Usually a child is ready for weaning when all milk teeth appear, the sucking reflex practically disappears, and the number of attachments to the breast is reduced to 2-4 per day, which, as a rule, occurs by 2-3 years. Sometimes breast-feeding You have to stop because of the illness of the mother, or when a new pregnancy occurs. It is desirable that the completion of breastfeeding occurs as smoothly as possible and does not coincide in time with others. big changes: for example, with the release of the mother to work or moving.

When to stop breastfeeding

Many pediatricians both in Russia and abroad believe that a child should be fed until he himself refuses mother's milk, which usually happens by the end of the third year of life. WHO recommends breastfeeding until two years of age and continuing to breastfeed if desired by mother and baby. This position is often supported by the statistics that children who are breastfed more than average tend to be in better health and demonstrate higher intellectual abilities. In favor of long-term for mom, 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 feeding mother's milk loses its unique properties, incorrect. Numerous studies have shown that both in the second and in the third year 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 for preservation. health and strong growth.

How to determine if a baby is ready for weaning

When deciding to wean a child from the breast, the mother should be guided not only by his age, but also by his readiness for this.
If the baby is applied to the breast every time he prepares for a night or daytime sleep or immediately after waking up, wakes up several times a night to refresh himself with mother's milk, finishes breastfeeding each complementary food, and also cannot calm down without sucking, which means that he is not yet ready for weaning. If the mother is tired of endless attachments, then a reasonable restriction 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, the cessation of 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 backdrop of stress due to the abrupt cessation of feeding, 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 until the child has all the milk teeth, he stops writing at night and begins to apply to the chest only a few times a day.

How to wean a baby from the breast

It is good if weaning occurs gradually and with love. It’s worth starting with the systematization of attachments during the day. The introduction of rules and rituals will help this. For example, “Mom will breastfeed you after she finishes cooking soup”, or “You are already big, let's not suck outside anymore.” The main thing to remember is that flexibility and gradualness are important in any training, and parental authority will not suffer at all if you deviate from the restrictions a couple of times.

When the baby begins to attach to the breast only when laying down and upon waking up, you can proceed to the next step. To do this, you need to teach the child to “finally wake up” without a breast: if the mother has long since woken up and is preparing breakfast, the baby will be more easily distracted from the desire to suck than if the mother is lying next to him and desperately trying to “sleep” the last 5 minutes.

The last, most difficult stage is teaching the child to fall asleep without a breast. If a child older than two years old is taught to fall asleep without attachment during daytime sleep, then it is likely that the baby will simply stop sleeping during the day, and experts recommend keeping the afternoon rest for at least 5-6 years. Therefore, it is better to read and practice laying “in an adult way” while preparing for a night's sleep, and then, when the skill is formed, remove attachments from daytime dreams too.

In order for a baby to start falling asleep without a breast, suckling should be only one part of the bedtime ritual, and not the only part of it. Bath, massage, book, fairy tale, lullaby, strong hugs - the ritual of putting to bed should be big, then it will be much easier to do without breastfeeding, switching the child's attention to his other actions. First, you can agree with the child and reduce the sucking time, for example, suck not until you fall asleep completely, but for 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 ones to leave are usually feedings in the middle of the night. This happens, as a rule, when all the milk teeth erupt in a child, and he stops waking up at night to go to the potty.

When should a baby not be weaned?

If the baby is sick, especially when he suffers from acute intestinal disorders, it is better to wait before stopping breastfeeding. You should also not stop it in hot summer weather and immediately after a preventive vaccination. A contraindication for stopping feeding may be the beginning of new stages in a child's life (potty training, the first visit of a nanny, etc.).
Separation from the mother and smearing the breast with something bitter are undesirable ways of weaning, as they lead to unnecessary stress for the child, and force him to abruptly, rather than gradually, adapt to change. 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, illness of the mother, requiring long-term treatment incompatible with breastfeeding, it is necessary to stop lactation. To do this, it is recommended, when overflowing, to express the breast until a feeling of relief (not completely), drink lactation-reducing herbs (for example, sage) in order to avoid lactostasis and mastitis. In no case should you tighten the breast, 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), as 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 downgrading blood pressure up to collapse (life-threatening pressure drop) and many others.

As everyone knows, breast milk is much better than formula milk, but many prefer to feed their children with it. But even if breastfeeding is natural, sooner or later the mother will face a situation where she needs to stop lactation. At such moments, the main problem is how to painlessly wean a child from breastfeeding.

Let's try to understand all the nuances of this "event". So how do you stop breastfeeding?

The best food for a newborn baby is mother's milk, all experts talk about this. If you feed a child in this way, then he will have enough vitamins and minerals necessary for normal development. One year is the recommended lactation period.

When the term ends, then mothers think about the introduction of complementary foods. But many do not know the basics of the correct introduction of complementary foods, in which case contact your pediatrician. medical worker will analyze the condition of the baby and advise on the process of stopping lactation, suitable for the child. To wean a baby from the breast, you need to follow the following steps.

Decision-making

To stop breastfeeding, it is important to make a final decision. First of all, you need to prepare yourself for this. Think, and then proceed: after excommunication, there is no going back. Of course, you can resume lactation, but then you can disrupt the psyche of the newborn.

It should be mentioned that when you "replace" the food, the baby will certainly begin to cry and demand to return it back. It's very difficult for everyone to go through this. You can not succumb to provocations and you should not resume lactation. When the child understands that you are ready to return everything back just because he is crying, he will begin to manipulate you.

When a mother can no longer cope with her baby and is ready to breastfeed him again, it is worth resuming lactation in a few weeks. Now it is clear why you should prepare for this.

Age

When should you start weaning from breastfeeding? Optimal age in order to wean a child from the breast - a year and a half, not earlier! At 1.5 years old, the child can already eat regular food. But he still needs dairy products in his diet.

Many mothers breastfeed their babies breast milk up to natural involution. In other words, they feed until they lose their ability to produce milk. Medicine advocates a long period of lactation, but there is a line beyond which you need to stop feeding.

Doctors say what younger kid the more difficult it will be for him to stop breastfeeding. When the baby turns one year old, it is time to think about the end of lactation. There are times when you need to stop using mother's milk prematurely, that is, before the moment when the baby is 1 year old. Feed the baby with milk for at least 6 months - this is the verdict of the doctors.

Milk replacement

If you have already begun to introduce complementary foods, then the foundation for the transition to regular food has been laid. Breast milk must be replaced with something. It should be mentioned that consultation with a doctor is required at all stages. Undoubtedly, the baby will eat the food that you cook, but he also needs dairy products.

Mother's milk, as mentioned above, contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals that children need. Therefore, mothers need to choose such milk product, which includes the same vitamins and minerals. Various curds, yogurts, cheeses and sour cream can replace breasts. If you want to introduce something into complementary foods, then use the table:

products	month
	4	5	6	7	8	9-12
breast milk or formula, liters	0,8	0,8-0,9	0,6-0,75	0,55-0,75	0,4-0,45	0,4
porridge, grams	10-50	50-100	100-150	150	180	200
curds, grams	-	-	10-40	40	40	50
yolk, pieces	-	-	-	-	¼	½
vegetable purees, grams	10-50	50-100	100-150	150-170	180	200
fruit purees, grams	-	5-50	50-60	70	80	90-100
vegetable oil, tsp	-	-	0,5	1	1	1
butter, tsp	-		-	-	-	0,5
mashed potatoes with meat, grams	-	-	5-30	30	50	60-70
juices, milliliters	-	-	5-60	70	80	90-100
cookies, gram	-	-	3-5	5	10	15
mashed potatoes with fish, grams	-	-	-	-	5-30	30-60
kefir, milliliters	-	-	-	-	200	200
bread	-	-	-	-	5	10
total, kg	0,9	1	1	1-1,2	1-1,2	1,2

Season

Autumn and winter are the most optimal times of the year for weaning a baby. Why not in summer? In summer, the baby loses a lot of fluid, which can be replenished with breast milk. If you still want to stop lactation in the summer, it is recommended to give your child more fluids, teach the baby to water. But still it is better to stop lactation at a cooler time.

For those who have already decided

If you have read all the points and are ready to start an almost irrevocable process, then follow simple rules:

1. The day is not the time for breastfeeding. To wean the baby from the breast, you need to do everything gradually. First of all, it is necessary to “cross out” daytime feedings from the to-do list and replace mother’s milk with regular food. After a few days, you can cancel the morning feeding and feed the baby, for example, porridge. If he does not strike and calmly endures all the hardships associated with stopping breastfeeding, then this is a signal for further action. A few days - and it is worth starting to get rid of feeding in the remaining half of the day.
2. Sleep without milk. Many mothers feed their babies before bed. Milk soothes and relaxes the child, he is ready for bed. But now he will have to fall asleep without milk. For starters, you can try giving your baby a bottle of formula or tea. A pacifier can also be an assistant in this. When the baby stops asking for a breast for a whole day, it can be said with full confidence that almost all the weaning work has been done, and there is very little left. Three months is the optimal time to stop lactation. In a few weeks, you will not succeed, this is a long and laborious process for which mothers must be prepared. Assign yourself a little rest and do not change anything in the diet of the child. After three weeks have passed, it will be possible to cancel night feedings.
3. Night. This is a difficult time for mom. Do not drastically limit the child. To begin with, stop feeding at the beginning and end of the night. The best option is a pacifier. Instead of breast milk, offer your baby a pacifier. When the baby is more than six months old, he will be able to sleep peacefully all night without feeding. If he is on strike and demands the usual food, it is enough to give him some drink from a cup. If the baby will cry a lot, then the mother is required to calm the baby. Most likely, mom will not sleep a wink for a couple of days.

Reduction in production

Using a compress is a universal way to stop the production of mother's milk:

• apply a cold cloth to your chest;
• cabbage leaves have also gained popularity in the field of solving such problems. Wash the plant and apply to the chest for 2-3 hours. This method can also help dissolve the bumps that form as a result of stagnation.

Tightening the chest is the latest method that is prohibited by all specialists. Tightening the chest exacerbates the process.

In the case when the mother cannot cope with the problem of milk production herself, she may start taking certain drugs, before using which, be sure to consult with a mammologist.

Rapid weaning

In the case when the mother urgently needs to stop lactation, then this should be done as follows:

1. Give the crumbs for a couple of days to relatives, you will have time to do your own thing. During this period of time, you can not catch the eye of the baby. When there is no mother, no milk, he will simply forget about his usual diet.
2. Upon your return, follow the advice above. Children should not see bare breasts, wear closed clothes, wash them as often as possible.

To summarize: you will now be able to successfully complete lactation. For all mothers, this process is considered a strong psychological burden. Some women, without thinking about it, immediately take action. Subsequently, they give in and start feeding again. In such conditions, the baby is quickly misled, which affects the psyche of the baby extremely negatively. That is why your own decision is so important. Monitor the condition of the mammary glands during this period. For problems that arise during the cessation of lactation, consult a doctor. Lactation stops when exactly one year has passed since the end of breastfeeding.

What is the termination of breastfeeding, sooner or later becomes known to every nursing mother. The question arises before everyone: how to stop feeding the child correctly, so as not to harm him or himself? The world organization "La Leche League" states that it is necessary to stop breastfeeding gradually, without applying radical actions. Subject to all the rules, the process becomes natural and not so complicated.

Experts believe that breastfeeding can be completed gently and comfortably for mother and baby.

Optimal time to end lactation

When should you think about ending breastfeeding (more in the article:)? The World Health Organization gives information that the most suitable age for this is 2 years. Although by this time the quality and benefits of mother's milk are not lost, very often changes occur in life that are incompatible with breastfeeding (for example, the need for a mother to go to work or a baby - in kindergarten).

Unfortunately, you have to adapt to many circumstances. Let's see what are the features of cessation of lactation at different ages:

1. 6 months. In the first six months, weaning a baby from the breast is permissible only for medical reasons. Mother's milk is a complete nutrition that has no artificial analogues (100% of useful substances). To complete lactation and deprive the child of this most valuable product, very good reasons are needed. Of course, mother's fatigue is not among them.
2. 12 months. The American Association of Pediatrics publishes data according to which in the first year the baby receives up to 75% of valuable substances during breastfeeding. Although complementary foods are gradually introduced at six months, they are only a supplement, and not a replacement for the main food.
3. 18 months. The same American Association of Pediatrics claims that at this age it is also useful to give the baby a breast, but if the mother has a need, it is already possible to stop lactation gradually. The main thing is to act wisely.
4. 24 months and older. According to another organization (WHO), lactation ends at about 4 years of age. naturally. The most suitable age for completion is 2.5 years, which many mothers successfully confirm in practice.

With time out of the way, let's now look at how to end breastfeeding. Knowing what the necessary and undesirable actions are is just as important as determining the timing.

What should not be done?

Before learning how to stop breastfeeding, let's talk about what not to do and why. There are so-called extreme methods of weaning a child, in the recent past, many women boldly used them. Despite their certain effectiveness, think about the negative aspects of such actions. Is childhood stress or health damage worth the quick results you get? Everyone makes his own choice, but still, first study useful information. So, what actions are very, very undesirable:

1. Separation from the child for several days. This method is known to all and is considered the most common. Of course, the baby is left with his beloved grandmother or aunt, but at this age his connection with his mother is still very great, and no one can replace the dearest person. In addition to the fact that the baby will receive stress from a sudden change in nutrition and partially lose spiritual intimacy with his mother, which is provided by breastfeeding, for several days he will lose her presence altogether.
2. Lubrication of the nipples with mustard, horseradish, brilliant green or other deterrents. Yes, the baby will refuse, but it will also be quite stressful for him. In addition, with such burning remedies, you can easily leave a burn on the delicate skin of the nipples - then you will also have to recover from stress, not to mention additional treatment.
3. Replacing mother's milk with other drinks during night feedings. Often at night, the child is given juice, compote, water with sugar, or something else. Drinks with sugar lead to further development of caries, so you should not use them. The later the baby gets acquainted with sugar, the better.
4. Instant weaning using other methods is also fraught with stress for the child and health problems for the mother.

As you can see, all of the above methods are quite useless and inhumane. You can perfectly finish lactation without them.

How not to hurt your chest?

With the abrupt cessation of breastfeeding, not only the child receives stress and harm to health.

The main risk for a mother who decides to quit breastfeeding early is problems with the mammary glands. According to statistics, among such women there is a very high percentage of the disease and a 4% higher risk of breast cancer.

How to stop breastfeeding without compromising your health? Expert advice will not be superfluous. The following information will also come in handy:

1. Avoid dragging. Tight bandages disrupt blood circulation, because of them milk flows are clogged. All this leads to the formation of mastitis. You need to wear a tight bra that will just support your breasts.
2. . At first, you will have to do this often, as soon as the chest is full. Gradually, the number of pumping should be reduced, and eventually stopped altogether. Milk can be stored in the mammary glands for up to 3 months, so do not be alarmed if you still feel it for some time.
3. Use herbs. Ordinary cabbage leaves help relieve swelling, and discomfort disappears thanks to infusions of chamomile, sage and mint (we recommend reading:). These same herbs slightly reduce milk production. Compresses are acceptable, but only cold ones.
4. Do not be independent in the choice of medicines. They have a bad effect on general state and have many side effects. The use of sedatives and especially hormonal drugs is justified in extremely rare situations, so only a doctor can prescribe them.

First, milk will have to be expressed, gradually reducing the frequency and volume of the procedure.

In addition, easy and constant monitoring of the condition of the breast will be useful. If you or you feel lumps, contact your gynecologist, mammologist or breastfeeding specialist immediately.

If, when pressing on the peripapillary zone, you observe a slight release of fluid, this is normal. When this situation occurs within 3 months after the end of breastfeeding, there is a reason for consultation.

Cessation of feeding before one year

The expert of the organization "La Leche League" Natalia Gerbeda-Wilson is of the categorical opinion that the completion of breastfeeding in the first 12 months is unacceptable. Even if the mother has to go to work, milk must be expressed and bottle fed to the baby.

How to stop breastfeeding if it is still necessary and there is no other option? Try to end lactation gradually. The following tips will help you with this:

1. Ask for help from loved ones. It is better if the child associates bottle feeding not with his mother, but with his father, grandmother or someone else.
2. Gradually reduce the number of feedings. Reduce daytime first, then nighttime, and lastly before bed.
3. With a decrease in breastfeeding, give the baby increased attention. To minimize stress, communicate with him more, hold him in your arms, talk. Give him a sense of protection and confidence.
4. If the child strongly disagrees, discard the idea of ​​stopping lactation. Most likely, your decision is too premature. Please try again after some time.

To make it easier for the baby to survive separation from the breast, you can temporarily shift the duty of feeding to dad or grandmother

There are situations when weaning is prohibited. Among them:

1. Baby sickness. Switching to a new diet can make you feel worse.
2. The period of mastering a new skill or overexcitement. This requires an even emotional condition.
3. Temporary breastfeeding. This is not a reason to completely stop breastfeeding your baby. This can happen when you decide to stop night feedings, overuse pacifiers, or breastfeed your baby too infrequently. Eliminate these factors and continue lactation.

Often, mothers stop breastfeeding early due to severe moral and physical fatigue. Instead, try to reconsider your daily routine: get plenty of rest and walk in the fresh air, eat well, get enough sleep and communicate with your baby. Having provided yourself with such simple things, you will understand why it is too early to complete lactation at this time.

We complete lactation after a year

How to stop breastfeeding a baby after reaching one year of age (we recommend reading:)? This will be much easier. Although milk continues to retain useful qualities, after 1.5-2 years, the cessation of feeding is already more painless. We recommend the following actions:

1. Feed your baby as many times as he wants. If he asks - let's breastfeed, if he played too much and forgot - forget it too.
2. Change the environment in which the baby is used to eating. Eliminating associations with breastfeeding will be of great help to you.
3. During the day, replace your breasts with a bottle or sippy. This is not necessary at night, as you will create a risk of developing caries.
4. Spend more time in a new environment. The child will shift his attention to other children, animals, objects and everything unfamiliar. Such a move will help distract him from frequent breastfeeding.

As you can see, after a year, the cessation of lactation is already more timely (see also:). It happens more easily and does not have such negative impact neither health nor emotional state.

New impressions and active walks will switch the attention of the child, and help the mother to realize her plans.

Cessation of lactation naturally

How to stop breastfeeding your baby naturally and what does it mean? Experts say that by the age of 3, lactation involution (cessation) naturally occurs (we recommend reading:). This is a normal physiological process, in which there is nothing surprising. You can recognize it by the following signs:

1. A child can go without a breast for a long time. It is applied to it only at bedtime, which is due not so much to hunger as to a psychological factor. If you give your baby a breast no more than 3 times a day, you can completely end lactation.
2. The chest is filled slowly and little. You can feel it empty even when the child asks for food only after 12 hours.
3. Although he almost does not get milk, the baby does not rebel about this, but is calmly content with other food. Other circumstances also do not change his emotional state.

Evgeny Komarovsky is also a supporter of the natural gradual cessation of lactation, arguing that it is the most acceptable for both the child and the mother. In the video above, you can watch and listen to what he has to say about it.

In conclusion, it is worth mentioning how the seasonal factor affects the cessation of lactation. Experts say that the most best time for this - autumn and winter. Why can't we stop breastfeeding in the summer? In the heat, the body loses a lot of fluid. Artificial mixtures, unlike mother's milk, contain little water, but a lot of protein. You need to replenish the lost moisture with additional drinking, but not all children like to drink water. In addition, with mother's milk, the child receives antibodies that are needed more than ever in summer.

Breastfeeding is ideal for a baby, but it's time to switch to other foods. When is it and how can it be done painlessly?

Recently, you have noticed that the baby has become less active in eating complementary foods. You associate this with the possibility of the appearance of another tooth, but the thought is no, no, and it creeps in - and if the child just likes your milk, and he deliberately refuses new products. But just recently, everything was completely different - the baby really liked porridge and vegetables, he ate a whole portion and asked for supplements. So, when is the best time to stop breastfeeding and how to do it right?

What the doctors say

Experts and scientists from the World Health Organization recommend breastfeeding a child for at least 2 years. Such a statement is a little doubtful if a nursing mother wants, because lactation processes can harm the fetus. Most doctors still recommend stopping breastfeeding after the next pregnancy.

Well, if you are not pregnant and you plan to have your next child no earlier than in five or six years, when can you stop breastfeeding in this case? When making a decision, it is important to consider the following: at a certain age, it will be easier for a child to endure weaning than a month earlier or later. Your task is to assess all possible risks and choose the time when you will begin weaning activities.

Stopping breastfeeding is a long process. It must be understood that infant sees in the mother's breast not only food, the process of feeding tightly binds mother and child with invisible bonds. Thanks to this connection, the baby feels confident and safe, and it is not for nothing that he often calms down at the breast, especially in the first months of life.

After a year old, as a rule, almost all important foods are introduced into the baby's diet. An exception can only be allergens or others that are unacceptable in more early age goodies, which you can enter after consulting with your doctor. Gradually, the proportion of milk in the child's diet decreases, and the amount of ordinary food, on the contrary, increases.

The best time to stop lactation

In my opinion, it is optimal to start replacing feedings in a year and a half. Gradually, several feedings (usually daytime) are replaced by completely normal food, in the evening and at night the baby continues to eat mother's milk.

The last feeding at night is the most difficult to replace, since for most babies it is a kind of bedtime ritual. Nothing bad will happen if you keep this feeding, as the WHO advises, for up to two years. Then try to smoothly replace it, not with food, but with some other ritual that you and your baby will invent.

Nothing interferes with the completion of breastfeeding more than co-sleeping. Try to accustom the child to the crib by the time of the replacement of the first feeding.

Never continue your experiments with weaning if you see that it causes pain and suffering to the child. Consult a specialist immediately! Until then, keep feeding. Do not be afraid to lose what you have achieved - the time will come, and the baby will sit down at the table with you and eat any food, the main thing is that this food should not be associated with tearing him away from his mother.

Mother's milk is a truly priceless gift. Useful substances and immunoglobulins, which are full of mother's milk, are perfectly balanced and meet all the needs of a newborn baby. No feeding formula can replicate unique composition breast milk.

Breast milk is an indispensable product during the first years of life, but there comes a time when breastfeeding stops. The reasons for stopping breastfeeding are different - taking medications that are incompatible with breastfeeding, forced departure of the mother, an urgent call to work, or the age of the child already allows you to switch to "adult" food. Today we will talk about how to properly complete breastfeeding.

Before curtailing breastfeeding, you need to weigh the pros and cons, clarify some questions for yourself. If you are unsure if this is the right time to stop breastfeeding, then know that there are rules for weaning that will help you make a decision.

When and how can you stop breastfeeding?

When should you NOT wean your baby?

1. Be sure that your decision is correct so as not to succumb to the temptation and not give the breast to the crying baby. The second attempt will be much harder for both of you.
2. If the baby is sick, then stopping breastfeeding is unacceptable. Mom's milk has antibodies that help the baby overcome the disease, especially since the period of the disease requires rest and special affection, which the child can only find at the mother's breast. Weaning during illness will harm the child's fragile psyche.
3. Summer is not the best period for weaning. The transition to "adult", unfamiliar to the baby, food in the hot season can lead to frustration digestive system baby.
4. If some important events are coming up in your life and the life of your child - going to kindergarten, moving, they are stressful enough in themselves to add to them the cessation of breastfeeding.

How to wean? At what age is it best to start weaning?

There are two polar opinions. One thing - the younger the baby, the easier it will be weaning. Another is to feed the child for as long as possible, because this adds to his health. There are also opponents of long-term feeding, who claim that this process slows down mental development baby. Probably, in certain cases, all these statements are true in their own way, but if you approach this problem from the side of the mother, her condition and readiness to feed, it will be easier to decide on the completion of breastfeeding.

The emotional and physical state of the mother may be the criterion for whether to continue or stop breastfeeding.

How to behave as a mother during weaning?

Mom should wear clothes that cover her chest during this period so that the baby does not have a temptation before her eyes. Give him plenty to drink from a mug, feed him when he wants to. A well-fed baby will stop demanding breasts.

For children who, due to their age, are already able to perceive explanations, it can be said that their mother's breasts are sick and the milk is spoiled. For persuasiveness, you can lubricate the nipples with brilliant green or bitter aloe juice, which will help the child make sure that mother's breasts cannot be eaten. Mom does not need to pretend to suffer greatly from the “illness”, as babies are usually compassionate, and this can traumatize the psyche of an impressionable baby.

Old books on motherhood advise the mother to go somewhere for a while during weaning. However, this method is considered unacceptable today, because it will cause even more stress to the child, who, at such a difficult time for him, will also lose his mother's affection.

Modern experts advise to stretch the period of weaning for two to three months. To do this, you need to reduce morning feedings, after a few weeks, daytime feedings, and finally leave night feedings. Thus, it is possible to achieve a gradual decrease in lactation, this option will be the most gentle for the mother. If the baby wakes up at night, instead of the breast, it is worth offering him water. It is better to drink the child from a mug, so that later you do not have to wean from the bottle.

How to reduce lactation?

To reduce milk production, you can drink a decoction of diuretic herbs, parsley, chamomile and sage. It is strictly forbidden to bandage the breast, this can lead to blockage of the milk ducts and cause mastitis.

Exist medicines stopping lactation. All these drugs have a hormonal basis that affects the work of the brain - the pituitary gland, suppressing the production of hormones responsible for lactation. However, their reception requires a doctor's consultation and strict medical supervision, as they have contraindications and side effects.

When you stop breastfeeding, be sure to wear a bra to prevent stretching and sagging breasts.

If the breast is very full, and this usually happens on the 2nd-3rd day of weaning, you can express a little bit, this will reduce discomfort, but slightly prolong the process of milk burning out.

The cessation of lactation usually occurs on the 4-5th day. These days it is worth limiting excessive fluid intake until the breasts are soft. For another month and a half, you should limit yourself to the use of products that promote lactation, for example, beer.

Sometimes the burnout of milk causes discomfort, tingling. To this may be added depressive states. Therefore, all family members should take special care of the young mother at this time. A woman can be advised to take sedative decoctions or antidepressants prescribed by a doctor.

Attention: a feeling of pain and discomfort in the mammary glands for a long time, seals that do not go away for a long time may indicate the development of mastitis. Therefore, at the first suspicion that stopping breastfeeding is going wrong, consult a doctor.

If you follow the rules and tips on how to properly stop breastfeeding, the period of breastfeeding will be one of the most pleasant memories of a lifetime.