How to stop breastfeeding Komarovsky. How to stop breastfeeding: advice from Dr. Komarovsky. Weaning by separation

04.09.2020

The benefits that breastfeeding can bring to a baby cannot be overemphasized. It is impossible to find a formula, even the most modern one, that could replace mother's milk. But the baby will grow up over time. It will need to be weaned off the chest somehow. If this does not happen naturally, you have to resort to special methods.

To wean a child without negative consequences, it is better to use the recommendations of real professionals. One of these is Dr. Komarovsky. Mostly it is based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization, but also independently makes some of its own observations from practice.

It is a well-established opinion that a child should be weaned from the breast when he is 2 years old. At this point, the slightly matured baby is able to start eating food specially designed for children. But Komarovsky adds that a child should not be weaned from the breast until he is one and a half years old. Otherwise, the child will not have time to physiologically develop to a level at which only complementary foods will benefit him.

Here is a video in which Komarovsky talks about breastfeeding.

When to stop feeding

Great attention should be paid to the development of the child during weaning from hepatitis B. True, sometimes the natural cessation of lactation in the mother comes out on top. Then you will have to wean the child forcibly. Komarovsky recalls that lactation can stop much earlier than the desired date. If the baby stops eating during one feeding, you need to think about stopping feeding.

The doctor warns that weaning should take place without major stress. He needs to refuse to feed him gradually. Komarovsky offers 5 ways that will make it easier for both mom and her child to survive weaning. To wean your baby from breastfeeding, do the following.

Mom should limit herself to the use of any liquids. The less fluid enters the body, the more difficult it is for the baby to feed. He will feel difficulties, will gradually wean from such nutrition.
Reducing the duration of feeding. Sometimes feeding can be skipped, and the baby can be switched to some interesting activity.
Stop expressing milk.
Increasing physical activity for the mother in order to remove the maximum amount of fluid from the body.
Avoiding foods that can stimulate milk production.

Each of Komarovsky's advice is aimed at making it difficult or uninteresting for the child to eat in the same way. As a result, it will be much easier to wean him, and the process will not be overly stressful.

Forced excommunication

Sometimes it also happens that there is no way to wean a child from breastfeeding. According to WHO experts, after 1 year, weaning is not premature. Until that moment, weaning off GW is not only difficult, but also dangerous. And yet, sometimes you have to do this. Komarovsky suggests switching the attention of the offspring to other interesting activities and methods of calming.

Mistakes of young mothers

Mothers, especially young ones, sometimes make serious mistakes when they want to wean a child. You can't show too much enthusiasm and zeal. Therefore, Komarovsky warns against actions that can cause harm. You should never do the following.

Refuse to breastfeed when the baby is sick. His body is weakened, and breast milk is the most important source of substances that support the immune system at a high level.
Weaning off the breast before a sudden change of scenery. This will be double stress for the baby. It is necessary to keep at least something familiar so that the load does not turn out to be unbearable.
To forcefully excommunicate a child if he is clearly not ready or unwilling. There is no need to torment the baby, trying to wean him against his will. It is worth waiting at least 2-3 weeks and then trying again.
Do not feed the baby milk for a long time. This action will not help you painlessly go through weaning. And my mother is endangering herself, because she risks "earning" inflammation or mastopathy.
Trying to do it in the summer. The danger of catching any infection is too great.

Should you believe the doctor?

Komarovsky's recommendations cannot be taken as the only correct option for weaning a child from breastfeeding. After all, the doctor's opinion is subjective. If you can't follow his advice, you don't need to despair. To strengthen the health of the child, you can use, for example, Derinat. It strengthens the immune system and makes it easier to tolerate potentially traumatic developmental stages.

Lactation is the most wonderful time for most mothers. But there comes a point when it's time to stop it. And if during the day you can somehow cope with improvised means, then at night it is harder. How to wean a child from night feedings Komarovsky and other well-known pediatricians give many tips for completing hepatitis B. But every kid is different, and everyone needs their own approach.

It is up to each mother to decide when it is best to wean a baby. It depends on many factors:

The child can eat food himself, drink liquid from a glass or drinking bowl.
The food has already been established, and there are at least three main meals.
When weaning a baby, he is not particularly indignant.
The number of feedings decreases, as does their duration.

Doctors recommend starting weaning from breastfeeding no earlier than 1 year. But for physical and psychological needs, it is necessary to withstand at least up to 6 months. Up to this age, breast milk is simply necessary for the baby, it is his only food. After six months, complementary foods begin to be introduced, and you can also gradually remove the breast. Alternatively, you can substitute formula for breast milk.

Breastfeeding counselors recommend feeding your baby until the milk is gone by itself (called involution). That is, this age can reach 3-4 years, which can negatively affect the health of the mother and bring many problems in the future for the child. The adherents of this theory believe that prolonged feeding has a beneficial effect on the health of the child, helps the mother's spiritual connection with him, and creates natural unity.

The most optimal age of weaning is still from 1 to 2 years. At this age, the child already knows how to walk, that is, he does not need to be constantly in his mother's arms.

He also demands more and more independence, more and more moves aside, releasing his mother's hand. The baby is already eating adult food and does not need additional complementary foods. He gets everything he needs from such food (nutrients, vitamins). In addition, most often at this age, the mother is going to send the child to kindergarten. So, it is necessary to wean off GW before that, since otherwise it will be double stress and will develop a sharp hostility to the nursery state institution.

Old methods of weaning

They used to go to work very early, sending the baby to the nursery. For this reason, it was necessary to resort to quickly effective methods. More often than not, no one thought about the possible consequences.

The most common method was to send the baby to relatives for a few days. During this time, he weaned from the breast, and his mother gradually disappeared milk.

But this is a huge stressful situation for the child: not only does the child have a shock from the termination of breastfeeding, but also the dearest and closest person, that is, the mother, is absent, but in the understanding of the baby, she abandoned it. Because of this, the child can get a huge shock, various psychological illnesses (enuresis, eating disorders, etc.) are possible, which will then have to be treated for a long time. Many of the consequences of such excommunication manifest themselves already in older, adolescent years.

Often before, they simply pulled the chest with a thick sheet. But this method is also fraught with disastrous consequences. Due to engorgement of the breast, seals are formed, which lead to mastitis, which, in turn, can only be resolved operatively. Moreover, many women using this method were later diagnosed with malignant breast tumors, that is, cancer.

An equally harmful way is to smear your breasts with something that repels the baby. It can be just frightening in appearance (brilliant green), in taste (mustard, aloe juice), physically inaccessible - gluing the nipples with a plaster. All these methods are still quite popular now, but they are not very effective. The baby still sees the breast, smells the milk, but cannot receive it. It's the same stress.

Modern methods

There are many solutions to this problem in the modern world. But at the same time, young mothers still have many problems in the question of how to wean a child from breastfeeding.

The fastest and most effective way is medication. With the help of drugs such as "Bromkreptin" and "Dostinex" lactation is stopped. They can be purchased at the pharmacy only with a doctor's prescription, as they are hormonal drugs. They act on the body by preventing the production of prolactin. Milk stops secreting, thus the baby simply has nothing to suckle. But these drugs affect hormones, which negatively affects the health of the child. And also a sharp cessation of feeding is morally bad for the psyche of the baby.

You can abruptly refuse to feed without giving the baby a breast. With a large amount of milk, to avoid stagnation, you just need to express. Distract the child with various games, fairy tales, walks. In this case, it is better to entrust the bedtime to one of the relatives (dad, grandmother, grandfather) so that the baby does not smell milk.

To disaccustom your baby from night feeds, feed him densely with dinner. You can also give kefir, fermented baked milk or milk with cookies before bed. If the baby asks for food at night, do not refuse him, give him milk too. But this method also has disadvantages: a sharp separation of the baby from breastfeeding, a sharp cessation of lactation.

The most favorable and easiest for both the mother and the baby is a smooth cessation of breastfeeding.

There are also two options here: first, they are weaned from day feeding, and then from night feeding, or vice versa. Which of the options is better is for the mother to decide, since all children are different, and the approach to them is also different.

So, how to properly wean. First, remove the daily feedings. This is a more comfortable transition, as it is easier to distract the child during the day. The child is fed according to the usual diet, but at the same time they are not supplemented with milk. You can gradually remove one feed at a time so that the baby is less noticeable. After all daytime feedings are removed, they start nighttime. When the baby wakes up at night, you can give him a drink of some fermented milk drink or gently rock, pat on the back, etc. The very last to remove the feeding before bedtime.

In the opposite case, the same is done, but they start at night. They say that it is he who is convenient for many, since after weaning from eating at night, it is easier to stop breastfeeding during the day. In addition, do not forget to cover your breasts so that the baby will forget about it as soon as possible.

Each and every option has its own pros and cons. And each mother herself must choose how to wean the child, and at what point it is best to do it.

method	pros	minuses
weaning from breastfeeding in separation	pretty fast; does not affect the health of the mother	great stress for the child; the possibility of developing various psychological problems in a child
cessation of lactation by pulling	quick	possible health complications in a woman (mastitis, breast cancer)
disgusting methods	-	ineffective
medical method	quick	possible problems with hormonal balance; abrupt termination of hepatitis B can negatively affect the child's psyche
abrupt rejection of GW	fast, easy	psychological unpreparedness of the child and the possible consequences after it
gradual cessation of hot water	soft cessation, well-being of the baby, gradual decrease in milk until it disappears completely	long duration

What Komarovsky says

In the question of how to wean a child from breastfeeding, Komarovsky Evgeny Olegovich gives a rather ambiguous answer. He says that every kid needs a different method. The option associated with disgust from the breast will suit someone: the child will not like the look, taste, and he will no longer take it, and someone will not do without special drugs.

The more positive result, in his opinion, is, of course, gradual excommunication. According to Dr. Komarovsky, weaning from breastfeeding should not cause any discomfort to either the mother or the baby. If one method doesn't work for you, try another one. Don't be upset. To do this, you can listen to the reviews of mothers who have already been weaned.

But about age, Komarovsky answers more clearly - he considers it inappropriate to feed a child for more than two years, since he does not see the point in this. If a child eats the same food as adults, he receives all the necessary vitamins and minerals from there, and milk loses its main function. In addition, with age, the composition changes, becoming useless.

To more fully understand what Komarovsky is talking about, you can watch the video with his "school", where he explains his position.

Traditional methods

Traditional methods are not very popular. And in vain - most of them have no consequences for the health of either the child or the woman.

The most famous is sage broth. The broth is prepared according to the instructions on the package, cooled, filtered. Drink a decoction at room temperature. Quantity - no more than 2 glasses a day.

In addition, at the end of GW, do not forget about the drinking regimen. If earlier it was necessary to drink as much liquid as possible, then in this situation the amount is reduced 4-5 times. Moreover, the drink should be cool. Food at this time, too, must be eaten either cold or at room temperature. Moreover, it is temporarily necessary to remove from the diet products that help lactation: dairy, chicken, broths, etc.

Peppermint has similar properties to sage. To prepare the broth, pour 2 tablespoons with a glass of boiling water, leave for about an hour. Then strain and drink the drink cool. In addition, there are fewer side effects from it, and there is practically no allergic reaction.

Another simple but effective method. It needs white cabbage. Separate the sheets, take only those that are intact and not damaged. Beat off each leaf with a hammer, but only slightly, so that the juice stands out, and apply at the chest. To make it easier to walk, you can attach them with bandages. But don't tighten it tight. Walk like this all day, periodically changing sheets. The procedure can take 3 to 7 days.

Cabbage juice also helps a lot. To do this, drink 1-1.5 glasses a day.

A decrease in milk and a baby's refusal to breastfeed can provoke increased stress on the mother's body. This is due to the fact that during exercise, excess water leaves, and lactic acid is produced in the blood, which enters the milk and impairs its taste. Due to this, the amount of milk is reduced.

It often happens that the baby himself refuses to feed by the mother at a certain age, and the question of how to wean the baby from breastfeeding simply does not arise. It is unclear why this is happening, but most likely due to the fact that the baby does not need it either as food or as psychological help. That is, the child eats up regular food and feels protected at any moment.

If your baby is having a hard time weaning, think about it maybe something is missing. Try to fill his life so that he always feels your presence, knows that he can always turn to you, and you will help. And, perhaps, the weaning of a child from night feeding should be temporarily postponed until the baby grows up and his fragile psyche that has not yet been established becomes stronger.

Termination of lactation is always an unpleasant situation for a mother and her baby. Especially when the sucking reflex has not yet died out in the baby. In this regard, a logical question arises, how to wean a child from breastfeeding. On the forums, you can often find answers that weaning is a long and painful process. Even when the toddler is more than one year old, it is necessary to give up natural feeding gradually, so as not to cause stress in him.

Baby's readiness for weaning

This problem is of interest to mothers who are physically and emotionally tired of daily feedings, a desire to go to work, become dependent on public opinion, or they have difficulties with lactation. How do you know when it’s time to wean your baby and thereby replace natural feeding with another product?

Advice from Dr. Komarovsky! Every loving mother should and simply must breastfeed - this period can last 1, 2, and even 3 years. After all, no other product can compare with mother's milk, which is the most nutritious and useful for a child.

If a woman decides to wean from the breast, then it is better to do it painlessly for the child. Sometimes there are cases that closer to the year the baby refuses milk on its own. This behavior indicates that his body is strong and ready to accept more adult food. At the same time, it will be much easier and easier to wean the baby from breastfeeding.

Weaning technique

According to my grandmother's method.
By medication.
Natural or lightweight.

All of these methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the choice and the final decision remains with the nursing mother.

Babushkin

This is one of the best methods of how to properly wean a baby from night and day feedings. This method is somewhat reminiscent of shock therapy. The baby was left in the care of the grandmother, and in the meantime, the mother pulled the sheet over her chest and walked like that for two weeks, trying to artificially stop lactation.

The downside is that in addition to worries and discomfort (overflow of the mammary glands), the mother endangers her health. As a result of the lumps formed around the breast, there is a high probability of developing a disease such as mastitis, which very often leads to surgical intervention. It will also be difficult for the little one to adapt to the new diet, because his digestive system has not yet weaned from the night feed.

The only advantage of the “grandmother's” method is that breastfeeding can be stopped very quickly within 10-14 days.

Medication

A look into the past. Until a few decades ago, no woman could have imagined that with the help of medication, you can reduce lactation. One of these drugs is Dostinex, which in the shortest possible time is able to suppress the production of prolactin - a hormone that is responsible for lactation in a woman's body.

Dostinex is not effective if the woman continues to feed her baby day and night. Of course, you cannot abruptly wean your baby from breastfeeding. Most pediatricians advise to reduce the number of feeds gradually.

In some cases, this drug may adversely affect the mother's health and cause side effects. For example, dizziness, insomnia, and frequent headaches. Such troubles are caused by a violation of the hormonal background in the body. Therefore, before taking the drug "Dostinex" you need to consult a gynecologist.

How to quickly and painlessly terminate hepatitis B

In modern pediatrics, there are already proven ways to painlessly stop breastfeeding a one-year-old child. The list of rules includes the following:

grease the nipple with mustard, brilliant green or tincture of wormwood;
ask for help from relatives. During lactation, dad, grandmother or grandfather should wean the child from breastfeeding, by communicating with him, reading fairy tales, playing games or just having fun;
refuse night feedings, and to make it easier for the baby to lull to sleep - rock it in a cradle or on your hands;
do not wear clothes with an open neckline, as it provokes the baby to reach for mother's breast.

Weaning a baby from breastfeeding medically will not give quick results. Therefore, you need to be patient and wait a little.

In the first few days, the lactation process will not change much. As before taking the medication, a nursing mother will feel like her breasts are full of milk. To alleviate your condition, you can express it a little. It is impossible to empty the entire chest, since the swim will resume in the same volume. Gradually, lactation will decrease, and soon it will completely disappear.

The downside is that any intervention in the female body can adversely affect the health of the mother.

The natural method to stop lactation

This is the longest journey, which can take more than 6 months. To quickly wean your baby, follow these guidelines:

Gradually reduce the number of daily feedings, even when the baby asks for comfort or is simply tired. Try to distract him with other activities, for example, show a new toy, play fun games, or go for a walk outside;
Apply to the breast as little as possible before putting the baby to bed at night. So that the little one does not feel hungry, it is better to feed him a hearty dinner;
Reduce at least 2 times the number of night feedings, replacing them with warm hugs and motion sickness.

Subject to the alternate fulfillment of the above points, it is possible to wean a child from breastfeeding even in one year. The main thing is not to rush, to do everything gradually and luck will smile.

Dr. Komarovsky recommends taking note of the "natural way to stop lactation." He considers him one of the most successful. This method allows mom and baby to quickly adapt to new living conditions. With a smooth weaning, the child's body does not experience sharp psychological stress, and the woman's hormonal background is restored to its previous prenatal position. In addition, the lactation process decreases naturally and over time the milk will simply disappear.

Komarovsky is also a supporter of 1 method - "grandmother's". He believes that weaning from breastfeeding can be accomplished by reducing milk flow or by spoiling its taste.

List of basic actions:

exercise as often as possible to reduce lactation;
use garlic to spoil the taste of milk;
during the weaning period, reduce the amount of fluid (water, tea);
refuse to latch on to the chest at night;
gradually reduce the number of feedings during the day;

begin to wean the baby from the breast when he is not yet ready for change;
if the child is sick (ARVI, infectious diseases);
when the first teeth begin to be cut.

Conclusion

Remember that the weaning process will not be easy and can take up to 1.5-2 months. It will be especially hard at night. After all, the child has already developed the habit of eating several times during this period of time.

It is laid down by nature that a mother has been breastfeeding her baby for quite a long time. The longer this period is, the stronger the child's immune system will become. However, over time, the completion of hepatitis B comes to an end, and the mother has the question of how to properly stop lactation so as not to harm her health and psychological trauma to the child. Let's figure out how to pull breast milk correctly.

Breastfeeding is good for both the baby and his mom. This process has a positive effect on the hormonal background of a woman. There are ways in which the termination of lactation leads to almost no discomfort. To suppress the synthesis of prolactin, special medicines or herbs can be used.

How to gradually stop feeding

The process of breastfeeding has certain stages, starting with its formation and ending with involution. The final period is carried out gradually. Sometimes the extinction of the synthesis of breast milk occurs earlier than the baby is 1 year and 2 months old. The criterion for assessing the state of the mammary glands will help to understand that the start of involution has begun. This period is characterized by a decrease in prolactin production, the breasts are soft all day.

Gradually, when the lactation period is over, only one night feed should be left. Of course, then it will be necessary to abandon it, while the baby will still have a sucking instinct for a long time. In order to satisfy him, it is recommended to drink a dairy product, compote, tea from a bottle to the baby.

Advice: to reduce the synthesis of milk, the mother should breastfeed less. Thus, the amount of milk will be produced in a smaller volume, based on the needs of the crumbs.

What methods can you quickly end feeding with?

Many women are wondering how to stop breastfeeding quickly. However, it is important to understand that these methods are not humane. Most babies find it difficult to understand that the time has come when they should stop sucking milk from their mother. Most often, the following methods are used for these purposes:

Quite often, the baby is sent to the next of kin for this time. It turns out that he has no contact with his mother for 2-3 days. This sometimes leads to serious stress for the baby, as the process of stopping feeding is associated with a feeling of loss of the mother. In addition, the woman continues to synthesize milk as usual, she is at increased risk of developing mastitis.
To reduce milk, use a tug with an elastic bandage. Thus, you can stop lactation at home after 3 days. At the same time, it is desirable to limit the use of hot drinks.

How to properly pull the chest

Before properly pulling breast milk, it should be understood that this method causes a lot of physical discomfort to mom. If a woman decides to overtighten, then for bandaging, you should use the help of close people, since it is impossible to do this on your own. First, the dressing is applied to the ducts that are above the glandular area, be sure to look at the photo and video for the correct constriction procedure.

Drag overnight for the first time. The next day, it is recommended to express a little milk from the bandaged breast. An indicator that it is time to stop pumping is the absence of discomfort, elimination of chest pain.

If you express too much milk, then you can only increase its synthesis. This procedure is often accompanied by fever, soreness, and hardening of the breasts. If such symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Traditional methods to help stop lactation

Camphor wraps help stop feeding. They suppress lactation, restore the skin, minimize the formation of hardened areas. First, it is recommended to soak the bandages with pre-warmed camphor oil. Then they need to be applied to the chest area, covered with cellophane on top, and put on underwear. This procedure should be carried out at night. However, before putting on the linen, it is important to remember that due to the strong smell of camphor it will have to be thrown out later.

Herbal preparations will help stop lactation, which can be used not only for internal intake, but also for rubbing. The most widely used herbs have a diuretic effect, among them mint and sage are widely used. These funds contribute to a gradual decrease in milk production. After 7 days, the woman feels significant changes.

Before completing breastfeeding, you can drink the following herbal decoctions:

In what cases is drug cessation of lactation used?

It is highly undesirable to stop breastfeeding by taking medication. Since these methods can cause negative consequences for a woman's health. They are usually used to abruptly stop feeding, for example when returning to work or when doctors stop feeding. Before using the tablets, you should consider the following recommendations:

You can take medications only after consulting a doctor, after an examination. This will help avoid side effects from inappropriate drugs.
Medicines can only be drunk when there is no time for other solutions.
Before you start taking the pills, it should be understood that it will be impossible to restore prolactin synthesis.

Usually the process of stopping breastfeeding is a serious stress not only for the baby but also for the mother. The transition to adult nutrition should not be abrupt. However, it happens that a woman has health problems, she loses the opportunity to breastfeed her baby. At the same time, milk continues to be released, discomfort occurs, accompanied by pain and bursting. Therefore, so that there is no problem with the question of how to stop lactation Komarovsky, a well-known pediatrician, gives recommendations at the end of the breastfeeding process. First of all, these are:

Limiting the mother's fluid intake. This means that she should not force herself to drink more volume than was necessary when feeding.
In addition, you should think about reducing the sucking time, you can distract the child during this period, offer him entertainment.
No need to express milk.
Exercise is beneficial because less milk is produced during sweating.
You should not eat foods that stimulate the production of breast milk.
You can try to spoil the taste of milk, for example, include garlic, onions in the diet.

Before finishing breastfeeding, Komarovsky advises not to eat soups, foods that cause increased water intake. Instead of tea, it is better to drink decoctions of herbs that have a diuretic effect. Dr. Komarovsky recommends using decoctions of basil, lingonberry, horsetail, elecampane. For this, 1 tbsp. l. herbs or herbal collection, pour 1 liter and drink throughout the day.

How to understand that a child is ready to stop hepatitis B

As a rule, the crumbs tend to abandon the breast on their own. However, there are those who find it difficult to part with this habit, but anyway, sooner or later, the end of the lactation period will occur. The main thing is that both the baby and the mother have psychological readiness.

From the point of view of doctors, when to stop breastfeeding - Komarovsky claims that it is easy to understand about the approach of this time. Usually, the initial symptoms of involution begin to appear when the child reaches 1 year and 2 months. But this can occur earlier with a hormonal change in the background of a woman.

The following signs will help to understand the readiness of the mother and the baby for involution:

before, mom experienced only positive emotions from breastfeeding. Now, emotional fatigue has replaced. She feels discomfort in her chest;
lack of discomfort in the mother with long intervals between feedings;
the baby does not have enough breast, he is hungry and often asks for breast.

Completion of breastfeeding

So is it necessary to deny the baby in the chest in the presence of the listed signs? Pediatricians say that you should not rush to this. As the milk changes, it becomes similar in quality to colostrum formed after the birth of a baby. This composition contains many antibodies and can protect the baby for six months from infectious diseases.

An important condition for completing breastfeeding is the necessary emotional attitude. The main thing is that the baby understands that he is only weaned, but not deprived of his mother's love. In this difficult period, he should be given more attention and tenderness.

A baby who is accustomed to eating mother's milk for a year, or even more, receives not only the nutrition he needs for development. Undoubtedly, the love and attention of the mother is of great importance, daily physical contact with which contributes to a close psychological bond between her and the baby. It is a feeling of extraordinary closeness that lasts for a lifetime. Therefore, it can be very difficult to stop breastfeeding, because it is so painful for the baby. How to wean a baby from breastfeeding after a year and how to do it in the least traumatic way?

Young mothers who have given birth for the first time are often worried about the question of when to complete the feeding of the baby, because there are practically no exact dates. Doctors, with good lactation, recommend feeding children for at least a year, if it is necessary for the baby and suits the mother. Of course, a lot depends on the health of a woman and her child. The first year of life for a newborn is very important, since its organs are not yet perfect and need further, correct formation.

In addition, for a year, breast milk helps to strengthen his immunity, which will protect him throughout his life.

It is not advisable to complete feeding before 12 months, however, there may be indications for this:

Low or no quality breast milk
Chronic or infectious diseases of the mother, due to which the baby may suffer;
The unwillingness of the woman herself to continue feeding for various, sometimes quite compelling reasons.

The optimal time for weaning a baby is 1-1.5 years old. During this period, it is no longer so much food that the baby needs - for him it is, rather, a way to relax, calm down, and feel safe. It is communication, tactile touch, warmth of the native body that is valuable to a child.

When a woman begins to experience discomfort, especially knowing that milk is no longer the first need of the baby, then, probably, it is worth thinking about completing lactation. At the same time, you should not be upset for your child - this will not bring harm to his health.

It is argued that the best time to start the weaning process is when the infant is one year old and one month old. This is due to the fact that by this time the digestive system has already been developed and the child can be transferred to ordinary human food. It is also important that the personality traits of the baby should be formed - his independence, the ability to serve himself - if the child is constantly at the breast of the mother, this can make him infantile and weak in character, which almost immediately affects the adaptation to the conditions of social society.

Abrupt and natural weaning from breastfeeding

There are two options for completing lactation - quick and natural. Sometimes it's not even about what the mother wants. It is clear that any mother does not want to injure the psyche of her daughter or son. But there are reasons forcing a woman to make a decision to urgently wean a child from breastfeeding:

Tumors that require immediate surgery;
Inflammatory processes of the mammary gland;
Mastitis, purulent lesions of the chest;
Metabolic disorders, diabetes;
Chronic ailments of the liver, heart, renal system, which can affect the health of the baby.

Some situations require a temporary cessation of feeding, but sometimes you have to give it up forever.

With a sharp weaning, a woman should not drink more than 700 grams of any liquid per day, if it's not about oncology, when due to a large amount of water, the body is better cleansed of toxins. At the same time, milk is not completely expressed, the mammary glands are not ligated, as this interferes with normal blood supply, increases the threat of inflammation and milk stagnation.

Also, during the emergency completion of feeding, drugs that reduce the content of prolactin can be taken. Of course, this is done when necessary.

Supporters of the natural ending of lactation explain their opinion by the fact that it is too cruel to abruptly tear off the child, moreover, the milk in the breast can stagnate. In general, it is not necessary to stretch the whole process for a long time. Even a natural break can be completed much faster by reducing portions and number of feeds daily.

This is done as follows:

First, feeding stops during the day, when it has nothing to do with daytime rest and sleep of the baby;
Further, the feeding following the day's sleep is removed;
Then there will be a refusal to feed at night and in the morning.

All these phases should last no more than 14-15 days. The most difficult period is the weaning of the baby from feeding during the day, all other stages, as a rule, are easier.

Knowing how to wean a child from breastfeeding after a year, the mother will be able to do it as correctly as possible, compensating the child's stress with increased attention, care, distraction to interesting, cognitive things for him.

How to wean a baby from breastfeeding after a year

To understand how to act rationally when refusing breastfeeding, you can again return to two main methods - abrupt and gradual, passing naturally.

Fast completion of feeding provides for several separately taken methods, which are the most proven and quite effective:

Breast ligationwhich reduces milk synthesis. You should be in such a bandage during the day, and you can take it off only at night. In this case, the baby is temporarily assigned to the parents of the mother or father or other relatives. At this time, he begins to take regular food, and if he is a little over a year old - milk formulas. For bandaging a woman should use only natural material - these can be large pieces of fabric.
Parting. Unfortunately, one of the most effective methods is the separation of the mother and the child for the time it takes for the baby to get out of the habit of eating. The moral aspect of such actions cannot be called correct, but often such actions are due to difficult, insurmountable circumstances, for example, the mother's need to go to surgery.
The traditional way, used by our ancestors - smearing the nipple and halos with hot spices, mustard, sauce, any product unpleasant for the child. This technique works flawlessly, but it is still questionable, since there is always a danger of an allergic manifestation in a baby. In addition, delicate, barely formed digestive organs are unlikely to withstand such bullying, and dyspepsia can result. Do not forget that the baby will react very negatively - for him this is real stress, which can negatively affect the state of the nervous system.

A gradual weaning from breastfeeding is considered more gentle and physiological, besides, the milk production of a mother with this approach naturally decreases. The process should start as early as 5 months or six months, adding porridge, dairy products, juices, vegetable puree to the milk. It is also useful to supplement the baby's diet with yogurt and cottage cheese, and at 10 months give him baby food with meat and fish. In a year, the child can already enjoy using steam cutlets, fish meatballs, boiled vegetables.

The child still uses breast milk at 11 months, but only at night. The child quickly gets used to the new diet, he begins to develop normal taste preferences. Of course, this method is the best, but, alas, not everyone and not always can use it.

Completion of breastfeeding: when contraindicated

It is impossible to refuse a child to latch on to the breast when he is one or three years old. This is due to the special physiological and psycho-emotional vulnerability of children at this time.

There are also unshakable rules according to which:

It is not recommended to do this in summer and winter;
When the mother again begins to engage in professional activities and leaves the decree;
If the family moves to another place of residence;
When determining a baby to a kindergarten;
In the event that the child has a stressful condition or is sick.

In fact, after one and a half or two years of feeding, a woman begins to involution the process of milk production - its amount gradually decreases, and the composition is not so nutritious, and becomes similar to colostrum when it is first excreted. Therefore, the mother has every reason to complete the lactation period.

The way how to wean the child from breastfeeding after a year, the parent will choose the most suitable for herself and the child. After all, it doesn't always depend on her. During weaning, she needs to be affectionate and attentive to the baby. Realizing that the time has come for other interesting knowledge in life, the child will make the decision of a loved one, especially since his beloved mother will walk alongside her for a long time, supporting and protecting her treasure at every step.