Is it good to feed your baby with breast milk? Natural restoration of the breast shape. Opinions against long feeding

Long-term (more than a year) breastfeeding - is it good or bad? Is it worth continuing to breastfeed a child who already eats "adult" food with might and main? And is it possible to replace mother's milk with goat or cow?

To answer these questions, we turn to the WHO breastfeeding guidelines. Her experts advise to continue GW at least until the child is two years old. But what are these recommendations related to? Drinking water quality. This recommendation is relevant for developing countries and countries with low sanitary and living standards. For example, in some African countries, breastfeeding after 2 years is the absolute norm. But in developed countries, a mother cannot afford to feed her child for so long, since she wants to realize herself outside the home, at work, and does not want to endure the restrictions associated with hepatitis B. Including the refusal to consume allergens and alcoholic beverages.

Dr. Komarovsky said well about breastfeeding after a year. The meaning of his statements is as follows: up to six months it is imperative to breastfeed, up to a year - very desirable, after a year - if the mother and the child want it... A mother who has fed a child up to six months receives, like in school, a C grade. Up to a year - four. Well, up to 1.5 years - a solid five.

In this case, it is very important to monitor the child's appetite. If he only suckles and eats other food badly, something needs to be changed. Sometimes the only way out is to stop breastfeeding after a year if the baby begins to lose weight due to such feeding. Please note that the minimum amount of regular food for a one-year-old child is 600-700 grams. If the baby often wakes up at night and suckles, apparently, you need to increase the amount of this food and (or) its calorie content. For example, introduce milk porridge, if for some reason the child eats only dairy-free for some reason, or does not eat porridge at all.

In fact, you don't even have to argue about whether it's worth it or not. This is a private matter for each family. And it often happens that a mother who wanted to complete hepatitis B up to a year, happily continues it until 2 or 3 years old, and the one who wanted to become long-breastfeeding, on the contrary, finishes feeding quite early. Too many circumstances influence the decision.

Here are the benefits of breastfeeding after a year.
1. A child in the second year of life will have enough calcium, even if he does not consume dairy and fermented milk products. Not all children can use milk porridge, cottage cheese, kefir. Some people remain intolerant to cow's milk protein for quite a long time. They cannot use it. And then long-term breastfeeding is optimal.

2. The baby is easy to put to bed, soothe with the help of the chest. And no dummy is needed. Motion sickness is also unnecessary. Often those who rarely breastfeed a baby - usually only for daytime and nighttime sleep - speak in favor of long-term (more than a year) breastfeeding.

3. The mother always has something to offer the child without the risk of intestinal infection. For example, if they are walking in a park where there are no shops with baby food nearby.

4. Teeth erupt less painfully. Of course, milk does not have analgesic properties, but it distracts the child from thinking about itchy gums.

5. Health benefits of the child. Breast milk is healthier than cow's, goat's or any other milk. Even if the grown up baby can no longer feed exclusively on mother's breast, he will take many vitamins and minerals from her milk.

6. Women who breastfeed for a long time are less likely to have breast and ovarian cancer.

7. High level of iron in blood (hemoglobin), good mood, absence of premenstrual syndrome. Many women who breastfeed at intervals of no more than 4-6 hours do not recover their menstrual cycle. Often until the very end of the GW.

And this is potential harm to the mother from breastfeeding after a year, according to many Russian doctors and ordinary people.

1. Prolonged amenorrhea, low estrogen, more calcium loss in milk. Long-term breastfeeding is believed to be a risk factor for osteoporosis in women. At least that's what leading endocrinologists say. Although there are some foreign researchers who prove that with HS, less calcium is washed out from the intestines, and that, on the contrary, breastfeeding serves as the prevention of osteoporosis.

2. Development of a strong psychological dependence of the child on the mother. Inability to leave the child for several hours. This negates many of the benefits of breastfeeding. You can avoid such a strong dependence if you introduce complementary foods in a timely manner and teach the child to satisfy his hunger with them. And use mother's milk as a source of additional nutrition.

3. Iron deficiency anemia in a child. With inadequate, low-quality, or unvaried nutrition, it often occurs in children over a year old. You can suspect her by the pallor of the child, his lethargy. Well, to accurately determine by the blood test, which all the children periodically take.
Iron deficiency anemia is treated by taking appropriate medications and excluding its cause. For example, if a child does not eat meat well, you need to try to accustom him to it, make the food tastier, grind the meat thoroughly and take other tricks. The composition of breast milk does not become poorer after a year of feeding, but the baby's needs for microelements and vitamins are growing. And breast milk contains little iron, although it is easily absorbed from it.

4. Difficulty sleeping at night... It is said that babies stop waking up at night when they no longer breastfeed. In fact, this is not the case. A child can wake up at night even after folding the GW, if he eats too little, from hunger, or if his teeth are painfully erupting, the room is stuffy, the bed is narrow and not comfortable for a dozen other reasons. Although in some children, waking up at night does stop.

5. Lactostasis, if the amount of complementary foods increases sharply. A sharp weaning from breastfeeding after a year or the child's unwillingness to suckle as much and often as before, provokes stagnation in the mammary glands in the mother. Although, this can be safely avoided if you always monitor the fullness of your glands and do not forget to let the baby suck them one at a time. If any of the mammary glands is painful and enlarged, be sure to express until relieved. And do not be afraid that the child will remain hungry, this will not happen.

6. Baby bites. Babies bite their mother's breasts when their teeth are teething. After a year, the canines are especially painful. In order to prevent nipple bites, you need to try to put them deeper into the baby's mouth.

And remember that you don't have to tell anyone about how long you are going to breastfeed or why. It only concerns you and your child, very intimate. And let the acquaintances keep their opinion to themselves.

How to wean your baby from breastfeeding after a year

The most important thing is the readiness of the mother and child for this. Mom's preparedness must be psychological and physical. As far as psychology is concerned, everything is clear. But the physical one is that it does not have hyperlactation. Otherwise, only a very slow, gradual weaning after a year will do.

First, the mother needs to remove daytime feedings that are not related to putting the baby to bed. This is usually pretty straightforward to do. It is advisable to remove these feedings not all at once, but gradually. Then the child will be calm, and the mother will not have milk stagnation, the mammary glands will slowly adjust to the child's reduced demands.
If, in parallel with the removal of daytime feedings, the child suddenly began to sleep poorly at night, it is possible that he is not yet ready to give up hepatitis B and it is necessary to reduce the rate of weaning.

After that, mom stops breastfeeding for daytime sleep (or dreams). For these purposes, mom will have to come up with some kind of ritual for going to bed. For example, reading a fairy tale. Just do not replace the breast with a dummy or a bottle, in the future you will have to wean the child from this already.

After all daytime feedings are removed, it's time to turn off nighttime feedings. If you have a joint dream with your child, then you need to start teaching him to sleep in his crib, separately from his parents. Moreover, if a child wakes up at night, it is not the mother who comes up to him, but another adult and calms him down. Usually a couple of nights is enough for the baby to stop craving for mom's breast at night.

Weaning after a year is best done in early spring, late autumn or winter when there is minimal risk of intestinal infections. On the other hand, in cold weather, the child is not particularly busy outside, which means that the process of weaning itself can be more difficult and lengthy.

You should not wean your baby during the period when his teeth are teething, if he is sick or has been vaccinated.

It would seem that the most difficult thing is to organize breastfeeding after cesarean or to train a child who refused it to breastfeed, but sometimes problems of a different kind arise when after a year this very breast cannot be taken away from the child. And then experts advise the mother, if there is such an opportunity, to disappear from the child's field of vision for three days. During this time, try to extinguish lactation as much as possible. Meanwhile, the child will forget about the breast.

So that mom does not have discomfort, you need to regularly drink sage broth. But only chilled. In general, hot drinks are still contraindicated as they stimulate milk production.

It is not worth pulling the breast in the hope of reducing milk production. Most often this leads to lactostasis and even mastitis.

If you are against breastfeeding after a year and there is a desire to quickly extinguish lactation, then you can do it medically. Usually, a single dose of half a Dostinex tablet is sufficient.

How to replace breast milk? Many women continue to give their child up to 2-3 years old only fermented milk products. Someone injects an age-appropriate mixture. Well, most give regular, unadapted whole cow or goat milk, or special baby milk, sold in small packages.

How to do it right? Doctor Komarovsky advises not to give a child under 2-3 years old to drink whole cow's milk, a mixture is better. But if there are problems with money, whole milk will do, but a child under 2 years old can drink it no more than 200 grams per day. Doctors say that a one-year-old child needs to drink 200-300 grams of breast milk, formula or whole cow's milk per day.

At first glance, "Baby milk" is no different from the usual one in composition, only more expensive. However, manufacturers claim that it is cleaner and does not contain antibiotics, which are often given to cows for preventive purposes on large farms.

I would like to draw the attention of nursing mothers that this is a delusion that is unsafe for the health of your babies. When someone says this to you, do not take it for granted simply because the person who said it is your relative or, for example, a doctor. Unfortunately, today many doctors do not have sufficient knowledge of breastfeeding and do not feel the desire to make up for this deficiency.

This situation is not unique for Russia - the same thing is happening abroad, which has caused the need for the emergence of such a profession as a breastfeeding consultant, who collects information on breastfeeding and shares it with those who need it. If someone tells you that after a year there is nothing useful in breast milk, ask how the speaker knows this. Ask if he knows about the WHO recommendation to continue feeding until two years, and what caused the recommendation of the most authoritative medical organization, if there is really nothing useful in milk. Finally, ask how it turns out that up to 6 months milk was so useful that it replaced any other food, and in a year it suddenly suddenly ceased to be useful ...

Fortunately, not all doctors rely on the long-outdated recommendation of the 60s-70s "feed up to a year and no longer." Many people today are encouraging mothers to continue feeding, relying on data that are available to anyone who is at least somehow interested in it. Here are some of the data.

Not only abroad, but also in Russia, there are many studies that have proven the benefits of breast milk at any time of feeding. Indeed, after a year, breast milk changes its composition, but not at all for the worse. The main reason for these changes is that milk is no longer the main food for the baby, and other functions come to the fore. The older the child becomes, the more the concentration of immunoglobulins in milk increases, which protect the child from diseases. Breast milk contains leukocytes and a number of anti-infectious factors, as well as antibodies against infectious agents previously transferred by the mother. Infants between 16 and 30 months of age were found to have less pain and shorter durations than their non-nursing peers (Gulick 1986 study).

And, for example, the American Academy of Family Physicians specifically draws attention to the fact that if children are weaned before two years of age, the risk of any childhood diseases is greatly increased. The Mother and Child Project (John Snow, Inc., 2003) states that breastfeeding protects children under 2–3 years of age from some forms of diarrheal diseases such as cholera and shigellosis, as well as other infections such as otitis media and meningitis.

The optimal composition of human milk forms such characteristics of fat, carbohydrate, mineral and energy metabolism, which provide optimal conditions for the physical and intellectual development of the child, longevity, social adaptation, and the subsequent risk of developing atherosclerosis, hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, leukemia and chronic intestinal diseases (Fewtrell, 2004; Global strategy on diet, physical activity and health, 2004).

Immune support from mother's milk is never superfluous for babies. But beyond that, milk remains a valuable source of protein, fat, calcium and vitamins. So, in the second year of feeding, the usual daily dose of milk that a baby receives while breastfeeding (on average 448 ml) provides 43% of the need for protein, 36% of the need for calcium, 75% of vitamin A, 94% of vitamin B12 and 60% of vitamin C (Dewey study 2001). According to other sources, the vitamin A content in a daily portion of milk can vary from 38 to 75% of the daily requirement, and the vitamin C content can reach up to 95% of the daily requirement, depending on the mother's diet. But in any case, as the WHO guidelines on breastfeeding and the course "Mother and Child" teach Russian doctors: "Breast milk remains an important source of energy and high-quality nutrients for a child during the second year of life and beyond. Breastfeeding protects the baby from xerophthalmia (vitamin A deficiency). "

Breastfeeding is especially beneficial for babies who are prone to allergies. Substances contained in mother's milk create a kind of barrier in the intestines for potentially allergenic molecules. In addition, the anti-inflammatory properties of breast milk reduce the risk of infectious diseases, which themselves act as triggers for allergies. Children who are breastfed are less likely to develop allergic diseases: food allergies, allergic bronchitis and bronchial asthma (Guide for Physicians "Protection, support and encouragement of breastfeeding in health care facilities for obstetrics and childhood", Ministry of Health, 2005).

Long-term feeding contributes to the correct formation of the maxillofacial skeleton, teething, development of the facial apparatus, and reduces the frequency of malocclusion. According to a Johns Hopkins study, babies who breastfed for less than a year were 40% more likely to have malocclusion than babies who continued to feed. Studies of Russian doctors also say unequivocally: "The longer a child is breastfed, the less the likelihood of malocclusion and the occurrence of caries. When breastfeeding up to 1.5-2 years of age, children rarely have dental and speech therapy problems" (Guide for doctors "Protection , support and encouragement of breastfeeding in health care facilities for obstetrics and childhood ", Ministry of Health, 2005).

Today it is becoming very fashionable to bring up early independence in children, and premature weaning is seen by some parents as a means of making the child more independent. However, psychologists who are closely involved in the study of child development warn that premature forced excommunication can, on the contrary, provoke a delay in emotional development and increase dependence on parents. Imposed independence turns into psychological isolation and abandonment. It is much better to give the child the opportunity to become independent when he is ready for it. This is well illustrated by the results of foreign studies: for example, one of them showed that the greatest achievements in school were in children who were fed longer. And another (a study by Ferguson et al, 1987) showed that the longer a child breastfeeds, the better social adaptation goes later, at the age of six to eight. Both mothers and teachers recognized that long-fed babies were much less likely to develop problem behaviors.

And Russian doctors, who undertook to study the effect of breastfeeding on the neuropsychic development of children, found that long-lactating babies show much better results both at two years old, with tests of speech development, and at three years old, with tests of correct performance of skills (Dzhumagaziev A. A., Kozina TF and Rozhkova ON "The importance of breastfeeding and psychological unity of mother and child for his neuropsychic development"). The smallest number of cases of rude behavior, including antisocial behavior, was noted in the group of schoolchildren who received breast milk at the age of 11-24 months (Dzhumagaziev A.A. et al., 2004, 2005).

But even if you don't count on the long-term effects, most breastfeeding moms agree that breastfeeding itself maintains feelings of love and intimacy. The feeling of tenderness that occurs when feeding a baby helps both mother and baby to relax and calm down. Babies over one year old are characterized by emotional instability, which infuriated more than one parent. But if the mother can give the baby a breast, the whole family will pass the difficult time of age-related psychological crises much easier.

Coordinator of the "New Level" project

Photo - Ekaterina Savosina

Young mothers often argue about breastfeeding. This is a difficult and controversial topic. Up to what age is it permissible to breastfeed a baby? To find the answer to the question, we have put together several points of view, those who are in favor and those who are AGAINST: both ordinary women and the GW consultant spoke out.

"Long-term feeding is good for both mom and baby"

Maria, 27 years old, Sasha's mother (1 year 8 months)

Even before my son appeared, I came to visit my friends who had given birth and was perplexed, watching them feed their already "grown-up" children. For example, my former classmate fed her daughter when she was one and a half years old. But then I read the literature on motherhood and feeding and came to the conclusion that long-term breastfeeding is good for the health and psyche of the child, a means of calming and connecting with the mother.

During pregnancy, I planned to breastfeed until the moment when my son gave up breastfeeding. Now I think differently: I will continue until two years, and then we'll see. I don’t understand why many people are against it: breastfeeding makes life easier!

I often sit on various sites, chatting with other girls. I feel sorry for the mothers who put the child to bed for a long time. They either sing a lullaby, or sit next to the crib for hours ... As a result, they pop in a bottle of water or diluted fruit drink. In our family, this has never happened - I rock my son a little, I can tell a poem or a fairy tale, and then I give a breast. After that, he usually sleeps peacefully. He does not whimper at night, and even if so, I apply it to my chest. He drinks his mother's milk and falls asleep again. The nights are calm.

I feed the baby several times a day before bedtime and daytime. At other times I don't put it on my chest. As for, it is no longer as strict as in the first months: I eat fast food, chocolate, tangerines, pizza, sushi, citrus spicy and fatty foods. I can have a glass of red wine - all in reasonable amounts, of course.

Irina, mother of Dasha (10 years old) and Ilya (1 year 4 months)

I'm tired of arguing with opponents of longevity. I feed my son with breast milk, but I try not to talk about it to strangers. My daughter was not weaned until the last: she was almost 2.5 years old when she independently gave up breast and switched to regular food. We do not observe any deviations: an excellent student, an athlete, very talented and intelligent.

It annoys me when others impose their views and claim that after 12 months milk becomes "empty", useless. Milk does not disappear by itself a year after giving birth - which means that nature has provided for everything and milk is necessary. A woman's milk contains useful substances that strengthen the immune system, immunoglobulins that protect against viruses, vitamins, stem cells. Are you proposing to deprive the child of such powerful protection?

My children practically do not get sick. All sorts of viruses, infectious diseases and other sores bypass them. Children have excellent immunity, ARVI almost never get sick, intestinal infections have never been. There are no complaints about the psyche either: obedient, calm, kind, well developed. And about ... I can't say. This is a question from the field of ethics and education of both mother and child.

"After a year, the baby does not need breast"

Polina, mother of Nastya (1 year)

Note to moms!

Hello girls) I didn't think that the problem of stretch marks would touch me, but I will also write about it))) But there is nowhere to go, so I am writing here: How did I get rid of stretch marks after childbirth? I will be very glad if my method will help you too ...

Among young mothers, the topic of GW caused some unhealthy excitement. And this was not the case before! Now many are fixated on this and believe that children need to be fed almost to primary school age. Milk mixtures are sharply negative and aggressively criticized by a woman who has decided to feed her child with them. Allegedly, it contains harmful substances. But we live in such an ecological situation that there are plenty of them in mother's milk. I stopped feeding at 7 months on the recommendation of a doctor, did not maintain lactation, and the gynecologist said that it was not necessary for more than 9 months. And nothing terrible happened!

The daughter on the mixture began to sleep peacefully all night. I quickly forgot about the chest. There were no hard feelings. And my husband and I now have a lot of free time - we were even able to fly to rest.

I was afraid that the baby would start to be capricious. I saw with what difficulty a friend disaccustomed her son: he constantly grabbed his chest, cried, pinched her and asked to eat. When a child asks for a breast at 2 years old ... I consider it a relic of the past. It looks out of place and wild. In addition, it is a lot of stress for the crumbs.

Anna, Viti's mother (1 year 1 month)

I think GW should last up to a year. No more. Then you can add regular food: vegetables, meat, fruits ...

Really advises feeding up to 2 years of age. But these are recommendations for backward states! In developed countries, they have not been fed for so long for a long time: there is no need. I read an article by a woman psychologist - she is also against long feeding. The child can grow up dependent, and the mother will get used to the constant care of her child, as this is done by mothers suffering from anxiety and overprotection.

The pediatrician told me to stop feeding by one year. When I was 11 months old, I began to apply the baby less often, and when I was a year old I started sleeping in another room. Yes, I had to go through several restless nights, show the child that it is impossible to reach for the chest, wore closed clothes. I was adamant. But now my son has an excellent appetite, he eats absolutely everything that they give.

Marina, HW consultant: "Feeding after a year is okay"

In general, the age of self-excommunication begins after 2 years: the sucking reflex in the baby fades away. He begins to eat ordinary food without any problems, he himself refuses to breast. It's also convenient for a young mother: no need to take pills to stop lactation, bandage her breasts ...

Let me remind young mothers about the benefits of long-term breastfeeding. Mother's milk is very good for the baby. It affects his intellectual development and health, protects against allergies. Milk contains iron, calcium, various groups of vitamins, protein - all elements are perfectly absorbed by the child's body from breast milk. In addition, breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer in a woman (by about 4% every year of breastfeeding).

If you decide on a long-term, it is important to take into account and think over a lot. What does an experienced consultant advise?

The modern breastfeeding woman faces a lot of misinformation about breastfeeding, negative social pressures and many other factors that undermine her decision and desire to breastfeed.

And if the mother still, in spite of everything, continues to feed the child with her milk even after a year, she has to listen to all kinds of "horror stories" about the dangers of breastfeeding "big" children.

This negative attitude is a direct legacy of the twentieth century. A hundred years ago, no one was surprised that children receive their mother's milk until 2-3 years old. Our great-grandmothers remember that the lactation process is the best contraceptive (the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for milk production, suppresses ovulation). But since the 30-40s of the twentieth century, when the ideal of a woman was not a devoted wife and mother, but a shock worker of the labor front, the opportunities to feed a baby for a long time became less and less.

In the middle of the last century, maternity leave was 1 month. The consequence of the lack of breastfeeding was the deterioration of the health of the younger generation. Health not only physical, but also psychological: children who did not know their mother's breasts are more prone to depression, problems with behavior in adolescence and difficulties in establishing family life.

That is why the World Health Organization has begun to pay close attention to breastfeeding. Numerous studies have been carried out on the composition of human milk, materials have been collected on the effect of breastfeeding on child development, manuals for health workers and brochures for mothers have been written.

Together with UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), the “10 steps for successful breastfeeding” were developed and launched, an initiative was born to create favorable conditions in maternity hospitals for the establishment of the lactation process (“Baby-friendly hospital”).

Many false theories about breastfeeding have been refuted, the minimum duration of the breastfeeding period in a baby's life has been named: 2 years ... Separately, we note the presence of strong evidence of the benefits of long-term breastfeeding for mothers and babies and the lack of scientific evidence about the dangers of prolonged breastfeeding.

If some experts claim that it is harmful, demand a reference to scientific research. And rest assured: no one will provide them to you. There is no medically proven data on the negative effects of breastfeeding after a year!

Breastfeeding after a year

The words that after a year there is nothing useful in human milk is a myth. Research results suggest just the opposite. The fat content of breast milk after a year of feeding increases 2-3 times.

The number of antibodies constantly increases with the growth of the child, as does the content of immunoglobulin A.

The level of substances responsible for the ripening of the gastrointestinal tract of the crumbs rises. In the second year of life, 448 ml of breast milk provide energy needs - by 29%, protein - by 43%, calcium - by 36%, and the need for vitamin A - by 75%. Requirements for folate (folic acid derivatives) are met by 76%, vitamin B12 by 94%, and vitamin C by 60%.

Other evidence suggests the effect of long-term breastfeeding on intelligence, with the greatest gains in children who were fed the longest.

A relationship was found between the duration of breastfeeding and successful social adaptation at the age of 6-8, when the baby goes to school. Babies over a year old are less likely to suffer from allergic diseases. Their immunity is more stable, and in case of illness, the recovery period is shorter than that of their peers who do not receive their mother's milk.

The last change in the composition of milk takes place, its task is to prepare the breast for the termination of feeding (protect against infections, restore the pre-pregnant form) and prepare the functional systems of the child's body (endocrine, immune, nervous and others) for parting with mother's milk.

The involution of lactation can occur at the age of a baby from 1.5 to 2.5 years.

What does breastfeeding look like after a year?

People who never breastfeed or did not breastfeed for a long time usually think of it this way when they say “breastfeeding”: the mother looks at her watch and realizes that it’s time. He takes the baby in his arms, settles down in a secluded place and gives the breast. Then mom takes the breasts and goes to express the rest of the milk.

In their imagination, a baby the size of a newborn appears, and not a 2-3 year old runner who can speak and eat adult food on his own! And the feeding process itself is presented only as an initiative of the mother in relation to the child (the time has come - they offered the breast).

In reality, the opposite is true. The initiative, as a rule, belongs to the baby. The baby's demand is the main principle of breastfeeding. The needs that a baby satisfies when sucking on the breast is incredibly varied!

Breast milk is not only a hunger saver. The composition of milk contains substances that help to ripen all functional systems of the body (for example, substances for the development of the nervous system and the brain), anti-stress and analgesic hormones, antibodies that protect against disease, substances that have a morphe-like structure and help the baby to fall asleep, unique polyunsaturated fatty acids regulating the processes of excitation and inhibition in the central nervous system. And many other irreplaceable elements.

Mom's milk is a miracle of nature, designed to meet all the needs of the growing body. That is why it is so important to give the baby a breast at the request for sucking, and not to "deceive" him with a dummy, as if there is some abstract "sucking reflex" that does not have a specific application to a specific object for sucking intended by nature, and which can be satisfied by sucking anything ...

That is why it is important not to remove the baby from the breast before he releases it himself. The exception is when sucking causes pain in the nipples. This is the first sign of improper attachment of the baby to the breast.

In this case, it is necessary to remove it from the mouth and offer it again, trying to ensure that the radius of the grip of the areola is at least 2-3 cm from the base of the nipple.

So, it is important to feed your baby with your milk for as long as it will be necessary for him: a year, two, three ...

Breastfeeding on demand

The request to attach a crumb to the breast expresses, depending on age, in different ways.

Newborn turns her head and opens her mouth in search of a nipple. May express his desire through worry and whimpering or crying. An older child gives already certain signals that the mother can understand.

After a year, children need to be taught the "code" word (for example, "yum-yum", "eat"), which the baby will pronounce if he needs mother's milk.

The feeding regimen is primarily associated with the baby's sleep rhythms. The longest and most complete feedings are when falling asleep and during sleep. Newborns sleep almost around the clock, which means that they will suckle the breast almost constantly.

At 6-9 months the child has 2-3 distinct daytime sleep. So, we suck the breast much less often! After a year, children switch to a one-time nap. If the mother is nearby, the baby goes to bed with the breast. If mom is not at home, the baby falls asleep perfectly with another person he knows well.

The reasons for latching on to the breast, described in paragraphs 4 and 5 (see table), are easily regulated by the mother herself: there is no reason for discomfort - there is no request for sucking from the baby.

In a child over a year old as a rule, 8-12 daily attachments to the breast persist. While awake, the baby does not suck for long: just as much as needed to overcome the difficulties that have arisen. It can be several seconds or several minutes. May be tempted to wash down adult food.

The nocturnal sucking regimen remains unchanged until the very moment of weaning. Especially willingly, babies suck in the morning: it is during this period that the peak in prolactin production passes. In order for the mother to be able to fully rest at night, it is important from the very beginning to master safe lying positions for feeding - those that will allow her to calmly doze off while the baby sucks.

The toddler, which is at the stage of weaning, has reduced the number of applications to 1-3 per day. He already knows how to fall asleep without a breast. His main food is the same as that of mom and dad. To overcome various stresses, the child's nervous and hormonal systems no longer need the soothing composition of mother's milk.

The brain reaches 80% of the volume of an adult's brain. Completed the fundamental stage in the formation of the maxillofacial apparatus (bite, articulation, diction, external cuteness). The gastrointestinal tract can function fully and develop further without the help of breast milk.

Crawled out - thanks to breast sucking, quite imperceptibly and painlessly - all milk teeth. The baby speaks of himself in the first person (the appearance of the pronoun "I" in speech), which marks the end of the stage of psychological separation from the mother and the emergence of a new self-awareness.

Usually, all of the above occurs after the child is 2 years old.

How to respond to "horror stories"?

Very calm. Take a short pause for any criticism addressed to you about breastfeeding, collect your thoughts and try to respond as kindly as possible with a phrase prepared in advance.

Words like: “Thank you very much for your concern. I will certainly think about what you said ... "Or you can refer to the doctor's recommendation:" In our situation, the doctor said that this is the only way out ... "

At the time of the dispute, most likely, it will not be possible to calmly state the scientific reasoning about the benefits of breastfeeding after a year. Therefore, it is better to engage in "educational program" of those around you before emotional discussions about your child's behavior arise.

You may not give in to provocations at all and not enter into discussions, ignoring questions that are unpleasant for you. If you have a well-developed sense of humor, use it to neutralize judgmental remarks: “Oh! I dream of feeding the baby until the army itself! I have such beautiful breasts, how can he refuse it? " And it happens that it is even better for a nursing mother not to advertise that the child continues to receive her milk - many women come to just such a decision.

Psychologists say ...

Breastfeeding a baby after a year has an important educational moment. The close emotional connection that arises during breastfeeding has a positive effect on the establishment of a trusting relationship with the mother. Therefore, children grow up empathetic, attentive and obedient, and what could be more relevant for raising a mobile and inquisitive runner!

Deep affection for the mother helps the baby to master her outlook on life, which will play a positive role in the transitional age.

Social adaptation is much more productive than that of "non-infants" children. The kid, who has not lost the connection with his mother ahead of time, is more open to this world, acts more confidently in it, feeling a strong rear behind his back. It is very convenient to travel with such a child: milk is always with you, which means that both food and drink are always at the disposal of the child.

There is no need to create special conditions for falling asleep - you just need to put the baby to your chest. At night, the baby sleeps in the same place as the mother, allowing you to save money on the purchase of a separate baby bed.

If you are planning to give birth to another child, then by feeding the older one for a long time, you get a chance to insure yourself against jealousy problems between children. Indeed, the more fully you satisfied the basic needs for love and care for an older child, the less reason he has to be offended by you in the future.

What does long breastfeeding give a young mother?

Several types of attachment to the breast

• Sucking on the breast when falling asleep. Especially long in the first six months after childbirth. Milk contains elements that help your baby fall asleep and promote a healthy sleep attitude. These are the most nutritious feedings, since hind milk, which is more fatty and high-calorie, begins to enter the baby's body 10-20 minutes after the start of sucking, and when the baby falls asleep, the breast releases on average after 30-40 minutes.
• Night attachments. Necessary for the mother to produce enough milk. Full stimulation of the prolactin hormone for the production of the volume of milk needed by the child includes at least 2-3 night sucking.
• Attachments on awakening. After sleep, the baby is, as it were, “reborn” into this world. The unique composition of breast milk also helps to safely cross the border between sleep and wakefulness.
• Breast sucking to eliminate discomfort (pain, fear, illness, unusual taste of "adult" food, fear of the dark, postpartum stress, stress associated with various life situations, etc.).
• Breast sucking to fill the lack of bodily-emotional contact with the mother (mother rarely picks up, is absent for a long time at home, devotes little time to communicating with the baby).

If your child is almost a year old or older, and at the same time you are breastfeeding, then most likely you have already thought about the following questions:

- up to what age should you breastfeed?

- how many times should a baby breastfeed after one year of age?

- what to do if the baby often suckles, day and night?

- soon to wean the baby from the breast. What is the best way to do this so as not to injure the child? Perhaps there are key points or common mistakes that can be avoided.

- I am also often asked the following question as a specialist in the development of children's speech: “The child is over a year old. He is breastfed and does not speak a word, only actively babbles syllables. They put ZRR (delay in the development of speech). Breastfeeding (breastfeeding) is said to cause speech delays. Is it true?"

Let's deal with these questions. Will help me in this matter certified experienced breastfeeding consultant, child and perinatal psychologist and child sleep consultant Lyudmila Sharova.

Lyudmila has been working with nursing mothers for over 10 years, conducting training courses and seminars to help nursing mothers. She is a mother of three children. Those mothers who approached me with questions about breastfeeding, I always refer to her courses, and they all solved their problems and are happy, thanked me for this recommendation. Therefore, I invited Lyudmila to visit us today to answer your questions.

You will find more detailed answers to questions about breastfeeding after a year in the free seminar by Lyudmila Sharova "How to breastfeed after a year so that the baby does not hang on the breast." From the recording of the seminar, you can find out:

- Feeding after 1 year - benefit or harm?

- The reasons for the constant "hanging" of the child on the chest?

- The answer to the eternal question: to feed after a year or to excommunicate?

- How to Create Your Comfortable Weaning Plan

In this article, I asked Lyudmila to answer the following questions from nursing mothers about breastfeeding babies after a year:

- What to do with frequent breast sucking after a year? Is this the norm or do you need to change something?

- What can be the first step to change the relationship with the baby in the issue of breastfeeding if he hangs on the breast and constantly requires it?

I now give the floor to Lyudmila Sharova.

Lyudmila: Hello, dear readers of the site "Native Path". In this article I will try to tell you about the main reasons for hanging on the chest of a child after a year.

Breastfeeding children after a year: what to do if the baby is hanging on the chest

Lyudmila: This topic is really hot, and if you read most of the mother's forums or communities, you will see that a large number of mothers are faced with breastfeeding problems after a year.

I will cite a short excerpt from the chat of the seminar of the same name (by the way, if you have not watched it yet, subscribe to the link above and receive an entry by mail - it's free), since such questions are typical and very common among nursing mothers:

Question: “We are 1 year 1 month old, we apply about 20 times a day, we refuse to eat normal food at all. Is it possible just not to breastfeed to get hungry?

Such frequent sucking at 1 year is no longer the norm, because when a child hangs on the breast, he does not develop harmoniously and tries to solve his needs and problems precisely at the expense of the breast.

To make it clearer, let's make an analogy with us, adult women. If we focus on one area of ​​life - career, or, conversely, home and family, then other areas sooner or later fall into decay. If we focused on children, we can forget about our self-realization, interests, hobbies. All this will lead to internal dissatisfaction and low self-esteem. Or, on the contrary, they focused on their careers - immediately there are scandals in the family, jealousy between children, health deteriorates.

A skew to one side is always bad.

And in modern conditions of life, we, mothers, provoke frequent sucking of the breast by a child. Sometimes unconsciously, and, of course, our living conditions do not allow the child to follow the age norms and reduce the number of feedings naturally.

That is, our babies suck much more than nature initially assumed.

Why is this happening here, what is the reason?

Causes of problems

1. The mismatch between the natural expectations of the child and what he sees in reality.

The child has an innate expectation that he will live in a large family. There will be grandparents, aunts and uncles who communicate closely with each other, and the child also interacts with them.

In practice, it turns out that in our country, by and large, dad leaves to earn money, and mom and child are left at home alone.

Throughout the first year of life, the child interacts mainly with the mother. Dad usually joins in the evenings and on weekends. It's great if at least on weekends, on some holidays, you still go out to see your grandmothers and grandfathers.

Chances are, you notice how differently the child begins to behave.

For example, when you go to the dacha, or you meet with friends, you have some kind of big company, or you go to visit your relatives, does the number of feedings decrease? That is, do you notice that the child needs you much less? Mostly yes. Here, this is the first reason that such frequent sucking occurs in a child over a year old.

2. While expecting a child, a mother is an active unit of society, and not a woman sitting alone at home.

This means that the mother has some interests of her own, besides the child. Perhaps it's clubs, dance lessons, or part-time work.

In any case, the mother goes out somewhere, and for the child this is a very important moment in restructuring the relationship with breast attachments.

In your absence, the child tries to sleep without breast, to eat, to be comforted. He expands his baggage of knowledge and skills, and does not run just about what happened to suck on his chest.

If the mother is always available, and the child has never faced the fact that the mother may have any desires of her own, then he can be very familiar with breastfeeding and demand it almost constantly.

3. Limited space, boredom.

This is a big problem in our life. Apartments, children's toys - while it is much more interesting for a child to play with adult things and kitchen utensils.

And it turns out that by age the child should already have a decrease in the number of breastfeeding, and the peculiarities of city life do not allow this to be done.

What should a modern mother do?

You have to start with yourself. And change YOUR attitude towards breastfeeding and towards your baby. Indeed, often we are very reluctant to perceive the growing up of a child, and very few people have time to reorganize in accordance with the age of the child.

So, for example, the child is already 2 years old, and the mother still offers him a breast for every squeak, and with this behavior she literally Hinders the child from growing up, plunging him back to the level of the newborn.

Hence, there are problems with eating behavior, with night sleep, with socialization in a child.

So, here's a 3-point plan to solve the problem:

First. Learn to identify the reason for the latching of the baby to the breast.

If you are tired - give a breast, help to calm down. If you see that the child wants to suck on the breast just out of boredom - then distract, get new toys, go for a walk.

Second. Get yourself into a passion.

Let the child see you are busy. You can ask him to wait until you are done with something and not breastfeed right away.

Third. Wear clothes that are uncomfortable to feed.

This element alone will already increase your awareness, and you will definitely ask yourself: do you really need to breastfeed your baby now? Or is it feeding out of boredom?

These are just some tips for feeding your baby over a year old and the answer to one question. You will find more detailed information in the recording of the free seminar “How to breastfeed a baby after a year”.

Breastfeed as long as you are ready! But don't let yourself feel "hostage" to feedings. Lyudmila Sharova. Child psychologist, breastfeeding and baby sleep counselor.

In addition to Lyudmila's answers, I will also answer questions about the effect of breastfeeding on the development of a child's speech

Breastfeeding in the second year of life and

child's speech development

As I wrote above, many breastfeeding mothers are often frightened by the opinion that breastfeeding in and after a year slows down the development of the child's speech. And that the frequent delay in the development of the baby's speech is caused by breastfeeding. But this is not the case! After all, the breast is not a nipple! (which, by the way, is not harmless if it is constantly in the child's mouth!).

Breastfeeding can in no way have a negative effect on the development of a child's speech. There are babies who have been breastfed after 1 year and they speak great! And there are children who have not been breastfed after 1 year, and they have severe speech disorders. Not everything is so simple in this world!

I will cite research data - these are facts with which it is impossible to argue. You can find them both in the magazine and in numerous articles:

Fact one. Leningrad speech therapist-defectologist G. M. Novikova examined 936 children from five to seven years old. The following conclusions were made: with the duration of breastfeeding for more than six months, speech impairments were detected only in 14.5% of children. And these were mild speech disorders, for example, replacing the sounds w, w, l, which were easily eliminated. In the group of children with a breastfeeding period of less than six months, dyslalia or more complex speech disorders were observed in 80% of cases.

The second fact. Johns Hopkins Research (School of Public Health): children who were bottle-fed (they breastfed for less than a year) were 40% more likely to have malocclusion than those children who were breastfed for a year or more.

Fact three: a guide for doctors“Protection, support and encouragement of breastfeeding in health care facilities for obstetrics and childhood” (Ministry of Health, 2005): “The longer a child is breastfed, the less the likelihood of malocclusion and the occurrence of caries. When breastfeeding up to 1.5-2 years of age, children rarely have dental and speech therapy problems. Breastfeeding has a beneficial effect on the formation of the maxillofacial skeleton, teething, development of the facial apparatus, reduces the incidence of malocclusion, orthodontic and speech therapy pathology. "

Yes, there are many nipples on sale now, but they are NOT designed to be in your baby's mouth all the time. Since in this case, they do not allow the teeth to completely close. Being between the teeth, the nipple does not allow the front teeth to develop correctly (a gap may form, and the baby's lateral teeth close tightly at the same time) This in the future leads to speech therapy problems and a very difficult for a child a long period of correction of violations of sound pronunciation. Which could have been avoided easily and simply had it not been for the abuse of the nipple. Therefore, experts - dentists and speech therapists advise to give up the nipple when the first eight incisors appear in the child. And it should not be such that the baby's mouth is constantly busy with the pacifier.

We wish all readers of this article a happy motherhood!

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