baby from the breast. If this process occurs gradually, the mother always feels the child, his mood, his real need for breastfeeding. You can stop at any moment, or even take a step back. In this matter, the main thing is to maintain good relationships and trust between mother and baby. And there is no need to rush here.

How can you reduce lactation?

What a mother needs to do to reduce milk secretion in the breast:

try to drink less fluid and wear a tight bra - this will help reduce the amount of milk produced;
gradually reduce the number of feedings;

Some women rely on herbs such as sage, jasmine, and mint, which have been shown to reduce milk production. Consult your doctor about this and remember that there is no evidence that this method is effective.

What a woman should not do to reduce lactation:

You should not tie your breasts with fabric or wear tight bras (as they did in the old days), as such methods can cause stagnation of milk in the breasts and lead to mastitis;
There is no need to smear the chest with mustard or hot pepper, as this can cause a burn to the baby’s oral mucosa;

Wean when the child is absolutely healthy both physically and mentally. In a familiar environment, i.e. at home. During this period, avoid long trips, repairs, guests, in general, anything that can disrupt your daily routine.
A couple of months before weaning, teach your baby to drink. If a child has not previously drunk anything other than breast milk, then it is quite difficult to accustom him to this. It would be correct to buy a special sippy cup or sippy cup; you can also drink from a bottle, spoon or mug. Give your child both plain water and sweetened compotes, juices or fruit drinks. You need to start drinking with one teaspoon, gradually increasing the volume of liquid. Offer to drink more frequently, such as after bedtime, after walks, and between feedings.
Weaning is much easier if the child is over a year old and already understands your words well. You can explain to him that he is already big and it’s time for him to eat like mom and dad, or an older brother or sister. Tell your baby that mom has run out of milk and now the cow will bring milk.
If you are determined to wean, wean. Don't listen to anyone and rely on your intuition.
Hug and caress your baby during this period so that he feels your love, give him maximum attention so that he does not feel lonely. If you are too busy and have little time for this (you work or study), try to compensate for your partings with more affection and tenderness. After all, after a year, a baby needs not so much the mother’s breast as the mother herself and tactile (bodily) contact with her.
Do not provoke the child with so-called triggers - objects that are firmly associated in the child’s memory with breastfeeding. This could be the clothes in which you usually fed, the room or chair where you fed, and, of course, the mother’s breast itself. Try to distract the child's attention from the desire to breastfeed - keep him busy with games, offer him a different way of eating, go for a walk with him.
Find alternative ways for your child to fall asleep.

Gradual and step-by-step weaning of the baby from the breast is the most acceptable and effective way, because it is painless for most children. But there are times when children need longer breastfeeding for psychological comfort. Sometimes it is difficult for a mother to give up breastfeeding. If she is wondering whether she should start weaning the baby from the breast, or wait a little longer, then in this case it is the mother who is not ready. Therefore, do not rush into the decision to wean your baby off breast milk as soon as possible. Use emergency and drug weaning methods only when absolutely necessary.