Folk ways to stop lactation and a list of drugs to quickly stop lactation. How to correctly and quickly stop lactation of breast milk without pills: proven remedies at home

11.09.2019

Mother's milk is also the most valuable for the baby, but despite this, the time will come when the baby will need to be weaned. It doesn't matter if this will be done out of necessity for the mother or because the baby has already grown up. Most importantly, this moment in time, as a rule, is not given due attention from the point of view of the feelings of the mother. You can find many discussions on the topic of what to do to wean a child from the most expensive and enjoyable activity for him, but what about a mom with overflowing breasts? This is what I want to tell you about.

Wean the baby

For those who are confronted with this issue for the first time and have not yet decided how the weaning of the baby will take place, I offer information on possible options. For those who have decided on this issue, you can safely proceed to reading the next part of the article.
Everything that I want to tell the reader of MirSovetov, I myself am experiencing at this moment in time, therefore I base my judgments and conclusions on real sensations, not muted by time, as a rule, these experiences are quickly forgotten, like any other unpleasant events.
Age... The first dilemma that moms face is at what age to do this. It is believed that the younger the child is, the easier the weaning process will endure. And another opinion tells us that the longer breastfeeding (HB) lasts, the healthier the baby will be. Again, others believe that long feeding leads to inhibition of the child's development. Perhaps each of these statements has its own reasons and is true in its own way. But I propose to approach this issue from a different angle. The condition of a nursing mother is the main criterion. One way or another, after birth, a child is already a separate life, and although he is closely connected with the mother, you cannot force a woman to be a “victim”. Therefore, wean your baby when you feel the need for it. Only your emotional and physical condition can be a 100% indicator. In addition, the confidence and willingness of the mother will have a positive effect on the baby. My baby turned 1 year and 2 weeks old, at the moment when I decided to take him away from GV. Previously, I asked myself this question for 2-3 weeks, sometimes I told my son that soon the milk would end and I would have to eat it myself. Apparently, when my inner voice told me "enough", I came with a child from the street in the evening and said: "That's it!"
The ways... How to tell or explain to the baby that mom has no more milk? It is this question that "scares" most of all. In fact, this is a contrived problem. Subconsciously, every mom understands that with the termination of hepatitis B, the thread between her and the baby will become weaker. On the second day, I wanted to spit on everything and continue breastfeeding. The sensations were as if you were tearing off a piece of your heart, but on the other hand, painful sensations in the glands forced me to hold on, because I knew perfectly well that sooner or later everything would start all over again.
So, the options may be as follows. Put on closed clothes so that the child cannot reach the breast and when he tries to explain that there is no more milk, only in a mug. Let him drink and eat as much as he wants, when he is full, the child will stop trying. I chose this method.
As an option, very common, the child is sent for 2-3 days to his grandmother, so that he does not see his mother. This method is good for mothers, but, in my opinion, it is morally more difficult for the child. Imagine that he will not only be weaned from GW, but also from his mother! This is double stress.
You can already negotiate with older children. Starting from about 1 year and 4 months (but again, children are different, so judge by your child, his level of development and perception). You can buy a flesh-colored adhesive tape and glue the nipples so that the halo is also covered. When the child reaches for the breast, tell him that "the tit is now like this and you can't take milk from it anymore." This method was used by my friend, excommunicating her one and a half year old son. The child was puzzled, but no longer came up with this question. The first night I cried in my sleep, but then I calmed down, and I didn't have to raise this issue anymore.
Another similar option is the inculcation of the concept of "titya - cocoa". The nipples are smeared with lemon juice or other unpleasant tasting food (usually something bitter). After 2-3 attempts, the child no longer wants to try to kiss the breast. The only thing is to choose such "lubricants" that will not harm the child. For example, I heard about using mustard for this, but after all, it is not only bitter, but also spicy. There are also special ointments that can be purchased at the pharmacy. But here is an individual decision of each mother.
Gradual weaning. Recently, psychologists advise to extend the weaning process for 2-3 months. To do this, it is recommended to gradually reduce feedings, starting from one in the morning and gradually decreasing to once a week or two, to reduce them to zero. That is, we remove the morning feeding, the next two weeks later, and so on. Last but not least, we remove night feedings. This method is also considered favorable for the mother, since it is assumed that the milk will gradually burn out. But it seemed to me that this is when feeding on demand, and not according to the regime, this is not a very good option.
Withdrawal period... How many days will the child be weaned? 2-3 days to several weeks. But this does not mean that the baby will demand breast during this entire period. It just takes him a while to forget this process. Therefore, try for the first month (or longer) not to appear topless in front of the child, so as not to disturb his memory and desires. He will reach for the chest, you will need to be sensitive to his behavior and give him something to drink or eat. Tears and tantrums about this for different children last for different times. For example, I excommunicated the eldest daughter with the help of my mother, it was three or four sleepless nights for her. But I decided to excommunicate my son on my own, next to me he endured all this easier than I expected. We cried only on the first evening, when we went to bed, but after 20 minutes I found how to distract him and he fell asleep. You can distract you with a toy, a phone, or something else that the child will show interest in, in our case it was the melody of the Music of the Wind - I think everyone is familiar with this thing.
Weaning from hepatitis B provides an answer to one more question: when children stop eating at night. When you no longer need to breastfeed. For some time, the child will wake up at night, you need to give him a drink. It can be milk, tea, or just some water. I gave milk for the first three nights, but seeing that he drinks no more than 3-4 sips, I realized that he was not waking up from hunger and replaced the milk with tea. When the child is not bothered by anything, he sleeps all night without waking up at all.
It is advisable to drink the child from a mug, not from a bottle. This is due to the fact that the child needs to wean himself from the innate reflex of sucking. If you use a bottle, then after a while you will have to fight the attachment to the bottle. And after weaning, you will continue to get up at night to feed the baby, but this time from the nipple.

Now let's talk about mom's feelings. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell the mammary glands that milk is no longer needed. We no longer feed the baby, but the milk continues to stay. As a result, the chest is strongly stretched, and the sensations become more unpleasant and painful with each hot flush. It is recommended that you wear a bra during this period. It should be pitted, but dense in cotton (natural) fabric and should not stretch. That is, to play the role of a corset. If you don't have one in your wardrobe, you can wear anyone, but be prepared for the fact that it can cut into the body and cause itching: stretched skin becomes more sensitive. You will need to wear it until the milk completely burns out. Alternatively, it is recommended to tighten the chest with an elastic bandage or something else. But this is more painful and unpleasant.
Trouble begins on the second day, when there is a lot of milk. Choose for yourself which option you prefer. You can express milk a little at a time, this will help relieve the "pressure", you can use a breast pump and express to a soft breast, but leave some of the milk. In the first option, the milk will burn out faster, but there will be a lot of unpleasant sensations for several days. In the second, there will be no painful sensations, but the burnout process will be delayed. To some extent, this is the same as lifting the baby from the breast gradually.
When expressing according to the first principle in different women, the moment of cessation of milk production can begin on 3-5 days. I pumped a little on days 2 and 3, the hot flashes stopped on the 5th day. These days, give up hot food and liquid food: soups, tea, etc. Rather, reduce to a minimum, arrange fasting days for yourself. It is better to keep the restriction in fluid until the milk completely burns out in the glands, that is, until the moment when the breast returns to its size before feeding, becomes soft and all seals, even small ones, disappear. After that, for about another 1-2 months, give up what can help restore lactation. Especially from beer, as hot flashes can return after drinking it. Or, do not overuse these products, eat in small quantities and monitor the body's reaction to them.
The process of burning milk is also accompanied by certain, not very pleasant sensations. If during hot flashes the skin is felt as being stretched, then combustion is accompanied by the opposite process - "stretching". It is less painful, but also unpleasant. It seems that from the inside something is sucking out the contents of the glands, and at times there is still a tingling sensation. After the hot flashes stop, "resorption" will last another 5-7 days.
Pain and psychological state (despite the fact that most women are depressed while caring for a child) lead to nervous breakdowns and increased excitability. Therefore, it will be necessary to show patience for the mother herself, and take care of her husband and other family members. You can drink soothing herbs or antidepressants.

Suppression of lactation

It's no secret that there are tons of recommendations on what to eat and drink to improve lactation. Did you know that there are various remedies to suppress lactation as well? These can be specially made drugs that can be purchased at the pharmacy, but it is better to use them only as directed by a doctor (in agreement with him), or folk remedies. I want to tell you about both options, because I think that sooner or later this knowledge can be useful to any woman (and to caring husbands too).
Medical (chemical) drugs... There are many different drugs that can be prescribed by a doctor to suppress lactation in different situations that require it. All these drugs have a hormonal composition that affects the work of the brain, or rather, the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, forcing it to work in a retarded (suspended) state. The course, depending on the drug, can last from 1 to 14 days. Some of the names of such drugs are: bromocriptine, parlodel, dostinex, microfollin, norkolut, turinal, acetomepregenol, orgamethryl, duphaston, primolut-nor, utrozhestan, cabergoline. All of them are created on different hormones and in different concentrations, this is what explains such a time interval for their intake. These drugs are produced both in the form of tablets and in the form of solutions for injections.
Since these are hormonal drugs, there are a number of side effects and harmful consequences for a woman's body, it is possible to decide on their use only after consulting a doctor and under his strict supervision. For some drugs, there are contraindications: hypertension, varicose veins, kidney and liver diseases, diabetes mellitus, thrombophlebitis, as well as various diseases and abnormalities in the work of a woman's reproductive organs.
I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that prolonged painful sensations in the area of the mammary glands, non-absorbable seals during the period of termination of hepatitis B can be a sign of mastitis. If there are any doubts or suspicions, immediately contact your attending gynecologist for a check, it is in such cases that it is most often recommended to use the drugs listed above to suppress lactation.
Folk remedies... And now let's talk about the means that each woman can apply independently during the period of completion of lactation. Before special pills were invented, in order to suppress lactation, a simple procedure such as taking diuretics was added to the restriction in fluids. There is no need to drink chemicals and pills, as there are tons of herbs that have this effect.
When you stop lactation, your task is to get rid of excess fluid, thereby stopping milk production, contributing to its "burnout" or "resorption". Drinking diuretic herbs should be started on the first day and continued for 5-7 days, then as needed, but most likely this will be enough. I started taking an infusion of a diuretic herb for 4 days (before that, I just did not know that something could be done), after 2-3 hours the hot flashes stopped, and literally after 5-7 hours the sensations from by-catch changed to sensations of "burnout »Milk. The chest became softer, and the lumps and soreness began to weaken.
Here is a list of some herbs that have diuretic and diaphoretic effects: bear ears (bearberry), lingonberry, basil, Russian beans, wintering horsetail, madder dye, parsley, elecampane. In general, it will not be difficult to find such herbs, they are in every pharmacy.
But the most interesting thing is that there are herbs that contribute precisely to the cessation of lactation. Sage is most often mentioned for these purposes. One of its medicinal properties is the cessation of lactation in nursing mothers. For this, tea is made and drunk for several days, healers claim that 2-3 days are enough to completely stop this process. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on the health of women, treats infertility and strengthens the body. Other herbs: white cinquefoil, jasmine, common belladonna.
I managed only with a diuretic herb, but since after the cessation of feeding, milk production can resume for another 6 months, I think you can, if you wish, drink herbs to slow down lactation. MirSovetov warns that if you find milk in your glands after a six-month period from your last breastfeeding, you should seek the advice of your doctor, as this may be a sign of a medical condition.

Sooner or later, any young mother thinks about suppressing lactation. Such thoughts may be associated with various circumstances.

How to properly stop milk production and not harm yourself and your baby, every mommy should know.

Involution is the process of termination of any function performed by an organ; return to normal.

Lactation involution is the process of completing breastfeeding. The complete cessation of feeding occurs only after a month since the last feeding of the baby.

The decrease in milk production occurs in stages. A child who has waited for natural involution from the mother does not feel discomfort, since the volume of feeding decreases naturally and gradually.

Roughly, lactation stops naturally at the moment when the baby is about two years old. These terms are individual.

Symptoms when milk production stops:

Sleepiness, weakness.
Irritability.
Breaking the cycle.
Painful sensations in the nipples, possibly tingling or aching sensations.
Cessation of milk inflows, in the volumes that were previously.
More active suction of milk by the baby.
Change in color and consistency of milk.

When should you stop lactating?

Doctors have no unequivocal opinion on the duration of feeding. In Europe, breastfeeding is not provided at all, where women are forced to go to work very quickly.

From the age of four months, the child is supposed to introduce complementary foods, for the stomach and intestines of the baby to get used to other foods.

According to statistics, the most frequent cases of interruption of lactation occur during the period of 9-18 months of a child's life.

It is better to interrupt feeding when the baby:

already knows many tastes of the usual food table;
contacts with other children (in the case of a child's sociability, he will less painfully endure a refusal to breastfeed);
attached to any toy or animal (favorite things and pets, soothe);
already tried to fall asleep with a mixture or compote;
at the age when the lack of milk in the mother can be explained (from 1.5 years).

Longer feeding has been shown to lead to fewer colds.

Indications in women for early termination of lactation

It so happens that feeding is not possible for medical reasons.

Cases when lactation is suppressed immediately:

The birth of a non-living baby or his death immediately after birth.
An HIV-infected mother cannot breastfeed her newborn.
Addiction to drugs.
Tuberculosis.
Herpes on the nipples.
Oncological diseases of the mother.

After the start of feeding, lactation may stop due to:

the mother starts taking medication;
lactose intolerance;
clogging of the ducts with milk clots (mastitis).

Ways to stop lactation

Methods for interrupting a feed include:

Natural involution.
Breast tightening.
Taking special medicines.
A gradual decrease in feedings day and night.

Tugging on the mammary glands

Quite a tough method, as it is accompanied by pain in the mother and anxiety in the baby.

At the time previously determined to interrupt feeding, the breast should be completely emptied with the baby's last feeding or pumping.
For pulling, take a sheet, a diaper, a scarf - a material that can be tightly tightened around the chest.
Ask someone to tighten the rag as tight as possible (with proper tightening, at first it will not be possible to completely fill the lungs with air).
Do not remove the bandage for several days (you will also have to sleep in it).
When bathing, the sheets can be untied, but bathing should be done promptly and not under hot water (warm and hot water can contribute to the flow of milk).
If you experience chest pain due to stagnation of milk residues, you must endure, remove the tissue and express milk every time.
Burning milk causes stabbing and aching pain.
Milk goes away on the 5-6th day of wearing the bandage.
If the temperature rises while wearing the bandage and unbearable pain, it is better to consult a doctor.

Doctors are extremely negative about this method, since often any wrong action in the whole process can cause breast diseases in a nursing mother and lead to inflammation and surgery.

For the child, using this method is also not good. The baby will reach for the nipples due to the presence of the smell of milk, and since he will not receive anything, he will be very nervous.

It used to be customary to give the baby to the grandmother for a couple of days at the moment of tightening the breast, so as not to hear and not see how the child is going through. It looks inhumane today.

Taking medication as the fastest way

In the modern developed world of pharmaceuticals, there are pills for everything.

For the extinction of lactation, medications are used that lower the hormone of milk production.

Medicines of this type are contraindicated:

patients with diabetes mellitus;
people with hypertension;
women with kidney and liver problems.

Only a doctor has the right to prescribe this or that drug.

One or two tablets are usually enough to stop milk production.

Detailed instructions for taking medications must be obtained from a doctor or from the instructions for the drug.

Steroid hormonal drugs

This type of medication is based on natural male and female hormones. Sooner or later, these hormones are produced in the woman's body, and the stage of involution begins. With these drugs, this process is accelerated.

Prolactin inhibitors

The basis of the action of these drugs is in the accumulation of dopamine. It is dopamine that can affect the synthesis of prolactin, which controls the process of milk production. Dopamine also stops the production of the lactation hormone oxytocin.

Reducing feedings gradually - a painless natural method

If it is decided not to injure the child's psyche and stop lactation carefully, then a method of long-term refusal of breast will be suitable, due to a phased reduction in feedings at night and during the day.

Weaning takes place in two stages:

Fewer feedings at night.

For greater comfort, the child can be offered a warm compote or water.
If it is not possible to completely eliminate feeding, you should first limit its duration.
Increase the intervals between meals.
Before going to bed at night, the baby can be offered more satisfying food (mixture, porridge).

Reducing feedings throughout the day.

Increased walking time, more interesting activities, new faces, communication with peers, will allow the child to escape from the demands of the breast.

During weaning from breastfeeding, it is worth considering changing actions before meals. For example, if there was always a walk or bathing before feeding, now you can play and feed, and then get ready for a walk.

This method will leave a mark on the mind of the child and teach him to a new routine without latching on to the breast.

From the video, you can find out the author's opinion why you should not take drugs to suppress lactation and pull the breast, and how best and painlessly to do it.

Traditional methods to help stop the flow of breast milk

The advice of the older generation should be heeded with caution, preferably in consultation with a doctor.

Tips to make it easier to interrupt lactation:

Limiting the amount of fluid.

The meaning is simple, less fluid enters the body, less milk arrives in volume. Doctors, by the way, say that milk comes not because of liquid, but because of nutrition and the frequency of breastfeeding.

Cabbage leaf compress or cold compress.

Relieves aching cutting pains due to milk stagnation. The method is effective in case of severe congestion (hard clots feel in the chest). You need to attach a cabbage leaf, previously scalded with boiling water or slightly crumpled to the chest and leave it under cellophane overnight or for several hours. The pain will subside, and the clots from such a compress will become less dense, it will be possible to express milk.

Cold shower before feeding.

Eating less food.

It is not recommended by doctors, since a young mother, after giving birth, during feeding, is on a strict diet, and it will be dangerous to reduce portions. The older generation advises doing this to reduce the intake of nutrients that provoke milk flows.

Infusions and decoctions of medicinal herbs

As stated above, many experienced mothers advise to drink less water per day to reduce the amount of milk produced.

Herbs with a diuretic effect will help speed up the process of complete cessation of lactation in this way: basil, lingonberry, parsley, bearberry, etc.

It is not necessary to walk and collect herbs in the fields; you can purchase ready-made collections of dried plants at the pharmacy.

From these herbs, infusions are prepared (pouring with boiling water and leaving in a dark place for several hours). It is necessary to drink the resulting infusion no longer than 10 days.

Plants that inhibit milk production without a diuretic effect:

sage;
mint;
jasmine;
cabbage leaves;
hop;
hazel leaves.

Recipes for making magic potions from these herbs include:

Sage infusion (250 ml of only boiled water will require 2 tablespoons of dried sage).
A decoction of walnut leaves, hop cones and sage. The ratio of the proportions of herbs is as follows: two tablespoons of walnut and sage and 4 tablespoons of hop cones, pour boiling water, let it boil with herbs, insist, strain and consume.

In some periods of a baby's life, weaning is impossible or highly undesirable:

When a baby is sick, do not deny the baby's mother's milk, because it contains antibodies that help in the fight against the disease. Among other things, the feeding process is a moral support for the baby.
Do not stop during the teething period or when the child has just been vaccinated.
In summer, you do not need to wean from breastfeeding due to increased thirst due to the heat and the rapid deterioration of many dairy products at elevated temperatures.
To deprive of joy in the form of breast milk in the event of a difficult period in life (moving, departure of the father, etc.)

Choosing the period and method of interrupting lactation should not be based on the advice of girlfriends or grandmothers. All actions related to breastfeeding, changing the regimen, planning the preparation of infusions must be agreed with the doctor.

How to stop lactating breast milk correctly and quickly? This question worries many young mothers. The main role in the lactation process is played by the hormone prolactin, produced by the anterior pituitary gland. During the nursing period, prolactin levels depend on the breastfeeding rhythm. Lactation in the mammary glands will continue as long as milk is removed from them. And finally stops on average within 40 days after the last feeding.

The end of the last stage of breastfeeding is called involution of lactation. Regardless of the reasons for the cessation of milk production, the female body needs time to rebuild.

The essence of the process

The value of breastfeeding is well known, and many mothers know that it is better not to lift a child from the breast until 1.5-2 years old. By this age, the baby is already receiving additional nutrition, and the need for breast milk decreases. The ideal solution is to gradually lift the baby away from the breast. First of all, you should reduce the number of feedings, then increase the interval between breastfeeding. Unclaimed milk will burn out and the glands will begin to produce less milk. Feeding should be reduced to 1-2 per day.

At night, the child can be given milk from a mug to drink to wean him from the sucking reflex. Reducing the number of feeds will help to reduce milk production, while the baby will receive food, even in smaller doses. In this way, both sides will gradually prepare for the lift-off on the breast, and the final stage will pass without stress for the baby and mother.

The lactation-termination period will take 3-4 weeks on average. A sudden interruption will not only cause a nervous experience in the child, but also affect the woman's well-being. The surging milk will squeeze the breast, the feeling of heaviness and distension will begin to hurt, and the body temperature may rise.

But sometimes circumstances force you to end breastfeeding for medical reasons or in connection with the departure of the mother. In other cases, the baby refuses to breastfeed. Then the question arises, how to stop lactation correctly. This can be done with the help of medicines and folk remedies.

A woman who decides to complete lactation should follow some rules and recommendations:

Limit the amount of fluids you drink.
Remove broths, soups from the diet; consumption of fennel and dill is not recommended. You should also give up milk, cheese, fatty foods, cucumbers, carrots and fruits.
Expressing your breasts so that the milk does not stagnate, but not completely (this stimulates the production of fluid).
For a while, it is better to refuse to take hot baths.
A tight, underwired cotton bra should be worn around the clock.
It is not recommended to tighten the breast, this disrupts blood circulation and clogs the ducts, which can provoke the development of lactostasis and mastitis.

Medicines that stop lactation

Currently, there are a number of drugs that suppress the formation of milk. These funds are available in the form of tablets and intramuscular injections. They have a hormonal basis, affect the endocrine system and have side effects.

How to properly complete lactation with medication? Only a doctor is able to recommend, prescribe the intake of such drugs and help determine the choice. A consultation with a mammologist is also recommended. If a woman decides to interrupt lactation, resorting to the help of pills, she should be prepared for poor health and the manifestation of undesirable consequences.

So, the most popular remedies:

Parlodel- a drug that suppresses physiological lactation. It is forbidden to use with increased pressure, stomach ulcers, cardiovascular pathologies. Has a number of contraindications, including: vomiting, headaches, myocardial infarction, skin rashes, convulsions. Overdose can cause fainting, peptic ulcer, confusion.
Dostinex- is an inhibitor of prolactin secretion. The active substances of the drug have an effect on the pituitary gland and inhibit the synthesis of the hormone. Decreased blood prolactin levels decrease milk production. The drug is not recommended for use in arterial hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, liver failure, mental disorders. Side effects of the drug: low blood pressure, abdominal pain, intestinal upset, drowsiness, lethargy, nosebleeds.
Bromocreptin. The drug is taken when they want to interrupt lactation, the effect is achieved with prolonged use. Side effects include: nausea, vomiting, allergic skin rash, decreased visual acuity, myocardial infarction, stroke. The drug is contraindicated for psychosis, heart disease, liver failure, stomach ulcer.
Norkolut- recommended for stopping lactation. It is not prescribed for acute liver and kidney diseases, thrombophlebitis, heart failure, migraine.
Quinagolide- a prolonged modern drug that suppresses the production of breast milk, has fewer side effects.
Bromcamphor- is a sedative and non-hormonal drug. Gynecologists prescribe this medication to gradually stop lactation.

After taking even one tablet of the listed drugs, breastfeeding cannot be resumed. It is necessary to strictly observe the dosage of medicines prescribed by the doctor. When lactation stops abruptly, lumps and other unpleasant sensations may form in the breast. With a strong deterioration in health, you should immediately seek medical help. Given the undesirable consequences of drug cessation of lactation, this method should be resorted to in exceptional cases.

Traditional methods

You can successfully stop lactation at home using folk remedies:

Taking diuretic herbs, removing fluid from the body, will help reduce the production of breast milk. These herbs include: calamus root, blue cornflower, camel thorn, lingonberry, spreading elecampane, white lamb.
You can interrupt lactation with sage, the herb has the property of blocking the production of breast milk. 2 tbsp. l. raw materials are poured into 1 liter of boiling water, insisted for 1 hour and taken 3 times a day.
1 tbsp. l. leaves of walnut and sage are brewed with boiled water, infused for 2 hours and drunk three times a day, 50 ml.
Lactation is stopped by ordinary garlic, for this you need to eat it at 20 g per day.
Compresses with cabbage leaves. Leaves should be pre-wrinkled. After pumping the breasts, they are placed in the bra cups. When the leaves soften and wither, change the compress. Burdock leaves have the same effect, in addition, this plant has anti-inflammatory properties and will serve as the prevention of mastitis.
Peppermint can also help reduce lactation and can be drunk alone or brewed with sage in equal proportions.
Decoctions with parsley, lingonberry leaves, field horsetail, bearberry reduce the flow of milk.
Rubbing the breast with camphor oil stops lactation and dissolves the lumps in the mammary gland. Compresses with the substance can also be used.
Painful sensations in the chest can be relieved by applying a compress from cottage cheese or lemon juice.

Termination of lactation at home should be agreed with your doctor. You should not give up lactation if the child is sick. During a period of weakened immunity, weaning from breast milk will negatively affect the health of the baby.

Usually, a child is ready for weaning when he has all milk teeth, the sucking reflex practically fades away, and the number of attachments to the breast is reduced to 2-4 per day, which usually occurs by 2-3 years. Sometimes breastfeeding has to be stopped due to illness of the mother, or when a new pregnancy occurs. It is advisable that the completion of breastfeeding occurs as smoothly as possible and does not coincide in time with other big changes: for example, with the mother's going to work or moving.

When to end breastfeeding

Many pediatricians both in Russia and abroad believe that a child should be fed until he himself has given up breast milk, which usually happens by the end of the third year of life. WHO recommends breastfeeding for up to two years and continuing feeding further if desired by the mother and baby. This position is often supported by statistics that babies who have been breastfed more than average tend to have better health and show higher intellectual capacity. In favor of the long-term for the mother, it should also be said that it reduces the risk of breast cancer.

Does milk become useless after a year of feeding?

The opinion that after a year of breastfeeding, breast milk loses its unique properties is incorrect. Numerous studies have shown that in the second and third years of lactation, it continues to contain all the proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, trace elements, biologically active substances and much more necessary for the baby, which stimulates the development of the brain and provides the child with everything necessary to preserve health and active growth.

How to determine if your baby is ready for weaning

When deciding to wean a baby, a mother should be guided not only by his age, but also by his willingness to do so.
If the baby lays on the breast every time he prepares for a night or daytime sleep or immediately after waking up, wakes up several times a night to replenish his mother's milk, finishes breastfeeding each complementary food, and also cannot calm down without sucking, which means weaning from breast he is not ready yet. If the mother is tired of endless attachments, then a reasonable limitation of the number of feedings, as well as periodic absences of the mother from home, and not the complete end of breastfeeding, can help in this situation. The more attachments a child has during the day, the more stressful it will be for him to abruptly stop feeding.

In addition, stopping breastfeeding does not relieve the adult of the task of teaching the child to calm down easily or fall asleep on his own, and against the background of stress due to abrupt cessation of feedings, it will be more difficult for the child to learn new skills.

Therefore, for the most careful completion of the breast period, it is worth waiting for the child to have all milk teeth, he will stop peeing at night and will begin to apply to the breast only a few times a day.

How to wean a baby

It is good if weaning happens gradually and lovingly. It's worth starting with the systematization of attachments throughout the day. The introduction of rules and rituals will help this. For example, "Mom will breastfeed you after she finishes making the soup," or "You are already big, let's not suck on the street anymore." The main thing to remember is that flexibility and gradualness are important in any learning, and parental authority will not suffer at all if you step back from the restrictions a couple of times.

When the baby begins to latch on to the breast only when laying down and upon awakening, you can move on to the next stage. To do this, you need to teach the child to "finally wake up" without a breast: if the mother has long woken up and prepares breakfast, the baby will be more easily distracted from the desire to suck than if the mother lies next to him and desperately tries to "sleep" for the last 5 minutes.

The last, most difficult stage is teaching the child to sleep without breast. If a child over two years old begins to learn to fall asleep without attachments during daytime sleep, then there is a high probability that the baby will simply stop sleeping during the day, and experts recommend maintaining an afternoon rest for at least 5-6 years. Therefore, it is better to read to practice laying down "in an adult way" while preparing for a night's sleep, and then, when the skill is formed, remove attachments from daytime dreams too.

For a baby to start falling asleep without a breast, sucking should be only one part of the bedtime ritual, not the only part of it. Bath, massage, book, fairy tale, lullaby, strong hugs - the ritual of going to bed should be great, then it will be much easier to do without breastfeeding, by switching the child's attention to his other actions. First, you can negotiate with the child and shorten the sucking time, for example, suck not until you fall asleep completely, but 1-2 minutes, and then fall asleep in your mother's arms. After a while, the child will apply only symbolically, and then stop altogether. The last to leave are usually the midnight feeds. This happens, as a rule, when all of the baby's teeth have erupted and he stops waking up at night to go to the potty.

When should a baby not be weaned?

If the child is sick, especially when he suffers from acute intestinal disorders, it is better to wait with the termination of breastfeeding. You should also not stop it in hot summer weather and immediately after the prophylactic vaccination. A contraindication for stopping feeding can be the beginning of new stages in the child's life (potty training, the first visit of the nanny, etc.).
Unwanted weaning methods are separation from mom and smearing the breast with something bitter, as they lead to unnecessary stress for the baby, and force him to abruptly rather than gradually adapt to the changes. In addition, abrupt weaning can lead to lactostasis and even mastitis in the mother.

What to do if you need to abruptly stop breastfeeding

In some difficult situations, for example, long-term separation of mother and child, mother's illness, requiring long-term treatment incompatible with breastfeeding, it is necessary to stop lactation. To do this, it is recommended that when overflowing, expressing the breast until you feel relief (not completely), drinking herbs that reduce lactation (for example, sage) in order to avoid lactostasis and mastitis. In no case should the breast be pulled over, as this increases the risk of injury to the mammary glands and their infection, but does not reduce the amount of milk produced. In any case, it is better to avoid the use of hormonal drugs that suppress lactation (parlodel, bromocriptine), since they have a destructive effect on the mother's body and can cause complications such as decreased visual acuity, allergic reactions, cramps in the calf muscles; as well as a drop in blood pressure to the point of collapse (pressure drop, life-threatening) and many others.

How to stop lactating naturally? How to stop milk production after childbirth or prolonged breastfeeding? What is the woman's technique at home? What means to use and what to refuse? Features of natural completion of lactation in the recommendations of breastfeeding consultants.

When we talk about the natural cessation of lactation, we mean the complete disappearance of breast milk. At the same time, we do not take into account the whole spectrum of physiological factors that induce our body to produce it. In our chest is not a factory or a train that can be "slowed down at full speed." Our brain, nervous system, hormones and only then the mammary glands work on the production of breast milk. Therefore, the question of how to stop the lactation of milk in a woman must be considered, first of all, from the point of view of physiology.

Physiology of lactation suppression

According to research by anthropologists, in the primitive world, the cessation of breastfeeding "human cub" was practiced when he reached two and a half to seven years. With the development of civilization, these terms have shifted significantly. It is difficult to imagine a modern mother who is breastfeeding a six-year-old child! However, our body is capable of this.

Suppression of lactation in a natural way, that is, as nature has programmed us, occurs when the following factors are present.

Child's age from 2.5 years... During this period, the composition of breast milk changes dramatically. GV consultant Natalya Razakhatskaya claims that by the age of three, the baby's food begins to resemble colostrum to a greater extent. The intensity of its production decreases. And the composition is dominated by immunoglobulins and biologically active substances. Their number is large - one attachment to the breast provides the child with 60 doses of immunoglobulin, which forms the child's immunity. Thus, the practical meaning of breast milk is changing. It no longer becomes food, but a "graft" against disease.
Extinction of the sucking reflex... Physiologically, the need for sucking disappears when the child's nervous system matures. And this happens by the time they reach the age of three. Stopping breast milk before this time means prolonging the period of its maturation, since this food contains neurostimulating substances that are responsible for the formation of the nervous system.
No frequent need to latch on to the breast... Sucking on mother's breast is not a whim of a matured baby, but his physiological need. Over time, she leaves, just like a baby goes from crawling to upright posture. For women who continue to breastfeed until this period, the question of how to get rid of breast milk does not arise. It disappears on its own, as the baby asks for breast less and less.
No breast engorgement... It is possible to complete lactation naturally only if the mammary glands are not filled "to capacity" with rare attachments of the child to them. The intervals between feedings can be up to 12-24 hours, while the woman does not experience any discomfort.
Separate sleep. It is impossible to remove breast milk without resorting to pedagogical methods. The baby should be taught to sleep in his bed separately from his parents after two years. You will need to come up with your own "ritual" for putting to bed, reading books, a song for the night, a fairy tale will do. At the same time, at night, if the baby asked for a breast, feed him and put him back in the crib. The frequency of such “requests” will gradually decrease. And the child will sleep peacefully until the morning.

Even in "adult" age, after two years, finishing breastfeeding is a violent decision in relation to the child. For him, this is more than a habit. It is close proximity with mom, and food and pleasure at the same time. Be patient and wean your baby gradually.

However, the termination of lactation by achieving involution is not always possible. There are other scenarios as well:

weaning immediately after childbirth - for medical reasons for a woman or child;
self-denial of the baby - the baby does not want to suckle the breast for various reasons, it has to be transferred to "adult" food;
weaning after a year - this is facilitated by the woman's physiological or emotional fatigue, the need for restful sleep, the desire to "free her hands."

In each case, it is important to consider that the World Health Organization recommends that breastfeeding be maintained until the age of two. If its termination is desirable for a number of reasons, try to prolong lactation until the baby is one and a half years old. At this age, it is unacceptable to transfer it to an "adult" diet in the summer. After two years, the season for the completion of lactation is of no fundamental importance.

The onset of involution of lactation in a woman occurs within forty days. This period should be counted from the moment the child was last applied to the breast. If active sucking is resumed, lactation may return a month after the last feeding.

After 40 days, the structure of the mammary glands changes, which makes the return of lactation impossible. The glandular tissue is replaced by fatty tissue, after which the breast passes into a "pre-pregnant" state.

After the baby is born

The question of how to quickly stop lactation immediately after childbirth arises when diseases of the mother or child are identified. It is necessary to alleviate the condition of the woman if the child was born still or there was a miscarriage at a later date. In order for breast milk to disappear, it is necessary to use folk and medication.

In the first days, the mammary glands will secrete colostrum, which will be replaced by full-fledged milk on the third or fifth day. The inability to remove it from the chest will lead to redness, soreness, and fever. With proper care, this condition will last for several days. But it takes more time to completely suppress lactation. Its extinction occurs within two to three weeks.

The woman's tactics should be coordinated with the doctor, who will recommend how to stop the production of breast milk in a gentle way.

Wear a tight bra around the clock... He should not squeeze the chest, but it is important to fix it well.
Apply cool compresses... Helps to stop lactation at home, ice wrapped in a towel, or cold bandages. Apply them to your breasts to relieve soreness and burning.
Don't let your chest swell... When there is too much milk, express it. Do this a little at a time to eliminate excess. Over time, its production will naturally decrease.
Take pain relievers... To normalize the condition will help funds based on paracetamol, ibuprofen. The latter has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Use folk remedies... Stopping lactation with folk remedies is safer than using pills. Place cabbage leaves in your bra, which relieve swelling well and work like a cold compress. You can reduce the severity of hot flashes using. It should be brewed in two sachets or a tablespoon and consumed as a cold infusion. With the help, you can improve the condition of the breast, perform massage to facilitate expression.
See a doctor if a permanent seal is forming... Milk stagnation manifests itself as dense lumps in the breast. If you find them, gently massage these areas. If they persist, the state of health worsens and a temperature appears, it is likely that lactostasis has developed, which requires drug treatment.

It is impossible to properly terminate lactation and do it quickly. Milk production decreases gradually as milk flow out of the breast (consumption) decreases.

Often, doctors prescribe drugs "", "Dostinex" to achieve a quick effect. The first is banned for use in the United States because of the many side effects it causes. The second can also provoke headaches, fatigue, nosebleeds, but is allowed in a number of countries due to fewer side effects.

Before using them, it is important to understand the real need for the application. It exists if the level of prolactin is critically high, and it is impossible to stop lactation by other means. In other cases, it is not advisable to resort to taking pills, since they provoke not only momentary effects, but also delayed problems in the form of hormonal disruptions.

By decision of the woman

The question of how to stop lactation at home often arises due to the woman's fatigue. The baby has grown up, is very active, and breastfeeding, it seems, takes so much energy, does not allow you to fully rest at night. Justified will be the decision to end breastfeeding when the baby reaches one and a half years of age. Until that time, milk continues to play an essential role in the development of his body.

It will be natural to gradually wean the baby from the breast, including reducing the number of attachments. It creates the best conditions for mother and child.

Less discomfort... There is no feeling of overcrowding in the mammary glands, the risk of lactostasis and mastitis is reduced.
No emotional discomfort... If you "tear" the baby from the breast abruptly, at one point, there is a jump in the hormone prolactin. It causes a depressed, depressive state of a woman. A gradual decrease in the number of feedings allows you to "survive" this state in a mild form.
The baby experiences less stress... Its adaptation to new living conditions is easier.

It is necessary to postpone the termination of feeding if the baby is sick or restless. Do not plan this "event" for periods of abrupt changes in his life (moving, your going to work, etc.), as emotional breakdowns are likely.

The most important aspect in the question of how to stop breastfeeding is the consistency of the mother and self-confidence. A positive attitude and clear coordination of actions helps to complete lactation calmly and without negative consequences.

Use the following sequence of actions.

Remove attachments during the day, while awake... Find an attractive alternative (sippy juice, biscuits, apple).
Eliminate Feeding Upon Waking... Let someone else be with the baby at these moments: grandmother, dad. If this is not possible, distract the baby with something interesting: look out the window, pick up a new toy.
Teach your baby to go to bed without breastfeeding... First, daytime feedings will go away, then before bedtime. Think of another way to be close to your baby: sit by his crib, read a book, sing a song.

Avoid nudging while sleeping. If the baby learns to fall asleep without a breast, they will go away on their own.

Habits don't form quickly! This technique, how to stop lactation without pills, works within two to three months. Don't force things. This will help both the baby and your body to adapt to new conditions easier.

Avoid giving up feeding harshly. It poses a high risk of complications for your body. Even with a momentary cessation of feeding, breast milk will remain in the mammary glands for at least 40 days.

In a small amount, breast milk will be excreted in the future - within six months. Even discharge after a few years with pressure on the nipples is considered the norm. You should worry about your own health if milk spontaneously flows out of the mammary glands three months after the end of feeding. Or, against the background of minor discharge from the chest, there is a malfunction of the menstrual cycle.