How to wean a child from breastfeeding? How to wean from breastfeeding: a last resort

Breastfeeding is a necessary stage in a baby’s development. Mother's milk forms and strengthens the immune system, normalizes the functioning of the newborn's body. Breastfed children get sick less and grow better.

However, there comes a time when breastfeeding must be stopped. There is no consensus on when this should be done. Doctors consider the optimal age for weaning to be two years, since by two years the baby’s body is quite strong.

Psychologists talk about the age of 1-1.5 years. After a year, the need for breast milk becomes more psychological than physiological. More often, the baby attaches to the breast to be with the mother. Therefore, feeding at this age can be replaced with affection, rocking in your arms, reading a fairy tale and playing games. Close contact with mother is important for the baby!

Each mother must decide for herself when to start weaning. It is important that both the nursing woman and the baby are prepared for this event mentally and physiologically.

When is the baby ready to wean?

The famous pediatrician and television presenter Komarovsky identifies several signs that the child is ready to stop breastfeeding:

The baby has most of the baby teeth;
The daily diet is three meals of regular food and three to four short breastfeedings between them;
Breastfeeding is a maximum of three to four times a day;
It is easy to distract a baby with a game or other activity when he asks for the breast;
The baby falls asleep without a breast.

Many of these moments are typical for a baby when he is already one year old. So unlearn one year old baby from breastfeeding really. However, Dr. Komarovsky also points out when a baby should not be weaned under any circumstances, as this can seriously traumatize the child:

If teeth are being cut;
During an epidemic of viruses and infections, the baby’s immunity is supported by breast milk. Depriving a baby of milk will increase the risk of disease;
During stressful situation. If your baby starts going to kindergarten or you are moving, your child will experience stress. Weaning from breastfeeding will only increase the psychological burden;
If the child is sick. In addition, doctors recommend not to start weaning for at least a month after the illness.

Now let's find out how to wean a child from breastfeeding

How to stop breastfeeding

Experts recommend weaning when lactation involution begins. During this period, milk production is reduced, and milk is secreted instead. a small amount of colostrum. As a rule, involution begins when the baby is one year old. However, it can occur at 1.5-2 years.

Alternatively, you can wait for self-weaning. But often a child begins to refuse milk only at two or even three years. In both cases, breastfeeding can last for a very long time.

Long-term feeding causes discomfort in a woman. In addition, there is a need to go to work or travel. Then methods will come in handy that will help end lactation and wean one year old child from breast milk:

Grandmother's method

Involves abrupt weaning and wrapping of the chest with bandages or sheets. This option is very painful for both the baby and the mother. The child, as a rule, is left with his grandmother or father at this time, and the mother leaves home for several days.

This method not only causes severe psychological harm, but can also be harmful to health. To stop lactation, women tighten their breasts. This is strictly prohibited! The accumulated milk causes lumps to form in the breasts, causing mastitis.

Medicines and medicines

Remember that you should not take medications without consulting a doctor! Medicines are largely aimed at reducing and stopping lactation; they will not be able to wean the baby directly from the breast.

For example, the popular drug “Dostinex”, which collected positive reviews will not support nursing mothers effective action, if breastfeeding continues with the same intensity.

A popular way to distract a baby from the breast among nursing mothers is to smear the nipples with mustard, brilliant green, tincture of motherwort or wormwood. However, this negatively affects psychological condition baby. He loses trust in his mother.

Natural or gentle weaning

The most painless method. However, be prepared that this process is lengthy. This is not involution, and not self-exclusion. The method involves a gradual cessation of feeding. One year is the right age to start stopping breastfeeding.

Twelve ways to stop breastfeeding without harm to the child

Reduce feeding time;
Cancel daytime feedings outside of the schedule when the baby demands the breast because he is bored and wants attention;
Replace less-needed feedings with games and interesting activities with your baby.
Avoid daytime feedings around bedtime;
Introduce complementary foods;
Stop feeding before bedtime. At one year old, the baby should fall asleep without breastfeeding! To make the baby fall asleep, rock the child in your arms or tell a story;
Reduce the number of night feedings. How to stop feeding at night, read here;
Wear closed clothes and cover your breasts so that the baby does not see the source of feeding;
Hug and kiss the baby, because he asks for the breast due to a lack of affection and attention. This way you will give the child confidence that his mother is nearby;
Leave the baby on for a short time with grandma or dad. At one year old he should already be getting used to short separations from his mother;
If necessary, you can sometimes replace breast milk with formula milk. For a one year old baby daily norm artificial mixture makes up 1/9 of body weight;
Pamper your baby with his favorite foods and give him more to drink.

What to do with breasts

The natural method will allow you to wean without harming the baby. But if the baby is already refusing to breastfeed, and there is still a lot of milk? Komarovsky offers several tips for stopping lactation.

All doctors recommend natural feeding. Thanks to it, the baby receives those substances that are not included in dry formulas, but at the same time, the mother eventually faces the problem of how to wean the child from breastfeeding. This is very complex issue, since improper weaning can lead to psychological trauma in the baby. For him, the loss of mother's milk can be considered very big, especially if he does not accept regular food well.

Before weaning your baby off breastfeeding, you should think about the reasons for this decision. Many people believe that a mother’s illness is a reason to stop feeding, even if the child is a newborn, but not all diseases are an absolute contraindication to breastfeeding (BF). When taking some medicines, indeed, it is necessary to temporarily excommunicate the child. During treatment, the mother needs to pump regularly to maintain lactation. WHO representatives believe that most often you can do without this. Now doctors prescribe drugs that pass into breast milk in minimal doses and do not affect the baby’s health.

Such pharmacological agents found in drug groups:

local aseptics;
antitussives;
antibiotics:
painkillers;
antipyretic.

lactostasis or mastitis;
pronounced cracks in the nipples;
exacerbation of chronic somatic disease;
herpes rashes on the nipples.

It is necessary to completely stop breastfeeding if there is serious problems with maternal health:

open form of tuberculosis;
acute mental disorders;
state of decompensation with chronic diseases kidneys, lungs, liver or heart;
hyperthyroidism;
dangerous infections requiring the use of potent drugs.

Weaning for these diseases occurs regardless of the wishes of the mother and the age of the child. According to statistics, pathological conditions incompatible with breastfeeding occur in a small percentage of women. In all other cases, the cessation of natural feeding occurs when the baby is already stronger.

At what age should you stop breastfeeding?

For every mother, the question of when to wean a child from breastfeeding is very difficult. In this matter, you do not need to listen to the recommendations of other mothers and neighbors. Focus only on your feelings and the child’s condition.

Psychologists note that breastfeeding should be stopped when the mother is absolutely ready. At that time the child should be more than a year. If she is abruptly separated (due to illness), she may experience a feeling of guilt and a decrease in self-esteem. Therefore, you should not stop lactation under pressure from others.

Symptoms that require stopping natural feeding:

lack of breast filling (it seems “empty”);
painful sensations in the mother during feeding;
breastfeeding became part of the ritual of falling asleep.

Children less than a year old Often they refuse to breastfeed after the introduction of complementary foods. At seven or nine months it is easy to wean them off their natural diet, but it is not worth doing. After a year, the child will learn to combine mother's milk and complementary foods.

Choose the time to completely stop breastfeeding so that it does not occur in the summer. This time of year is dangerous for intestinal infections.

There are several situations when you need to refrain from stopping natural feeding:

the appearance of a nanny in the house;
adaptation period in kindergarten;
the baby sucks a finger or lower lip;
mother going to work or leaving;
the baby is sick;
the baby will be vaccinated in the next week;
transition of the child to a new room;
stopping co-sleeping with the mother;
baby sleep problems.

Changing the environment at home is stressful for the baby. If you further separate the baby from breastfeeding, he will suffer serious psychological trauma. The only controversial situation is one in which the mother stops feeding the baby due to departure. Evgeniy Olegovich Komarovsky believes that the separation method can be used to transfer the baby to nursery nutrition. The only limitation is that during this period the baby must stay with a familiar and no less loved than the mother family member - dad or grandmother.

Features of soft weaning

Psychologists recommend gradual weaning from breastfeeding. This is the most natural and gentle way, but it requires strong willpower and self-organization. Gradual weaning will take time.

A step-by-step plan for weaning your baby off breastfeeding in a gentle way, looks like that:

First, all feedings that are used to comfort the baby are removed. Learn to calm your baby down with simple hugs. Make the most of your baby's day with activities, reading, and games.
Avoid daytime feedings before or during bedtime. Before going to bed, start reading fairy tales, singing songs, or just lie down with your child. Don't give up on two or more applications at once. Give up one at first, and then stop breastfeeding during the day completely.
Stop morning feeding, start getting up before the crumbs to cook porridge for him.
The penultimate stage is the abolition of evening feedings. Replace them with kefir or other dairy products. Put your baby to bed the same way as during the day: with stroking, songs, reading fairy tales. To make the process of going to bed in the evening easier, stop active games 3 hours before bedtime, and add motherwort decoction to your evening bath.
The last thing you need to do is stop night feedings. Take the baby to you, stroke it and rock it to sleep.

These instructions will help gently guide your baby toward self-weaning. Canceled feedings should be replaced with complementary foods and nursery dishes. Weaning can begin as early as eight months. The more satisfying the regular food is, the easier the weaning will be. If necessary, you can adjust the given plan. If the baby easily falls asleep in the evening without breastfeeding, it would be right to remove these particular feedings first, then calm him down without breastfeeding at night.

The described process cannot be called fast: it will take up to six months to implement the plan. It is considered the only correct one. Go to new stage is possible only after the child has easily implemented the previous one. If the baby doesn’t remember in the morning natural feeding, then you can refuse it during the day.

Abrupt cessation of feeding

In some circumstances, there is no other way out and you need a way to quickly wean your child off breastfeeding. All you need to do is not give your baby the breast, distracting him from the process in every possible way. You need to unlearn the rules:

Maintain physical and physical contact with your baby.
Spend more time together.
Do not provoke your baby with clothes with a large neckline, do not change clothes in front of him. Wear turtleneck shirts and turtlenecks for a while.
Try not to sit in a chair or place where feeding was regularly done.
Take your day. Do some general cleaning, bake pies or preserve several kilograms of vegetables. The less you sit idle, the less often your baby will remember the need to refresh herself.
Ask grandma and dad to help you distract your baby.

If the butuz still remembers your chest, take him in your arms and then distract him with the landscape outside the window, a cat or a bright book. With baby over a year old we can negotiate. He still speaks poorly, but understands his parents well.

With this method, you will stop feeding with minimal damage. The baby will continue to communicate with you, but will not receive milk, which you can do without after a year.

Using "grandmother's" methods

Often, as a quick way to wean a child off the breast, they offer “grandmother’s” techniques, which involve lubricating the nipples:

mustard;
iodine;
brilliant green;
tincture of wormwood or motherwort;
a slurry of drotaverine or chloramphenicol tablets.

To the same traditional methods You can include the words: “my uncle took my tit away” or sealing the nipples with a plaster. This threatens psychological discomfort for the baby, who may be wary of his own body or strangers. Pediatricians recommend not using such methods, as this is fraught with mental disorders in children and even physical problems such as urinary incontinence or restless night sleep.

These don't work on some babies. quick ways: They can safely grab a smeared breast or tear off a band-aid.

Separation method

Abrupt cessation of breastfeeding.

It is used if the mother needs hospital treatment or needs to leave for work or family issues. Pediatricians have different opinions about this method, but psychologists believe that it is possible to unlearn this method, but you need to understand that it often becomes the cause of hidden resentment towards the mother.

However, this technique is often used by mothers who do not have enough willpower to overcome the protest of their babies. To make the process smoother, combine this method with the gradual removal of part of the feedings. You can send your child to visit grandma at the stage when you only have one latch left per day.

Separation should only be done if you have a relative you can completely trust. Otherwise it will be stressful for the mother herself. The child must have with his grandmother or father warm relations, enjoy the opportunity to spend time together.

How to stop lactation?

It is not enough to solve the question of how to properly wean a child from breastfeeding; the mother also needs to take care of her health. After stopping feeding, the body needs some time to readjust. If you reduce the number of applications gradually, there will be no serious discomfort. Otherwise, the mother will experience physical ailments:

heat;
pain in the mammary glands;
the appearance of compactions;

You can cope with discomfort in the following ways:

pumping until relief;
a compress of cabbage leaves, slightly cooled and crushed;
taking medications (“No-spa” or “Paracetamol”);
regular warm showers;

Let's figure out how to wean a child from breastfeeding and at what age this should be done. We will also learn the advice of experienced mothers on how to wean a child from breastfeeding.

The process of breastfeeding can drag on for years.

Christina, 25 years old: “I think that optimal age Stopping breastfeeding is about 1.5 years. My daughter had already started kindergarten at this age, so I decided. We managed it quite easily."

Of course, the ideal time to stop breastfeeding is when the baby refuses his treat on his own, but few mothers wait until this time.

Statistics say that in last years Only 50% of women breastfeed, and most breastfeed for up to 1 year. Only a few retain this invaluable product in the second year.

Signs that baby and mother are ready to wean

The child has doubled his weight since birth.
Receives all types of complementary foods.
A baby can survive without breast milk for 12 hours or more.
The child does not suck pacifiers, fingers, or bottles.

In order to wean a child from breastfeeding, there is three ways:

separation of mother and child;
medicinal method;
planned, gradual, soft.

“Soft” weaning method

One of the safest methods from the point of view of maintaining psychological comfort is systematic weaning.

The baby should not be weaned during the following periods: the child is sick, has a fever, the baby is teething, the vaccination period. It is better to wean a child from the breast in the cool season. It should not be taken away in the summer, in hot weather.

How to properly and gradually wean a child from the breast?

If you have ruled out these four points, then you can safely prepare for weaning. You should start by refusing one feeding. It’s better for mom to choose which one.
Distract your baby with games, walks fresh air. Include dad and grandma in the weaning process. The child should feel your care and love.
Observe your child for three days. As a rule, giving up one feeding is well tolerated by babies.
After three days, we switch to giving up two feedings.
And so, gradually, we remove all daytime feedings.
We’ll talk about avoiding feeding in the evening and at night below.

Do not replace breasts with bottles and nipples. This way you will not get rid of the baby's desire to suck. Use cups and sippy cups.

Take your baby in your arms more often. Don't undress in front of your child.

Natalya, 30 years old:“When I started weaning my baby, I tried to surround her with care. We walked longer, distracted ourselves by playing games.”

Of course, it is more difficult to wean when the child is already over a year old and he understands a lot. On the one hand, it’s difficult to explain that “you can’t have boobs,” but you can come to an agreement with some kids.

Some mothers smear the nipple with green paint. We can say that mom’s breasts are “sore” and should not be touched. Also, some women cover their nipples with a bandage. I would not recommend this method, since tearing it off is painful and traumatic for the delicate skin of the areola. Not everyone succeeds in weaning with these “cruel” methods.

How to wean your baby at night?

Probably the worst thing for any nursing mother is the problem of how the child will fall asleep without a breast. After all, most children fall asleep while sucking, since this is a very energy-intensive process. How to wean a child from night feedings? Let's consider some tips:

Create rituals that will help your child fall asleep - a bedtime story, evening kefir, lights off. You can leave a night light that the baby will specifically choose for himself.
Children often love to fall asleep to their mother's lullaby.
Give your child a bath before bed. You can use soothing herbs - chamomile, valerian root.
You can replace the sucking process with rocking in your arms, pressing it to your chest.
Try to place the baby separately in your own crib. When your baby sleeps with you, he smells the milk and will be even more fussy.

If the child begins to eat poorly and throws strong tantrums, then wait a little before weaning. This means that the baby is not yet mature enough for this.

At night, 2 - 3 hours before bedtime, you can feed your baby porridge or give kefir. You sleep better on a full stomach. Weaning at night is a long process, be patient.

A “pill” against human milk or how to quickly wean a child off the breast?

If it is difficult for you to endure for a long time and prepare for gradual weaning, but you want to quickly discourage this habit from your baby, then modern market exist medications to suppress lactation as quickly as possible.

A prominent representative of this group is the drug Dostinex.

Its action is based on reducing the production of the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for milk production. The drug has a selective effect and does not affect other hormones.

Its disadvantage is side effects, which occur in 70% of cases. These are rapid heartbeat, headaches, nausea, vomiting, deterioration general well-being, apathy.

This drug is taken ½ tablet at an interval of 12 hours for two days. 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 the help of Dostinex from my gynecologist. 2 months after giving birth I needed to go back to work. One tablet solved my lactation issues. True, she was very strong headache and weakness throughout the body, but it went away 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 taken in a course. Has more pronounced side effects.

If we compare these drugs from a price position, then Bromocriptine is two times cheaper than Dostinex.

Weaning by separation method

This is one of the less nice ways weaning. It consists of sending the child to live with his grandmother or other relatives for a few 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 hidden resentment towards the mother.

Komarovsky E. O.: “When weaning a child, you can send him to his grandmother for a couple of nights. Nothing wrong with that. This way the baby will learn to fall asleep without the breast. But keep in mind that here you need to look at the degree of attachment of the child to his mother. If you know that your child will not be able to get along with his grandmother and will cry, then it is better not to risk it.”

Of course, weaning is stressful not only for the child, but also for the mother.

A nursing woman may experience breast pain and hardness.

If you notice severe pain in the mammary gland, redness of the parapapillary area, or increased temperature, consult a doctor immediately. Mastitis may be developing.

You can cope with such symptoms in the following way:

if you feel swelling of the mammary gland, you can express it manually or with a breast pump until the condition eases;
Apply the cabbage leaf for a couple of hours, softening it beforehand. It's better if it's cold. This will relieve symptoms;
you can drink No-shpa 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 usually occur when lactation is abruptly interrupted. Therefore, a gradual abolition of breastfeeding is recommended.

To prevent a lot of milk from coming in, you don’t need to express often. This should be done only in case of severe pain and swelling of the glands.

Weaning is a complex, multi-step process that requires both mom and dad to be involved. The most important thing is that the child feels your care and love. Do not scold your baby if he cries or is naughty this moment life. Remain calm and the question of how to wean will be resolved soon.

Women by nature are unique creatures. With the help of breastfeeding, they perform several functions at once:

provide the baby with food and drink;

support emotional connection with him;

create a feeling of security and safety for the child.

But shouldn’t we extend this form of nutrition until kindergarten or school?

When should you wean your baby?

There is no clear framework regarding the end of breastfeeding.

Here you need to focus on the mother’s feelings and the baby’s behavior.

According to modern standards, feeding with breast milk should unconditionally last before reaching six months of age as a child. From this moment on, he begins to show interest not only in permanent presence mothers are nearby, but also to satisfy all their immediate needs.

New acquaintances and relatives coming to the house now come to the fore. Baby is very attentive studies his surroundings:

tries to touch toys, interior items, dishes;

interested in what parents eat and how they do it. Moreover, putting your fingers into a plate and licking them becomes simply an obsession.

It is when these signs appear that the baby’s readiness to introduce “adult” food into the diet is judged.

Naturally, as he gets used to the new food, which he always washes down with breast milk, its production gradually begins to decrease.

Closer to the age of one, this becomes more and more noticeable. Although, some children actively continue to ask for the breast not so much for food, how much for calming down when they are nervous, do not receive enough maternal attention in the required volume. Most often they resort to it during teething or illness.

After a year, if there is an extreme need, mutual psychological readiness or mother’s desire, you can think about weaning the child.

But most doctors adhere to the tactic that better feeding extend to one and a half or two years. Some are inclined to believe that after three years old the baby is completely ready to break away from his mother, since he has a mass of more interesting activities, new friends and goals to achieve.

How to wean it correctly?

In this case, there are two completely opposite opinions:

Abrupt interruption of feeding, in which most often the baby is taken to his grandparents, and the mother tightens her breasts and takes drugs that suppress lactation. On the one hand, the goal is achieved quite quickly. On the other hand, psychological trauma is caused to the baby. Not only is the most dear person disappeared for an indefinite period of time, and even took with him a means of calming, lulling and feeling of protection.

Sometimes it works without special problems, if there was a willingness not to take bigger breasts. But, when there is no confidence in this or there is no special need, then it is better not to resort to such a method.

Gradual weaning. It is the least painful for both parties and is performed in several steps:

necessary as complementary foods are introduced during the day completely replace one meal with it. This habit becomes established over several days. Sometimes it may take one or two weeks. It all depends on the baby's reaction. Obsessive attempts to get under mom’s jacket should be translated into some kind of game, reading a fairy tale. It is important to take a longer walk with your child before replacing meals so that he can eat his fill with appetite. Ideally, if he then goes to bed;
next goal - eliminate falling asleep during the day during feeding chest. You can try replacing it with singing lullabies, telling a fairy tale, or going to the kitchen (in another room) for a few minutes to do household chores. The last experiment is best done by leaving for a couple of minutes. Gradually, the baby will get used to the fact that mom will come anyway, sit next to her, and learn to fall asleep on her own;
as soon as daytime sleep ceases to be a problem, do the same during evening bedtime;
then you need to get used to it get up in the morning before the baby wakes up, so as not to provoke the launch of the previously familiar algorithm - reaching for mother’s breast. It is advisable to make him breakfast during this time, or, if he is still in the process of preparing it, turn his attention to a game or a fairy tale. You can treat yourself to cookies, but try not to kill your appetite;
the last stage is to wean the baby from asking breasts at night. The actions here are similar, but there are some nuances.

It is advisable that during the weaning period the mother does not wear clothes through which the child could easily get what he wants. It’s also better not to change clothes in front of him.

How to wean your baby from breastfeeding at night?

This is perhaps the most difficult of all stages. It’s quite difficult to distract your child by playing at two in the morning or reading books to him.

Here they do things a little differently:

Give the baby as much time as possible more attention during the daytime. It is important to play with him more, communicate, hug him and talk about your love. Children often wake up at night and ask for the breast not from hunger, but in order to feel comfort and security through feeding.

Before putting your baby to bed, you should feed him tightly. But it is important not to overdo it so that his tummy does not hurt. This also makes children sleep poorly.

When the baby wakes up and begins to demand the breast, you can give him mixture from a bottle or sippy cup. You need to see what suits him best. If you have a thermos or special heating devices for bottles, then the task will be simplified. There will be no need to get up and go to the kitchen to prepare food for your baby.

Sometimes a bottle of water helps. The child drinks and falls asleep while being lulled to sleep.

Some practice getting dad up to calm his child down, because smelling his mother’s milk will only make him more nervous and cry.

In any case, it will take longer for the baby to wean off the habit of night feedings. Parents just need to get through a few nights and be patient.

You should not stop breastfeeding in several cases:

if a move is planned in the coming days;

teething in a child;

warm season;

period of the baby's illness.

To minimize psychological pressure on the baby, do not irritate him by smearing his chest with green paint or mustard powder, leaving for several days with relatives whom he knows little. The main thing is to try not to scream, not to break down, but to show maximum patience and love. Then feeding will stop painlessly for both.

Making the decision to wean your baby off breastfeeding is not an easy task. But sooner or later you will still have to do this. It is worth approaching this issue responsibly. Here are some tips to help you.

When should you wean your baby off breastfeeding?

Ideally, it is best to wait for natural weaning. And here it is impossible to name an unambiguous time. For every mother, the period comes at its own time. However, on average, lactation involution occurs at 2.5 years. It is at this age that the baby sucking reflex begins to fade.

Is your baby ready to wean? Mom must answer this question herself. And she will definitely understand this. After all, no one better than mom does not know the needs of her own child. If you still have doubts, then you should watch the child. If he is easily distracted from the breast and the number of feedings per day has already reached three, and the baby does not suckle anything else, then it’s time to begin gradual weaning.

The readiness of the mother's body is also easy to understand. At this time, the breasts are no longer overfilled with milk. The baby has not been latched for more than 12 hours, and the mother feels comfortable. After the onset of lactation involution, you can breastfeed your baby for another 2-3 months. During this time, the child will receive a supply of immunoglobulins with milk, which will last him for 5-6 months.

It is worth noting that there is no need to wean your baby off breastfeeding immediately after illness, after experiencing stress, or during important life changes, for example, going to kindergarten. It happens, of course, when a child urgently needs to be weaned. This includes cases of serious illness in the mother, when she begins to use medications that are incompatible with breastfeeding.

And here you need to act smoothly and carefully, following all the rules, but in a short time.

Finishing breastfeeding

By the way, when the mother goes to work or enters kindergarten– these are not at all reasons to wean your baby off breastfeeding. On the contrary, it will be easier for the child to adapt to new conditions if the breast is not taken away. You shouldn’t wean your baby off in the summer either, since at this time of year there are many fresh vegetables and fruits. The temptation to feed the baby will be great, and this, in turn, can lead to an upset stomach.

How to wean?

It must be remembered that abrupt weaning Weaning a baby is a huge stress. You need to act smoothly and carefully, constantly observing the baby’s reaction. It happens that you have to start all over again. This is normal and there is no need to despair at such moments.

While weaning your beloved child, try to give him maximum attention. At least more than before. Constantly hug him, kiss him, squeeze him, tickle him, throw him up, in a word, give the baby as much as possible tactile sensations. This is very important because it lets the baby know that despite the fact that the breast is missing, the mother is not going anywhere. And besides, he gives more love and attention.

During this time, the child must be closely monitored. If he starts to put it in his mouth foreign objects, for example, a finger, which means he is stressed and worried. And that means he is not ready to stop breastfeeding yet.

Methods for weaning a child from breastfeeding

The easiest way is to leave home for a few days or take the baby to grandma. However, this method can only be used if the child has previously been left without his mother for at least a day. During the period of mother's absence, the child will understand that it is possible to live and fall asleep even without breast milk. And upon returning, the child should be informed that the milk is missing.

How to wean a child from breastfeeding? Doctor Komarovsky

You can tell interesting story that the milk went to a poor homeless dog or that the fox took the milk into the forest for her cubs. When your daughter or son remembers the breast, then remember the story, worry and regret with him. You must definitely be on his side.

However, this method of weaning a child from the breast can lead to stress in the child. After all, not only the breasts and milk disappeared for several days, but also the beloved mother. This method should only be used if you are sure that the baby will handle the separation well.

The most optimal and The right way weaning your baby off breast milk is a gradual reduction in the number of breastfeedings during the day. It is worth gradually giving up night and evening feedings. The main thing is to be decisive, because children feel the mood, mood, and confidence of their mother.

Gradual weaning from breastfeeding

Reduce the number of daily applications. You should not say “no” to your child. It's better to distract him by any means. Eg, interesting books, active games or fairy tales. At the same time, you need to dress in such a way that it is difficult for the baby to reach the chest, for example, knitted bodysuits or plain t-shirts. Forget about robes, shirts and sweaters with cutouts for a while. In addition, there is no need to change clothes around the child.

Make it a rule to allow breastfeeding only in a certain place and position, for example, lying on the bed. Then in some situations (in the car) it will be easy to explain to the child why he is not breastfeeding. By the way, it wouldn’t hurt to introduce this rule already when the baby has already celebrated his first birthday.

Avoid breastfeeding before nap and after waking up. Let a relative put your baby to bed, or simply come up with a new bedtime ritual. For example, turn on an audio story or read a book. In this case, at first it is better to hold the child in your arms.

And immediately after waking up, distract your baby with games and interesting tasks. And under no circumstances lie in bed together. Use the same technique before bed. Let dad put the baby to bed at night.

First, it is worth reducing, and then completely eliminating, night feedings. This is one of the most important stages. The main thing here is not to fuss and take your time. First, reduce the time of night feeding and do not let your baby fall asleep with the breast. And if the child wakes up and reaches for the breast, then it is better to offer him something to drink. At the same time, you can tell a story that the “titya” is tired, sleeping and cannot come to the baby. And in the morning, when it’s time to wake up, mom shouldn’t be there. Wake up before the child and distract him.

As a result, at one point you will realize that the baby has not taken the breast for several days. It turns out that feeding is completed.

Please note that the time it takes to wean your baby is different for everyone. For some, a week may be enough, for others it may take a couple of months. One way or another, after 2.5 years this process is less painful.
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen