Breastfeeding is the best thing that nature has invented for humans. Indeed, useful trace elements and substances have been accumulated in breast milk for the full development of the baby. But the moment comes when the mother decides to wean the baby from the breast. This decision may arise because the child has grown up or the mother is tired of breastfeeding and constant lack of sleep at night. It happens that the baby already bites the nipple with his teeth, which can injure and lead to microcracks in the breast.
Let's figure out how to wean a child from breastfeeding, in what age range it should be done. We also learn the advice of experienced mothers on how to wean a child from breastfeeding.
When to wean?
Breastfeeding can take years.
According to WHO, the recommended age for breastfeeding is 2 years. Indeed, after a year of life, the child develops immunity, and milk contributes to his better development.
Christina, 25: “I believe that the optimal age to stop breastfeeding is about 1, 5 years. My daughter has already gone to kindergarten at this age, so I decided. We did it quite easily. "
Of course, the ideal time to stop breastfeeding is when the baby gives up on their own treats, but few mothers wait until that time.
Statistics say that in recent years, only 50% of women are breastfeeding, and most of them breastfeed for up to 1 year. Only a few keep this priceless product in the second year.
Signs that baby and mom are ready for weaning
- The birthday baby doubled its weight.
- Receives all kinds of complementary foods.
- A baby can survive without breast milk for 12 hours or more.
- The child does not suck on the pacifier, fingers, bottles.
In order to wean a baby from breastfeeding, there is three ways:
- separation of mother and child;
- medical method;
- planned, gradual, soft.
The "gentle" method of weaning
One of the safest methods from the point of view of maintaining psychological comfort is systematic weaning.
Weaning of the baby should not be in the following periods: the child is sick, feverish, the baby is teething, the period of vaccination. It is better to wean a baby during the cool season. Cannot be taken away in summer, in hot weather.
How to wean a baby correctly and gradually?
- If you have excluded these four points, then you can safely prepare for excommunication. One should start by refusing one feeding. It's better for mom to choose from which one.
Distract your kid with games, walks in the fresh air. Include dad and grandmother in the weaning process. The child should feel your care, love.
- Observe the child for three days. As a rule, giving up one feeding by babies is well tolerated.
- After three days, we switch to abandoning two feedings.
- And so, gradually, we completely remove the daily feedings.
- We'll talk about refusing to feed in the evening and at night below.
Do not replace breasts with bottles or nipples. This will not get rid of the baby's urge to suck. Use cups, sippy cups.
Take your child more often in your arms. Do not undress in front of your child.
Natalia, 30 years old: “When I began to wean my baby, I tried to surround her with care. We walked longer, were distracted by games. "
Of course, it is more difficult to excommunicate when the child is over a year old and understands a lot. On the one hand, it is difficult to explain that "sisu is not allowed", but with some children it is possible to come to an agreement.
Some mothers smear green tea on the nipple. We can say that my mother's chest "ached" and should not be touched. Also, some women cover the nipple with a tape. I would not recommend this method, since tearing off afterwards is painful and traumatic for the delicate skin of the areola. Not everyone is able to wean from the breast with these "cruel" methods.
How to wean a baby at night?
Probably the worst thing for any nursing mother is the problem of how the baby will fall asleep without breast. After all, most children fall asleep while sucking, as this is a very energy-intensive process. How to wean a child from night feedings? Consider some tips:
- Create rituals in which the child will fall asleep - bedtime story, evening kefir, lights off. You can leave a night light, which the baby will specially choose.
- Often children like to fall asleep under their mother's lullaby.
- Bathe your baby before bed. Soothing herbs like chamomile and valerian root can be used.
- You can replace the sucking process with motion sickness on your hands, pressing it to your chest.
- Try to place your baby separately in your crib. When your baby sleeps with you, he smells milk and will be even more capricious.
If the child begins to eat poorly, rolls severe tantrums, then wait a little with weaning. So, until the baby is ripe for this.
At night, 2 - 3 hours before bedtime, you can feed the baby with porridge, give kefir. Sleep better on a full stomach. Weaning at night is a long process, be patient.
"Pill" against human milk or how to quickly wean a baby from breast?
If you find it difficult to endure and prepare for a gradual weaning for a long time, and you want to quickly discourage this habit from your baby, then on the modern market there are drugs to suppress lactation as soon as possible.
A prominent representative of this group is Dostinex.
It works by reducing the production of the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for milk production. The drug has a selective effect, does not affect other hormones.
Its disadvantage is side effects, which occur in 70% of cases. These are palpitations, headaches, nausea, vomiting, deterioration in general health, apathy.
This drug is taken 1/2 tablet 12 hours apart for two days. The courses are used only for the treatment of disorders associated with excessive production of prolactin.
Elena, 25 years old: “I learned how to stop breastfeeding with Dostinex from my gynecologist. 2 months after giving birth, I had to go to work. One pill solved my lactation issues. True, there was a very strong headache and weakness in the whole body, but it went away in just a couple of days. The milk has disappeared. "
Another drug in this series is Bromocriptine. It also reduces the secretion of prolactin and suppresses physiological lactation. Unlike Dostinex, it must be drunk as a course. Has more pronounced side effects.
If we compare these drugs from the price point, then Bromocriptine is half the price of Dostinex.
Weaning by separation
This is one of the less enjoyable ways to wean. It consists in the fact that the child is sent to live with his grandmother or other relatives for several days. During this time, the child not only loses his breast, but also does not see his beloved mother. This can cause severe psychological discomfort in the baby and, as a result, stress and latent resentment towards the mother.
Komarovsky E.O .: “When weaning a child from the breast, you can send him to his grandmother for a couple of nights. Nothing wrong with that. So the child will learn to fall asleep without breast. But keep in mind, here you need to look at the degree of attachment of the child to the mother. If you know that your child will not be able to get along with his grandmother and will cry, then you better do not risk it. "
How to cope with lactostasis?
Of course, weaning is stressful not only for the baby, but also for the mother.
A breastfeeding woman may begin to ache and harden.
If you notice a sharp soreness of the mammary gland, redness of the areola area, fever, consult a doctor immediately. Mastitis may develop.
You can cope with these symptoms in the following way:
- if you feel breast swelling, you can express it manually or with a breast pump until the condition relieves;
- apply the cabbage leaf for a couple of hours, softening it before that. Better to keep it cold. This will ease the symptoms;
- you can drink No-shpu or Paracetamol;
- A warm shower will also help in facilitating breast emptying;
- gentle massage of the mammary glands from the base to the nipple.
These symptoms occur, as a rule, with a sudden interruption of lactation. Therefore, a gradual withdrawal of breastfeeding is recommended.
To prevent a lot of milk from arriving, you often do not need to express. It is necessary to do this only with severe pain syndrome and swelling of the glands.
Weaning is a complex, multi-step process that both mom and dad should be involved in. The most important thing is for the child to feel your care and love. Do not scold your baby if he is crying or naughty at the moment. Remain calm and the question of how to wean from the breast will be decided soon.
