How to wean a baby from breastfeeding, at what age to stop feeding, how quickly lactation will end, and what methods will be correct so that the baby does not have long-term stress - all these questions are asked by every nursing mother, making a difficult decision for herself. The weaning process may not always be painful and difficult. If the baby is already 2 years old, at this time he is physiologically ready for weaning, and everything will most likely pass safely and without psychological trauma.
Priority for gentle weaning
How to wean correctly
One of the most gentle methods of weaning from gv is the natural cessation of breastfeeding. In this case, he will gradually wean from the breast, which is safe for his physical and mental state. This path is the longest, which can last up to six months, but at the same time it is effective.
Important! According to the lunar calendar, a waning moon is considered a good time to start weaning. By the full moon, lactation tends to increase, and on the new moon, the breast contains very little milk. Many nursing mothers note that it is much easier and faster to wean oneself from guards at the moment from full moon to new moon.
When not to wean
There are some situations where weaning can be very harmful to your baby:
- Cold and flu season. It is better to give additional protection to the baby as breast milk;
- Summer and hot heat, when pathogenic flora is actively developing, and there is a risk of contracting gastrointestinal infections;
- When the baby is sick and immediately after his recovery;
During illness, crumbs should not be weaned
- The presence of stressful moments: moving, mom going to work, preparing for the trip.
Note! During the moments of the lactation crisis (2, 4 months), you should not wean the baby from the breast. This period is temporary and will end quickly.
The natural way to gradually wean
When to wean a baby? If he is ready, he will probably refuse himself. Most mothers note how babies turn away from their breasts at one point. This usually happens when the baby has one or two feedings per day. In other cases, the issue should be approached consistently using the principles of gradual weaning.
Main steps
The need to wean from guards can appear at any time, but the algorithm of actions is usually the same for different stages of a baby's life.
6 basic steps:
- "Intermediate" sucking and applying "out of boredom" during the day are removed - those when the child needs to be comforted, soothed. Replaced with hugs, kisses.
- Remove feeding during and after daytime sleep, as well as after waking up in the morning.
- Stop feeding before bedtime.
- Finish night feedings.
Weaning at night
How can you wean a baby easily at night? First, remove feedings as much as possible during the day. This stage should be started as the last step.
It is necessary to be patient, because the situation is unusual for the baby and will cause some stress. First of all, you should try to put the baby to sleep again, you can give some water, shake it, calm it down.
Additional Information. It is important not to strive to wake up the child immediately by giving him a bottle of water. Perhaps he had a bad dream, and he would fall asleep again in a matter of minutes.
You should not replace night feeds with compotes, juices. So the baby will wake up even more often at night. As a rule, 2-3 nights after successive refusals to breastfeed, the baby does not require it and sleeps more soundly and calmly.
Weaning before and after naps
Rituals will help here. For example, if there are links: you ate, talked calmly, read a book, ate your chest, then one link is gradually removed - guards. After waking up the baby, you should distract him from the thought of the breast: offer a game, perhaps ask someone to sit with the baby for a while.
What not to do when your child is 1-2 years old
When it is necessary to wean a child from breastfeeding is an individual question for any baby. You should not put pressure on the child, "squeeze" him in an attempt to meet the planned deadlines and plan. A rollback may occur, and the baby will "hang" on the chest even more than before, because it will be afraid of losing it again.
Replacing gv with milk mixture
Important! If the child has a negative reaction to the completion of the hepatitis B, he should be given time to adapt, postpone the weaning.
What not to do if the child is 1-2 years old:
- Set a specific date and time when the child will no longer be on the guards;
- If the baby has a bright emotional shock (he hit, was scared that he had lost his mother), you cannot deny him a breast;
- Do not resort to early weaning - to the departure of the mother, if the child has anxious attachment to her. Upon her return, he will begin to demand even more attention, or he will strongly withdraw into himself;
- Not smearing the nipples - this will be very stressful for the baby, because for him the breast is the personification of kindness and calmness. If “trouble” has happened to her, it will turn the child away from the mother for a long time.
"Pros and cons"
Weaning a baby from a breast between 1-2 years is not an easy task. At this time, he still needs a breast, but, on the other hand, he has the ability to insist on his own.
If the mother suddenly wanted to "remove" her breast, then the unmet need begins to "climb out" in other states: neuroses, whims, hysterics. While weaning may seem necessary due to accumulated fatigue and lack of sleep, abrupt weaning will add even more problems and ruin the family climate.
The best solution is to write the solution to the problem on a piece of paper. For example, in case of poor quality night sleep, you can sleep with your baby during the day.
To reduce the number of feedings smoothly or abruptly wean off - the decision lies with the mother. If the child is ready for weaning, then it is allowed to force things a little. If the application is frequent, then it is necessary to give yourself and the baby a few months.
Dangerous methods of weaning
A nursing mother should pay attention to her health - there should be no pain in the mammary gland, there should be no severity. In the desire to wean the baby from the breast as soon as possible, mothers resort to unexpected methods. If in the last century it was permissible, today it is contraindicated due to various negative consequences.
Breast pulling to complete lactation
Tug and pills
Lactation pills pose a risk to a woman's health: they cause nausea, vomiting, migraines, and in exceptional cases - heart attack and stroke. However, milk production does not stop.
In some cases, it is necessary to suppress lactation abruptly, when gv is prohibited and impossible:
- the child was born dead;
- there was a miscarriage at a later date;
- maternal alcoholism or drug addiction;
- oncology requiring chemotherapy;
- there is herpes on the chest;
- pulmonary tuberculosis;
- HIV or AIDS;
- baby galactosemia.
The rest of the indications for cessation of lactation are relative and are not considered 100 percent requirements for the completion of gw.
The drug "Dostinex"
Today, you can still find a recommendation to tighten the chest. This process should stimulate the termination of lactation. However, milk will not stop being produced in an instant. The hormonal background decreases gradually, so tight bandaging will only transmit the flows, then stagnation will occur (mastitis, lactostasis). If the mother had fed the child 3-4 times a day the day before, then for the breast this is a familiar mechanism that stimulates the appearance of milk at a certain time. For this reason, if the gland is not emptied suddenly, it will cause stagnation, and bandaging and pressure will increase the risk.
Breast weaning is a very important and difficult stage in the life of both mother and child. Sooner or later, every mother starts thinking about how to end breastfeeding. Regardless of the baby's age and all the circumstances that have piled on, you should try to complete the feeding process as naturally and comfortably as possible for both parties.
