How to wean your baby from breastfeeding correctly. Weaning your baby quickly. Three ways to wean a baby from a pediatrician

17.09.2019

Sooner or later, every nursing mother thinks about weaning her baby. There can be many reasons for this - approaching the end of lactation, deteriorating health, the need to go to work, serious psychological or physical discomfort from feeding, etc. In any case, the question of how to wean a baby from breastfeeding becomes relevant.

Of course, caring mothers want everything to be as “painless” as possible for the baby. Let's take a look at common ways to end breastfeeding and tips to make it easier.

Opinions differ as to the age at which weaning will be natural and least traumatic for the baby. Some pediatricians and mothers believe that you need to feed your baby until they are two years old.

Others argue that breastfeeding can be completed by one year. Most agree that weaning should not start earlier than 1.5 years. WHO recommendations confirm this point of view, calling the period from 18 to 24 months of life the optimal childhood for weaning.

What time of year is it better to do this?

Previously, it was believed that weaning should not be carried out in the summer, as the risk increases during the hot season, and breast milk provides additional support for the immune system. Many pediatricians are now skeptical about this ban.

Subject to the rules of hygiene, control of the freshness and quality of what the baby eats, the chance of catching an intestinal infection is small at any time of the year. Therefore, if the child is already 1.5-2 years old and you see that "the time has come", you can wean the baby at any convenient moment, regardless of the weather outside the window.

Serious reasons for weaning

It is optimal to stop breastfeeding when both mom and baby are ready for it. But sometimes circumstances arise that require urgent weaning.

Serious medical reasons for stopping breastfeeding include:

severe infections (tuberculosis, syphilis, etc.);
purulent mastitis;
oncological diseases;
serious deviations in the work of the cardiovascular system, kidneys, liver and other internal organs.

If the mother's illness requires taking medications that are incompatible with lactation, the question of stopping feeding is decided individually. In a situation where the treatment period is short, it is possible to store milk by expressing regularly and continue feeding the baby after recovery.

Another compelling reason for completing breastfeeding is the involution of lactation. This is a natural process that precedes the cessation of milk production. It usually begins 1.5 years after childbirth or later, but there are early cases.

During involution, the breast tissue gradually returns to its pre-pregnancy state. Milk production decreases during this period, even if the baby continues to actively suckle. If the involution of lactation has come, then the time has come to decide how to wean the baby.

Weaning methods

Several methods are known for completing breastfeeding. Let's consider them in more detail.

Mother's departure

It is believed that weaning will happen faster if a woman leaves home for 3-7 days and takes measures to stop lactation, while other relatives will look after the baby at this time. This method is not popular due to the trauma of the situation for the child and mother.

The baby not only loses milk, but also loses contact with his mother, which is fraught with serious stress. A woman who constantly thinks about how her baby is there is also unlikely to be able to have a good time.

Moreover, the method is not very effective. Many babies do not lose interest in breast milk even for a week, and after the mother's return, they demand breast again.

Tug on chest

This method of stopping lactation has been known for a long time. It is quite effective, although it is accompanied by physical discomfort and can negatively affect the health of the mammary glands (mastitis, edema, soft tissue damage if the bandage is not applied correctly).

The essence of the method is that the breast, empty after pumping or feeding, is tied with a tight bandage over its entire surface using a cotton cloth (diaper, sheet). You should cover the area from the armpits to the lower ribs, while there should be no pain. Such a bandage is worn 2-3 hours a day.

As a result of pulling the empty breast, milk production decreases and then stops altogether. But this does not happen immediately. It will take at least 7-10 days to achieve the desired result. During this period, you can and should continue to feed the baby, and if weaning is carried out for medical reasons, you should regularly express if you feel full breast.

Tug of the mammary glands is used to quickly end breastfeeding. This will become stressful for the child, in addition, mammologists consider this method of stopping lactation unsafe for a woman's health. It can be used only as a last resort, if other methods are impossible, ineffective or contraindicated.

Medication method

Suppression of lactation with medication also refers to rapid weaning methods. In this case, a woman is prescribed hormonal drugs, such as Dostinex, Parlodel and others. Taking them can be accompanied by side effects: nausea, vomiting, constipation, dizziness, surges in blood pressure, depression. Therefore, drug suppression of lactation is not suitable for everyone.

After the start of taking medications, the child should not be applied to the breast. The duration of therapy is 2-4 weeks, during which time lactation should stop.

Considering the possible side effects, the negative impact of hormonal treatment on a woman's health, as well as the trauma of rapid weaning for a child, the method is used only if there are serious reasons. Drug suppression of lactation should take place under the supervision of a physician.

Natural way

If you are wondering how best to wean a baby at 2 years old, the natural way is the best solution. It can be used earlier, but not earlier than after 1 year of feeding and provided that the baby is ready for this.

The natural method is most easily tolerated by children, but takes a long time. At the same time, the mother is gradually replacing the daily feeding of the child with “adult” food. Of course, the baby can start to be capricious and ask for breast, but he needs to be distracted by other activities. You will have to express your milk during the day.

Mothers who practice the natural method are often interested in how to wean the baby from falling asleep with and from the breast. If your baby's daily diet already consists entirely of conventional foods, the nightly portion of breast milk can also be removed. Pediatricians do not recommend giving formula or sweetened water instead, as this increases the risk of tooth decay. If the child needs to drink something at night, it is better to offer him regular water.

First, the duration of nighttime latching is shortened, giving the baby only a couple of minutes to suck. When the child begins to periodically skip these moments, the breast can simply not be given.

It is believed that giving up night feeds will be easier if the grandmother or dad puts the baby to bed. It is not necessary to do this every day, the main thing is that the baby learns to fall asleep without a breast. It is also worth starting evening rituals to help the child tune in to sleep - reading a book, massaging the legs, stroking the back, etc.

Other methods

In addition to the methods recognized by official medicine, there are folk ways to reduce milk production and wean the baby from the breast. To reduce lactation, it is proposed to take decoctions of sage, lingonberry leaves, mint. Before using them, you should consult with your doctor and study the list of contraindications.

Also, women are advised to limit fluid intake - to drink no more than 1-1.5 liters per day. Such a drinking regimen can indeed reduce milk production, but it can be hazardous to health. In the hot season, you cannot limit drinking due to the risk of dehydration.

For moms who want to stop breastfeeding, hot and warm drinks are prohibited because they can provoke hot flashes. Lactogonic foods such as seeds, pine nuts, dates, milk, butter, carrots should be removed from the menu.

In addition to reducing lactation, it is important to reduce the baby's desire to suckle. For this, folk wisdom recommends smearing the nipples with something repulsive or tasteless, for example, brilliant green, mustard, wormwood tincture. But the harmlessness of such advice is questionable, since due to the influence of aggressive substances, burns of the skin of the chest or mucous membranes of the baby's mouth are possible.

The period of weaning can be accompanied by physical and psychological discomfort for mom and baby. To make it easier for your baby to transition from breastfeeding to a bottle or an adult table, the following tips can help:

provide the baby with sufficient tactile contact, hug and kiss him more, take him in your arms more often so that he does not feel abandoned;
if weaning has occurred for medical reasons and the baby still needs artificial feeding, make sure that the nipple of the bottle is physiological and not too tight;
you can satisfy the baby's sucking reflex during weaning by giving him a pacifier between feedings;
find interesting activities for the crumbs that distract him from thoughts about his chest - walk more, play, go to visit;
avoid situations that provoke the baby - do not change clothes with him, wear closed clothes.

Often mothers have a question - what to do with the breast when weaning the child? You can reduce lactation using herbal teas and daily sports. If it is necessary to connect drugs, a preliminary consultation with a mammologist is required.

To avoid mastitis, pumping is essential during this period. It is best to do this manually, gradually (over the course of a week) reducing the frequency of pumping. Cool compresses on empty breasts can help reduce hot flashes.

What shouldn't you do?

How to properly wean a baby without harm to health? Do not use dubious methods and do not rush things.

You should not resort to the following measures:

Smearing the chest with something scary or bitter. This can cause psychological or physical harm to your child.
Set specific dates when the baby will be completely weaned. It is unlikely that this will give anything other than disappointment and discontent, because all children have different reactions and needs, it is rather difficult to calculate them in advance.
Wean the child at any cost. If you see that the baby is not yet ready - anxiety is increasing, sleep is disturbed, stuttering or tantrums appear, then you need to take a step back and return to the previous feeding schedule.

When can you not wean from breastfeeding?

There are situations in which weaning may be delayed if possible. You should not deny your baby breast milk when he is sick, especially with intestinal infections. The period after, very hot weather, recent stress, is also not the best time to stop breastfeeding.

If the mother is planning a quick exit to work or the baby's admission to kindergarten, pediatricians do not recommend increasing the negative impact on the baby's psyche and immune system by weaning. It is better to do this 1-2 months earlier or later than the event.

Pros and cons of quick weaning methods

When choosing how to wean a baby, some mothers prefer quick methods. If there is a medical indication, this tactic is justified; otherwise, the pros and cons of this decision must be carefully weighed.

There is only one advantage in the rapid weaning of the child from the breast - the mother can, in the shortest possible time, do things that were incompatible with feeding (start treatment, go to work, etc.).

There are many times more disadvantages:

the baby does not have time to adapt to changes, his nervous system suffers;
a woman may experience discomfort from strong rushes of milk;
the risk of stagnant and inflammatory processes in the chest increases;
often it is necessary to take hormonal drugs that are unsafe for health to suppress lactation.

Each mother has the right to decide for herself how to wean her baby from breastfeeding, but this choice must be deliberate. In all cases, except for the threat to the life and health of a woman, the natural cessation of lactation, which occurs within the time allotted by nature, will be the least traumatic.

Useful video on common weaning mistakes

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Breast milk is a nutritious and healthy product that fully satisfies the baby's need for minerals and vitamins, supports his immune system and promotes rapid growth and weight gain. Each mother independently decides when to transfer the baby to artificial mixtures or "adult" food. There are a few things to keep in mind to make the weaning process painless and with minimal stress.

Optimal time

Some breastfeeding women try to wait up to two years, when the child grows up and gets stronger, and his digestive system is ready to switch to porridge and vegetable purees. Other mothers begin to wean the baby from the breast in a year and a half. From about 8-9 months, the introduction of complementary foods begins, so milk becomes useful, but not an obligatory addition.

Experts at WHO advise switching to an adult menu no earlier than 1.6 or 2 years. Experienced mothers and doctors, worried about the physical and emotional health of women, recommend not to force yourself if breastfeeding squeezes out all your strength and does not bring pleasure. It is more useful for a child to eat mixtures and vegetables and see the parent happy. Love and a healthy family atmosphere protect you from disease as well as breast milk and vitamin supplements.

Psychological attitude

Moms experience weaning as painful as babies. They have a feeling that their own blood is losing something important. To facilitate the transition from breast milk to other foods, a woman should morally and convince herself that this step is necessary first of all for the child. He should gradually become independent and less dependent on the mother and her breasts. Parents who are confident in the correctness of their own decision find it easier and easier to refuse feeding. They convey their mood to the child, so it is easier for him to accept and adapt to new conditions.

Emergency measures

Women of the 20th century, who had never heard of psychology and pedagogy, knew only one option for weaning from breast milk. Children were placed in the care of caring grandmothers or nannies, and mothers arranged for themselves unscheduled rest. Modern parents can entrust their offspring and dads, who are able to change the baby's diaper and open a jar of puree. A woman should stay with a friend, sunbathe in the country or spend time on the seashore. It is advisable to turn off the phone and other means of communication with the outside world, because in the first day or two, the child will cry and ask for a breast in addition to his mother.

Relatives will have to make every effort to feed the little guest, put him to bed and calm the next tantrum. They will be ready to give up and offer to postpone weaning, but mom must be unforgiving. After 3-4 days, the child will calm down and weaned from milk, and in a week the parent will be able to return to her beloved child with peace of mind. The main thing is not to succumb to the desire to comfort or lull the baby with your breast, because in the first month it is very easy to break.

Important: Previously, to stop lactation, the mammary glands were pulled over with a sheet or bandages. Experiments like this often resulted in inflammation or mastitis. Modern women do not need to take such a risk, because there are special drugs, thanks to which the body stops producing milk.

Gradual changes

Not all mothers are able to get rid of guilt and place their beloved child in the care of a father or grandmother. And relatives are not always ready to support a woman and keep the baby with them for such a long time. We'll have to be patient and move towards the goal gradually. Some people manage to stop breastfeeding for 1.5–2 weeks, others stretch the pleasure for a month or a little more.

The child needs energy and many vitamins to keep the immune system in working order. It is necessary to experimentally find products that the baby likes and do not cause him allergies, and gradually increase the portions of adult food, reducing the amount of mother's milk. You can give more juices or compotes, make sure that the child has enough liquid. Mother's milk is replaced with cow or goat's milk, or special formula is bought. There is nothing wrong with artificial powders, on the contrary, they strengthen the immune system and contribute to normal development.

While the child smoothly switches to mashed potatoes and soups, the mother is also advised to stick to a diet. Exclude for a while meals and foods that enhance lactation. Try to drink a minimum of water and other fluids, use diuretics or herbs. Some women reduce the amount of milk with laxative tablets or drops, but the benefits of this method are questionable, and the harm is obvious.

Diversionary maneuver
The child must learn to fall asleep first during the day, and then at night without the mother's breast. The woman is advised to go to the same bed with her baby so that he feels her presence and support. But if he starts to be capricious and demand "food", you need to gently calm him down and offer a hug. Only the child's back should be pressed against the mother's belly, so as not to tempt the child with the opportunity to have lunch before bed. You can offer a bottle of water or cow's milk instead of the usual breast, but some babies then develop a dependence on the nipple.

During the day, a woman should wear T-shirts or sweaters without a cutout, which prevents access to the mammary glands. Athletic tops can be worn that keep the shape of the chest and protect from persistent children's hands. You can not change clothes with a child and swim with him in the same bath. In the afternoon, when the baby begins to be capricious and beg for breasts, it is recommended to distract him with games, cartoons, go for walks or meet dad at the door. You can offer to look through the peephole, open the lock yourself, and even go out onto the staircase to check if there is a second parent there.

Over time, the child will learn to eat mashed potatoes and cereals, and after a few months he will forget about the existence of mother's milk. A week is enough for some children to stop feeding. First, they learn to fall asleep on their own and not get up in the middle of the night to “have a snack” with their mother. Then they get used to having to eat mashed potatoes and steam cutlets for lunch, without washing it down with milk. During this period, it is advised to give full portions of food so that the child does not feel hungry.

Tip: If the baby refuses porridge, demanding the breast, you should not stuff lunch into it or immediately get the mammary gland. Even if he is hungry for a while, nothing terrible will happen in a few hours. But then he will gladly swallow everything that his parents offer him.

To lull the baby to sleep, the mother is advised to quietly sing or read fairy tales. Stroking on the back or head also has soothing properties. Women who refuse to breastfeed note that the child sleeps much longer both day and night and becomes less restless.

Women should exercise, because physical activity and increased sweating can help stop lactation. The swollen breasts are squeezed out, but slightly, to relieve discomfort. If the mammary glands are constantly emptied, the body will produce "food" for the baby as usual. The breast, in which the milk remains, is a signal to the brain that it's time to stop feeding.

Unconventional methods

Capricious babies who do not want to part with their usual "food" are given nipples smeared with mustard or wormwood tincture. A few feedings are enough to make your mother's mammary glands tasteless and unattractive. The main thing is not to poison the baby with grass and not burn his esophagus.

Sometimes the garlic option helps. Mom should eat a decent portion of the seasoning for the milk to taste. The kid, having tried such food one or several times, will independently refuse it and switch to appetizing vegetables.

Do not take weaning as a tragedy or betrayal. The love and tenderness that the baby received when nursing can be compensated by playing together, communicating and reading books. The main thing is that both the mother and the child are ready for such a serious step, and then they will succeed.

Video: how to properly wean a baby

In our country, finally, the creation of conditions for full-fledged motherhood and childhood has begun. How to wean a baby from breastfeeding at 1.5 years old? Decent conditions in maternity hospitals, the opportunity to purchase inexpensive baby things, a three-year parental leave, maternity capital ... All these moments, quite natural for a civilized country, were not yet available to mothers of current women in labor.

Today's mothers absolutely do not understand how one can send a six-month-old child to a nursery in connection with going to work. And 30-40 years ago, apparently, it was women who had recently given birth that formed the basis of the working class. But children under 2-3 years old actively need a loving and caring mother in order to grow up to be full-fledged loving and caring people in the future.

In those years early weaning from breastfeeding was caused by industrial necessity. It was considered the norm, since work for the good of society was more important than any personal problems. That is why our grandmothers are now surprised to see a young mother with a 2-year-old "baby" hanging near her breast. Or they are outraged if the baby "tears" the mother's dress in transport. At the same time, completely forgetting that in even more ancient times, when Russian women "gave birth in the field", breastfeeding up to 3-4 years old was considered the norm.

But, we will leave the older generation with the mistakes and shortcomings of the society half a century ago and return to the wonderful “today”, where a young mother from everywhere hears about the benefits of breastfeeding. Moreover, she completely does not want to wean the baby from breastfeeding at either 1.5 or 2 years... Numerous sites, TV shows, piles of books are dedicated to promoting a long-term close relationship between mom and baby. Indeed, in addition to the fact that the child receives with breast milk a lot of useful substances already studied by science, he gets used to gentle touches, hugs, gets used to falling asleep sweetly near a warm mother. And it is in this subtle world that everything good and eternal is laid.

So, the modern young mother reads and listens about the benefits of breastfeeding. She eats well, has no bad habits and is ready to feed her child to the bitter end. The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined the stages of breastfeeding as follows:

up to six months required
up to 1 year - preferably
after 1 year - at the discretion of the mother.

Recent studies have shown that after a year there is nothing harmful in breast milk, and even, on the contrary, with its help, the immunization of the child's body continues. That is, a young mother who loves her baby and is tuned in to everything that concerns him is ready not to let her child go from her breast, even before going to first grade.

Are there any legitimate reasons to stop breastfeeding other than for medical reasons? Definitely there is. And these reasons are psychological.

In the second year of life, the child begins to actively develop his psycho-emotional baggage. He is interested in everything, he grabs at various objects, examines them, does not know what to do with them, throws them, cries with frustration. Sometimes he is bored - he looked at everything, nothing new appeared around him - sadness, longing.

He moves a lot, accordingly, gets tired quickly, needs rest, cries, torments himself - he cannot sleep from his own crying. All these troubles happen to the baby due to the instability of the psyche to external influences.

How to wean a baby psychology

Our task is to show him how to play with an old toy in a different way, find something interesting in a long-familiar room, help him switch from an active game to a more relaxed activity. That is, at this age, the child is already able to switch his attention with the help of an adult and, thus, fully develop without damage to the psyche.

And here the selflessly loving nursing mother mistakenly believes that she has a valuable trump card. Any discomfort, crying, sadness, fatigue is removed by offering the breast. It is easier to shove a baby's breast than to find other ways to entertain him. At an older age, such a mother will offer the child a piece of cookies in every case of mental discomfort. As a result of maternal fatigue, laziness or inexperience, there is no will training in the child and a lazy, weak-willed creature grows up, moreover, plump from such care.

By the age of one and a half, a healthy child already has an internal mental resource in order to cope with various states of discomfort with the support of an adult.

Another reason why most mothers decide to end breastfeeding is the placement of their child in kindergarten. This usually happens closer to two years old, when the baby is already physically and emotionally ready to perceive the children's team. Not just ready, but needs communication, the experience of peers. Very often, completely non-speaking children or children who do not accept the potty, after two months in kindergarten, solve their problems.

In short, an adequate mother realizes the importance of a new stage in the child's life and understands that it is necessary to begin the process of weaning the child from the breast.

How to plan for weaning your baby before kindergarten

It is necessary to start in advance, already in the spring of that year, when it is planned to go to kindergarten. In no case should you combine the fact of excommunication with the moment of leaving, since the stress of separation from your mother will aggravate several times and, most likely, on the very first day, a restless, and still not sleeping child will be returned to you ahead of time.

Stages of weaning from breastfeeding:

Gradually, it is necessary to reduce all daytime feedings until there are feedings only before daytime, nighttime and nighttime feedings.
Abruptly remove feedings before bedtime.
Remove night feeds gradually.

The most difficult thing is to abruptly part with feedings before bedtime. The child, having run over the day, is tired, wants to sleep. But the infant's mechanism of falling asleep was charged for the sucking process, and now it is incredibly difficult for him to disconnect without the usual ritual.

Why is it necessary to part with feedings before bedtime abruptly? In order not to torment for a long time, neither the child, nor yourself, since the process of parting is really painful. Everyone, for sure, at least once in his life heard how in the evening or at night, behind the wall of the neighbors, a child struggled. An hour screams, another. And we think: “Here, a mother, a cuckoo, cannot calm a child! He will rip his own throat or go crazy! " It may very well be that there, among the neighbors, this very process of parting with the mother's breast took place.

Here, the main thing is to endure and not regret the little screamer. Because in this case, tomorrow you will start this process from the very beginning. Usually, 3-5 days are enough for children from one and a half to two years to get rid of breast addiction.

How to wean a baby from breastfeeding at night without a mom

How, technically, can this be done? A much faster result can be achieved by sending mom to rest for 3-4 days. So mom left. Well-groomed and therefore tired, the child is fed, washed and dressed for sleep. The toddler's bed is pushed tightly against the adult's bed. A close relative goes to the room with him, creates the most positive and calm atmosphere for him, lies down on his bed and invites the child to lie on his pillow. In this case, you can sing a lullaby and stroke the back. For a while, the child will scream and run around the bed. Trying to pick him up is practically useless because he is too upset. How long this will last depends on how busy his day was and how tired the baby is. At this stage, the relative must show mental firmness and wait for the child to calm down, lie down and start blinking slowly.

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.

Breastfeeding can take years.

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" way 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 the 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 refusing 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 you can even agree.

Some mothers smear green tea on their nipples. 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 then 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 breast 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, but 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 passed 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. "

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 in his life. Remain calm and the question of how to wean from the breast will be decided soon.

Breastfeeding a baby is a special time in the life of every mother and her baby. Breast milk protects the child's body, strengthens the immune system, saturates it with all the microelements necessary for proper growth and development. And it's not just a natural process to provide nutrition to a newborn - close psychological contact is important. But no matter how successful breastfeeding is, no matter how good lactation is, no matter how comfortable it is for everyone, weaning from breastfeeding is inevitable.

When is the best time for weaning

Transfer to artificial feeding can happen earlier if the mother, for some reason, can no longer feed her baby. But it is better not to take such a step at an early age (up to a year), and it is also categorically not recommended to wean the child from breastfeeding in winter (it is during this period that the child's body is most vulnerable, it is difficult for him to resist various viruses and infections on his own).

You can not wean a child from breastfeeding during a period when he is sick or has a tooth cut.

The baby may refuse to breast himself, but such cases are extremely rare. One of the reasons is natural involution, in which the glandular tissue is replaced by fatty tissue and the production of breast milk gradually stops. Usually, with normal lactation, this occurs two years after delivery.

What ways can you wean a baby from breast today?

There are different ways to wean your baby from breastfeeding, among them:

drug stopping of lactation;
the so-called "grandmother's" method;
gradual natural weaning.