No matter how successful breastfeeding is, each specific mother-baby pair sooner or later faces the question of how to wean the child from the breast. Regardless of the reasons for stopping breastfeeding, it is almost always extremely stressful for the child and mother. That is why, when the task arises of weaning a child from breastfeeding, this must be done as correctly and correctly as possible.
Modern pediatricians agree that it is not advisable to wean a child off breastfeeding before he is 6 months old, since babies during the first six months of life do not need any other food other than mother’s milk.
Theoretically, you can gradually stop breastfeeding your baby after he is 6 months old. But if the mother and the baby have the opportunity and desire to do this, then it is better if the question of stopping breastfeeding is raised after the baby is one year old. This will protect the child from infections, maintain a close psychological connection between mother and baby, and the baby will undoubtedly feel better psychologically, feeling protected.
There is an opinion that you can stop breastfeeding in infancy, but only the child must be one year old, and this will be correct. But modern medicine also has good reason to say that breastfeeding can be continued until the child is 2 years old. Mother's milk is priceless, it is beneficial for the baby's body and supports its immunity. And if mother and baby wish, then natural feeding can be successfully extended to two years or more.
As a rule, the need to wean a child from breastfeeding arises more from the mother than from the baby. For a child, mother and mother’s breasts are the most dear thing in his life and are associated with a feeling of complete security. Therefore, in the process of weaning, you need to focus primarily on the baby’s readiness.
It is not recommended to wean a child under one year of age. Usually, one year old child should be transferred to the “adult table”, but this does not mean at all that it cannot be supplemented with mother’s milk, although after a year the need for it is no longer as great as during the first six months of life. If you have the desire and opportunity, you can continue to breastfeed your child until the age of two.
Typically, certain signs can tell a new mother that it may be time to wean her baby:
- The baby is two years old.
- The baby loses interest in the breast and turns away.
- Mom has very little milk, it “burns out.”
- Mom is physically tired.
- Mom needs to go to work (engage in social activities, etc.).
Maybe feed a little more
Sometimes a situation arises when it seems like it’s time to stop breastfeeding, but it’s better to wait.
The best time to wean a baby from the breast is when he is teething or if the child is sick. It is also better not to wean at a time when serious changes are occurring or are brewing in the life of your family (moving, mom will soon go to work, etc.).
The process of weaning from the mother's breast is stressful for the child in itself, and it should not be aggravated by additional circumstances.
The baby does not fall asleep without the breast
Perhaps one of the most difficult tasks for many mothers is to wean their baby from feeding at night. After a year, many babies may persistently retain the habit of falling asleep under the breast. It can last up to three years. This is especially true for the last feeding before the night and waking up at night to “hang” on the chest.
After a year, you can try to teach your child to fall asleep to lullabies, stroking, and fairy tales. Weaning from breastfeeding and replacing night feedings with the transition to this method of placing the baby requires a certain amount of patience from the parents. The desired result can be achieved if your actions are consistent and constant. Teach your baby to fall asleep at the same time in a calm environment. As an option, a child can be taught to fall asleep by rocking him in his mother’s arms.
After two years, you can try to teach your baby to fall asleep on his own without the presence of his mother. How to do it right? Let dad or grandma deal with the issue of motion sickness. At the same time, the mother should pay as much attention as possible to the baby during the day so that he does not feel abandoned.
As for night feedings, a one-year-old child does not have a physiological need for them; it is rather a habit on a psychological level. At the same time, the child experiences a sense of security, which allows him to fall asleep peacefully. If you plan to wean your baby from breastfeeding, then after a year you should gradually reduce the number of night feedings.
Rules for safe weaning
- If possible, it is better to wean your baby no earlier than after a year.
- WHO recommends breastfeeding children up to two years of age.
- You should not try to quickly wean your baby off the breast using radical methods.
- You can teach your baby to quickly fall asleep without a breast by rocking him to his favorite lullaby, observing the same ritual of falling asleep every day.
- You can give up night feedings as quickly as possible if you have a warm drink for your baby in a bottle on hand.
- Avoiding night feedings will not make your baby's sleep more restful, so be prepared for this.
What are the options for stopping breastfeeding?
As a matter of fact, there are several ways to stop lactation and wean a child from breastfeeding:
- Drug cessation of lactation. In modern medicine, hormonal agents are widely used to help painlessly stop the production of breast milk. Their action is aimed at suppressing the hormone prolactin.
- Natural cessation of lactation. Involution – a woman’s body independently stops producing breast milk. It is also possible for the baby to self-wean.
- "The old fashioned way." Among our mothers and grandmothers, the method of pulling the chest with sheets was popular.
- Gradual reduction of feedings.
Side effects of the chosen method
Any of possible methods cessation of lactation and weaning a child from breastfeeding has its own negative side. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to achieve your goal absolutely painlessly, and you have to choose the most gentle option.
Stages of baby weaning
You should not try to quickly wean your baby from the breast; it is better to do it gradually, in several stages. To make this process as painless as possible for the baby, it can be extended over several months.
- It is necessary to pay more attention to the child during the day, hug and kiss him, and take him in your arms. This way, weaning your baby off the breast will be less painful and traumatic for him.
- You should not teach your baby to fall asleep in the parent's bed.
- Teach your baby to fall asleep without the breast until weaning.
- To stop breastfeeding, it is better to choose a cold season. This way you can significantly reduce the risk of intestinal infections.
- It will be easier for the baby to refuse mother's milk when he regularly receives complementary foods (from ten months - at least 3 times a day).
- You should not give your baby to relatives during weaning. This is extremely stressful for the baby and mother.
- If a child has a persistent habit of falling asleep under the breast, then it needs to be replaced, for example, by rocking.
- Weaning off breastfeeding at night will require the mother's perseverance and patience. At first, you can use a bottle of water or sweet tea, which should be prepared in advance.
- You should not wear T-shirts or blouses with a low neckline when you are weaning your baby.
Dear mothers, in this article we tried to describe in as much detail as possible when and how to stop breastfeeding your baby. Undoubtedly, in the life of each specific family there are various circumstances that do not always make it possible to properly wean the baby. Under no circumstances should you invent “mistakes” for yourself, blame yourself and get upset if something goes wrong. In addition to breast milk, you can give your child no less valuable warmth, affection, love and care, which your baby so needs.
Be happy and grow up healthy!
Pediatricians and lactation specialists agree that breast milk is vital for the healthy growth and development of a baby. In addition, breastfeeding is not only the transfer of “liquid food” from mother to child, but also a unique way of communication that has a beneficial effect on the unformed child’s psyche. And yet, sooner or later, there comes a need to quit breast milk. Few children are ready to voluntarily give up a tasty treat, so the question arises: how to wean a child from breastfeeding so that it does not become stressful for him?
You must understand that any changes will be perceived in two ways by the baby. On the one hand, he will most likely enjoy eating a varied diet, regularly trying new treats and foods. But on the other hand, the toddler associates the mother’s breast with calmness, pleasure and satiety, so he is unlikely to give it up easily and simply.
There are many reasons why women decide to stop lactation. The following can be considered objectively justified:
Age to stop breastfeeding The baby is determined by the woman herself. Doctors say that the optimal lactation period is the time from the moment the baby is born until 2, less often up to 2.5 years. However, some children suck mother's milk until they are 4, 5 or even 6 years old. This factor is very individual and largely depends on the state of the child’s health and the characteristics of his physical and mental development.
Once it is decided that breastfeeding should be stopped, many parents imagine with horror children's tantrums and sleepless nights full of screams. In part, they are right, but there is no need to aggravate this process and turn it into something painful and painful for mom and dad, as well as for their child.
First of all, you need to adequately assess the baby’s condition in order to understand whether he is really ready to switch to adult food. The following speaks in favor of the fact that giving up mother’s milk will be relatively painless:
An indirect sign of the baby's readiness to stop drinking mother's milk is his refusal of the pacifier and the cessation of sucking fingers or various objects. However, it often happens that a little fidget uses a pacifier for up to 3 years or more, but at the same time quite easily forgets about his mother’s breast.
If gradual and smooth transition It seems too long for an exclusively “adult” nutritious diet; you can use the old “grandmother’s” method. It consists in the fact that mother and baby are separated for several days. Of course, this will be stressful for the little one, but he won’t feel the tantalizing aroma of mother’s milk and will stop wanting it.
The woman will need to have her breasts tightly bandaged or go to antenatal clinic so that the obstetrician prescribes pharmacological drugs to stop the production of breast milk. Most often these are drugs that block the production of the hormone prolactin.
If feeding sessions occurred only once a day and were not long, then after the baby stops putting the baby to the breast, the milk may “burn out” on its own, without external help. This option for completing lactation is the most optimal, since it does not harm the woman’s health.
Unfortunately, a young mother does not always have the opportunity to leave her offspring for a few days in the care of relatives or a nanny. In this case, you will have to make sure that the baby himself does not want to touch the breast. For example, smearing it with something that doesn’t taste good or has a strong and unpleasant smell. Along the way, you will need to diligently distract the little fidget, switching his attention from his mother’s body to something else: toys, objects, or sounds. Fairytale therapy is considered an excellent aid in weaning a baby aged 2 years or more.
Less traumatic and gentler is the gradual weaning of the baby from mother's milk. First, reduce the number of feedings to a minimum (ideally, leave 1 session per day), and at the same time refuse to calm or entertain the child by attaching to the breast.
If your son or daughter is crying and capricious, do not rush to call the baby to your breast, try to treat him with warm milk or tea from a bottle, offer him a pacifier, and interest him in something from the immediate environment. Children under the age of 6 years have very unstable and quickly switching attention; they easily forget why they just whined. It is important to help your baby calm down or get distracted without resorting to feeding.
First, it is advisable to give up the daytime treat with breast milk, and then gradually reduce and completely eliminate night feedings. It is more difficult to calm a sleepy toddler, so the child’s (and parents’) rest will not be particularly good at first. But soon the baby will wean himself from sucking the breast at night and will begin to sleep soundly and sweetly.
If you have started taking medications that suppress lactation, do not put your baby to the breast under any circumstances, otherwise a drug that is not intended for the baby will enter his body, which may well be harmful.
To stop your toddler from suckling, you should rinse the nipple with a strong decoction of chamomile, St. John's wort or wormwood. But don’t even think about smearing mustard or pepper on your skin – these products will burn the baby’s mucous membranes and cause a lot of pain to the baby. painful sensations.
You can only leave your offspring for several days with a person who is well known to him, otherwise the child will suffer psychological trauma.
By acting gently, carefully observing the baby, anticipating and satisfying his needs, every mother will be able to make giving up breastfeeding as gentle and non-traumatic as possible.
Every woman who breastfeeds sooner or later faces the question of how to wean her child from breastfeeding. In some cases this happens ahead of schedule (for one reason or another), in others it is a natural completion of the process, which also requires a special approach. The article will discuss how and when a child should be weaned from breastfeeding.
If a woman has decided to wean her baby, then in this case she must be guided by the following criteria:
Before weaning your one-year-old baby, you need to find out what time is best to do it. According to WHO recommendations, it is imperative to breastfeed a baby until he is six months old. Then you can refuse breastfeeding or continue the process until 2 years and beyond, if this state of affairs suits both mother and child.
There are cases when lactation, for one reason or another, ends earlier or later than the generally accepted time frame.
In order for weaning to occur painlessly, it is important to be able to determine when the child is ready to complete breastfeeding. Since children most often have a negative attitude towards sudden changes in their lives, then, most likely, the child will not be happy about weaning. It is necessary to observe the baby:
Important! It is impossible to wean a baby off breastfeeding during major events in the family. This could be moving, getting a job, serious illness, teething.
Weaning a child from the breast at the age of less than 1 year is much more difficult than at the age of one and a half years - stress for the baby is inevitable. Emotional stress it intensifies if the mother experiences anxiety during this period and is worried about depriving her son or daughter of such a desired “dish.” As a result, the process of completing lactation only becomes more difficult. It seems to the mother that if she stops breastfeeding, she will love him less. Actually this is not true. The child should be weaned off breastfeeding persistently and consistently, while continuing to give him your love and warmth.
On a note. It is believed that the age of 12 months is the most suitable for weaning. By this time, most children are already eating “adult” food, starting to chew solid food, and drinking formula from a bottle. In addition, one-year-old babies are much more active than newborn babies and, unlike the latter, do not lie around all day waiting for mother's milk.
To complete lactation painlessly, you need to adhere to the following sequence of actions:
Recommendation. If you have problems with weaning, you can always seek advice from a lactation consultant, and it is not necessary to visit a specialist - a telephone conversation is enough.
You need to move from one step to another gradually, only in this case the cessation of lactation will be quite mild and less traumatic. The time interval between the two stages is 2-3 weeks. If it is necessary to urgently wean a child from the breast, you should move from one stage to another after at least 2-3 days.
An abrupt cessation of lactation is fraught with dangerous consequences for the mother in the form of:
For a child, such a change can result in severe stress and disruption of the digestive and immune systems.
The main rule for the gradual cessation of lactation is to reduce the number of daily feedings. Sucking at the breast should be replaced with other activities: reading books, games, visiting new places, hygiene procedures (bathing, changing a diaper, cutting nails, etc.). It is necessary to diversify the child’s life as much as possible, try to create a new daily routine that does not include breastfeeding. As for seasonality, pediatricians recommend weaning a baby off breastfeeding in the spring or fall.
This article is about permanent weaning, but there is an option such as temporary cessation of lactation. There are circumstances in life that are incompatible with this process, for example, the need to undergo treatment in which lactation is unacceptable, to go to a hospital, to make an urgent trip, etc. In such cases, you can resort to temporary excommunication.
Recommendation. If a mother is unexpectedly admitted to the hospital, it is necessary to warn the doctor that the woman is breastfeeding. Then he will select more gentle medications that will not interfere with further feeding.
In addition to temporary and permanent excommunication, there are also:
This method is one of the most common. The woman takes special medications that facilitate the rapid and painless completion of breastfeeding. You cannot take these medications on your own. First you need to consult your doctor. Reception medicines does not free the mother from the need to express milk from time to time, otherwise stagnation may occur. There is no need to express completely; it is enough to remove enough so that there is no heaviness left in the chest. If the mother drains the milk to the last drop, the process of product formation will continue again.
Important to remember! Medicines have side effects and contraindications. From the moment you start taking the drug, the baby can no longer be put to the breast.
On a note. One of the most aggressive ways to stop lactation is to take hormonal drugs, for example, Microfollin, Norkoluta.
There are also inhibitors of prolactin production. Such medications are considered the safest. These include Dostinex and Parlodel.
According to Dr. Komarovsky, one of the most effective ways to stop breastfeeding is to temporarily separate the child from the mother. The doctor gives the following advice: invite your grandmother for a few days to replace the baby’s mother. The woman, meanwhile, can go on a weekend trip. When the mother returns, the child will most likely remember the treasured breast, then he will only need to hold out for a few hours. During this time, the toddler should be constantly distracted various activities. After 2 hours, the baby will not even remember breast milk.
The pediatrician considers this method the most optimal and civilized. Before weaning, the doctor advises gradually accustoming the baby to sleep in his own bed.
On a note. Before leaving, the mother should consult with a gynecologist about weaning from breastfeeding using this method. Most often in such cases, the doctor prescribes medicinal product, which will need to be taken during departure to suppress lactation.
Emergency cessation of lactation may be justified by medical indications, the need for an urgent move, and other important circumstances.
Urgent weaning is mandatory if the following diseases are detected in the mother:
To avoid breast swelling, milk will have to be expressed (but not completely, otherwise the body will perceive such actions as a signal to produce more milk). Some women use a breast pump in such cases.
At first, the glands may swell and become very sensitive, but gradually this condition will pass. Milk contains a feedback inhibitor of lactation, due to which milk production is suppressed on its own when feeding stops. It will take from 3-4 days to 2-3 weeks for the breasts to rebuild.
If feeding was stopped abruptly and quickly, then milk stagnation may occur. If painful sensations appear in the chest, a woman should consult a doctor.
If a medicinal method was used to complete lactation, a lump may form in the mammary glands. Milk secretion may continue for another year or even longer. In such cases, consultation with a mammologist is required. If the body temperature is normal and there are no signs of inflammation in the chest, then the process of completing breastfeeding is proceeding normally.
Something to remember! In one week, the glands will not be able to return to their previous state. After a few months, it is recommended to do an ultrasound, computed tomography and check with a mammologist.
At whatever time and in whatever way a woman decides to stop breastfeeding, this process should occur at a time appropriate for the child and be as easy as possible. You need to act gradually, consistently and carefully.
The body of a nursing mother is designed in such a way that the lactation period lasts at least during the first six months of the baby’s life. But, according to Ministry of Health statistics, less than half of mothers feed their babies breast milk up to a year and only a few continue breastfeeding longer.
The reasons why weaning from breastfeeding are different for everyone. This could be family circumstances, lack of lactation, self-weaning of the baby, illness of the mother, fatigue, or a simple reluctance to spoil the shape of the breast.
The benefits of breast milk for a baby are an endless topic. And if natural weaning does not happen on its own, there comes a time when a woman begins to wonder how to wean her child from breastfeeding. Of course, all mothers are concerned about the softness and painlessness of the action. Let's look at the main points.
For clarity, consider the table:
| It is necessary to stop breastfeeding | It is not advisable to stop breastfeeding |
|---|---|
| the mother has stopped lactation (breasts are not filled with milk, “empty”) | the baby is not ready for weaning (in such cases he can suck his lip, diaper, finger) |
| breastfeeding is painful for women | the baby is under stress (for example, the mother went to work or left and left the child with the grandmother) |
| when the baby asks for the breast, he is easily distracted by playing | the baby is sick, has had a vaccination or has gone to kindergarten |
| the baby has a significant portion of baby teeth | the child will have to “move” to his own room |
| daytime feedings are infrequent and short-lived | restless sleep at night |
| The baby only needs the breast to fall asleep | a nanny was hired for the baby |
Please note: if a child is not ready for weaning, he may behave restlessly and be stubborn, not wanting to put up with the restrictions that have arisen. In such cases, it is better to wait some more time and then try to wean the baby again.
According to many experienced mothers, weaning is a rather lengthy process. But if the physiological age of the baby is chosen correctly, everything will end favorably for the baby and the mother.
Experts in the field of pediatrics have compiled an approximate list of seasons that are least suitable for stopping feeding:
The famous pediatrician Komarovsky is of the opinion that the season does not affect the weaning of the baby, it is only advisable to adhere to the rules of personal hygiene and take into account the psychophysiological characteristics of the baby.
There is a standard list of certain standards that are recommended to be followed for a trouble-free completion of applications:
The mother's mammary glands are perceived by the baby as a source of care and love. For a baby, this is a whole world that can protect him from external negative influences, calm him down during periods of anxiety, and help him in moments of fear. With the help of attachments, the child communicates non-verbally with his mother and learns about the vast world.
But as the child grows older, it is necessary to wean the child from the breast. There are three main ways to do this:
There is no consensus on how to wean a baby from breastfeeding - gradually, suddenly or using drugs. All of these methods differ in the strength of the experience, restructuring of nutrition, and changes in the emotional background. The final choice of how to stop lactation, when and how to prepare the baby, should be made only by the mother. You can consult with specialists, consult with relatives and assess the child’s readiness for a new path in life.
The most gentle way is to wean the baby off the breast in a planned, gradual manner. Let's look at it in more detail.
As you know, gradual weaning can be planned for a long period. But such a leisurely method of stopping breastfeeding is optimal for children, although it can last up to several months.
Ideally, a nursing mother should plan for the upcoming month in which she wants to wean her baby. In this case, she will begin to subconsciously prepare for how to wean the baby, thereby preparing the baby.
The baby is accustomed to the smell of mother's milk, to its constant presence in the chest at his every request. Through this feeding, mother and child develop a trusting relationship. If you suddenly wean a child from the breast, it will frighten him, the trusting relationship will be broken, which will negatively affect the future emotional and psychological background over time.
Planned and calm weaning involves following several steps:
The main condition at all stages is that care and love must appear in every action. At the same time, soft weaning involves, for some period, giving up not very important telephone and personal conversations, surfing the Internet and even watching TV. During this period, the baby needs increased tactile sensation and needs to be hugged more often than usual. Long walks in the air during the day and communication with children whose diet does not contain breast milk are recommended. It would be useful to learn from experienced mothers how to properly wean a child from the breast, or to get a “sleepy” toy. Having gone through all the stages, the mother will not have to wonder what to put on her breasts - mustard or brilliant green, so that the baby will wean himself from breastfeeding at 1 year. In this case, self-weaning will be painless for both parties. But if the mother has already anointed her mammary glands with any product, she should persistently distract the baby without returning to resumption of lactation.
The mother also tolerates a gradual removal of the child from breastfeeding more easily than a sudden one. At the same time, hormonal activity is restored, gradually returning to the normal prenatal level. Lactation decreases gradually with a daily decrease in the number of baby latches, and the woman does not have the question of what to do with her breasts after weaning from breastfeeding. In such conditions, the nursing mother does not have to drag or use hormonal drugs- milk stops flowing and over time its quantity will decrease and then stop completely.
In turn, a sudden interruption of feeding causes the appearance of stretch marks, sagging breasts and their hardening (when seals have already appeared), which subsequently threaten the formation of mastitis.
Unfortunately, not every mother knows how to wean herself off breastfeeding through strict adherence to a schedule. At the slightest request from the baby, she can apply it again to calm him down, no matter how many times he requests, and the process of reducing lactation is delayed. At such moments, you need to observe the child's behavior: if he is too worried, cannot do without his mother, is scared or cannot sleep (no matter what age he is), he should be weaned off breastfeeding a little slower than the planned schedule.
Important: Women's mammary glands stop producing milk after approximately two years of breastfeeding.
Let's try to figure out when it is advisable to wean from breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding a baby until one year old is considered a physiologically correct process. At these moments, in addition to nutrition, the baby receives a lot of mother’s love, he is calm and self-possessed.
Often, a child even at two years old and a nursing mother feel harmony from the breastfeeding process even after a year of feeding with breast milk. If it brings joy to both of you and there are no conflicts, you can wean off breastfeeding after a year or later. As soon as the mother and baby are ready to wean from this diet, you should choose a specific day, tactics and begin to follow it.
At the moment when the decision is made to wean a one-year-old child from breastfeeding, the mother needs to be patient, because now she must prove to the baby the presence of tenderness and love without attachments. In moments of illness, family troubles, or the appearance of teeth, it is undesirable to wean a child from the breast - mother’s milk serves as a sedative and analgesic for a one-year-old baby.
Often the child resists weaning for a long time and demands mother’s milk, sometimes this happens in crowded places. This behavior is unacceptable, especially for a two-year-old child; it is necessary to regularly explain to the child the wrongness of his actions.
Each family independently decides how and when to wean their child off breastfeeding. Many experienced mothers who have already stopped breastfeeding recommend using them practical advice:
When choosing a way to quickly wean a child from breastfeeding, it is best to wait until the baby and mother are ready. The emotional background plays an important role in this process. If a mother, for some reason, cannot stop breastfeeding, it means she is not yet ready to end it.
The method chosen to wean a baby and how difficult or comfortable it is, directly affects the physical and psychological health of the baby in the future.
Every breastfeeding mother faces the need to end breastfeeding. Sometimes due to going to work, sometimes for medical reasons. Often, the baby simply grows up and no longer needs breast milk. How to wean a child from breastfeeding? How to avoid hysterics, stress and discomfort? How does natural weaning go? Let's sort it out in order.
The most popular weaning age is between 12 and 18 months. WHO recommends breastfeeding for up to 2 years, with exclusive breast milk for up to six months. But it must be taken into account that after the child reaches one and a half years old, the process of completing guardianship will become much more difficult. The entire process of transitioning from breastfeeding to a regular menu can take several days or several months.
Before you begin the process of weaning your baby, you need to decide for yourself:
1. Will you excommunicate gradually or sharp;
2. In what child's age start this process.
The main thing is, do not start weaning from breastfeeding if you are not determined. A baby over the age of one year is already a person, he understands and feels you, sees your mood and probes the boundaries of what is permitted. To prevent this process from becoming stressful for you and your baby, try to plan your actions in advance when your child protests. Don't give up if things get difficult, as this will only prolong the completion of breastfeeding for many months.
Smooth weaning from breastfeeding can last for months or take only 3-5 weeks. This primarily depends on your mood and desire, as well as on your individual relationship with your child. In any case, gradual weaning is a natural process, which means it will be easier and more comfortable for the baby than with sudden changes.
Does this mean that the child will not demand the breast, be capricious and protest? Not at all. You need to be patient and distract your baby at such moments. For example, you can offer him new toy, go look out the window, turn on the music and dance together. Try to distract his attention from your breasts by switching to something no less interesting and pleasant. Your imagination will help you a lot here. Write down in your notebook in advance options that will help you out (drawing, toys, books, songs and dances, washing with water, bubble, photo shoots with a phone camera, etc.).
First, stop feeding during the day, then gradually wean off feeding at night. Offer your baby a bottle of milk or other drink. If your baby absolutely refuses to take pacifiers and bottles, try distracting and soothing in another way. For example, you can offer him to drink kefir from a straw, rock him in your arms or stroke him on the back.
There is a lot of information around about a certain spiritual relationship between mother and child, which can only be truly deep with breastfeeding. In fact, this is a myth. True intimacy develops when a mother, looking into the eyes of her baby, smiles and says sweet words when he carries him in his arms, strokes him and sings lullabies.
During the period of weaning from guarding, the baby simply needs to be given more tenderness, to show love in various ways. You should not raise your voice, walk away from the child, or leave him without his mother for a long time. Help your baby get through this period, let him understand that he is only deprived of breasts, but not of his mother.
A child constantly grows and develops, explores the world, learns something interesting, and masters new skills. The whole life of a little person is changeable and unpredictable, so weaning is not as stressful for him as many people fear. Stress primarily occurs in the mother, because it is so difficult to look at the child’s hysterics, tears and demands for her usual favorite reassurance.
Doctor Komarovsky E.O. believes that children do not and cannot experience any stress from finishing breastfeeding. He also pays attention to the sequence of actions of the mother during this period. If you have already started this process, then be firm and calmly bring the matter to the end. You shouldn’t think and worry that your baby won’t forgive you and make you harbor a grudge, these are all fables from the Internet. Of course, the child will be upset and dissatisfied with this turn of events, but this will last for several days, after which he will forget about it altogether.
There are two ways that can lead to bad consequences:
To make weaning faster and calmer, we suggest using ways to reduce lactation:
Watch also the video about weaning
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