Mom’s milk is not only tasty, but also healthy, but the baby cannot end up sucking on a puss. Almost all babies have a moment when he “says goodbye” to his chest.
There are children in whom there is a gradual refusal of breastfeeding, they themselves go to the bottle. But most babies, nevertheless, go through a weaning procedure. It is easier for those mothers who practice mixed feeding of newborns, because their children are already familiar with the bottle, but for children who satisfy their sucking reflex with the help of their mother’s breasts, it’s more difficult.
Of course, there are many recommendations on how to wean from breastfeeding, but all babies are different, so there is no clear "recipe". No one except mom herself can choose the right path to go on.
I want to share my experience in this matter, as it was easier to wean my baby from breastfeeding than I imagined. Perhaps this will help someone to cope with themselves and understand that everything is not so scary.
Of course, before completely ending breastfeeding, I re-read a lot of literature and listened to dozens of stories from friends and acquaintances, and concluded that it was necessary to adhere to general rules on issues such as the optimal time of year, stages of excommunication and contraindications, and then everything Depends on mom and baby.
So, when is the best time to wean a baby?
Different doctors have a different opinion on this, WHO recommends breastfeeding up to 3 years. But circumstances are not always in favor of prolonged feeding. Often this is due to going to work or the poor health of a woman. The main thing is to think about excommunication a few months before the hour “X”, since psychological preparation for this event is necessary not only for the child, but also for the mother.
Some women feel sorry for their babies, in this case they are doomed to failure, because a firm belief in the need to stop feeding is important.
Of course, if mom is on maternity leave, she has houseworkers, you can breastfeed for a long time, but my strength was exhausted when my son was a year old. It did not work out during the day when it was necessary to redo 100 affairs in the apartment, and 5-6 interruptions of night sleep to 20-minute sucking completely shook the nervous system, although for a long time I enjoyed the feeding process. In addition, my son climbed into my bosom every time he was lifted into his arms, especially during a walk. He satisfied his innate (“sucking”) reflex only in a natural way, rejecting nipples and bottles.
In no case do I urge to stop feeding a year, but according to the stories of my friends I realized that the older the child, the more difficult it is to wean it.
When can not wean from the chest?
It is not recommended to interrupt feeding during illness and vaccination in a child, during teething and in hot weather. Weaning should not be planned just before going to work. Our excommunication process took place in early October.
How to wean from breastfeeding painlessly?
It is necessary to act in stages, gradually eliminating 1 feed. It is these recommendations that experts give, it is impossible to abruptly stop feeding! Stress can be tolerated in different ways by children, which can result in physical illness or a strong fever. I completely agree with these recommendations.
In the spring, when my baby slept 2 times a day, I tried to put him in the morning without a chest, then we excluded all daytime “snacks” and left only the attachments before lunch and evening falling asleep. These stages took place until the fall with varying success.
After my attempts to euthanize him during the day without a chest, the baby compensated for this in the evening, applying 3-4 times before bedtime. I had to accelerate the pace and combine the last 2 stages (refusal of the evening and refusal of night feeding). As a result of my efforts, on the second day we fell asleep without screaming to the song, and woke up 2 times at night. After about 10 days, I finally found out what a full-fledged night it is!
All this time I tried not to draw attention to the "irritant", putting on a T-shirt with a blank neckline. And the son gave water and a piece of biscuit, which he absorbed for a long time on the cheek.
It was not necessary to apply any “draconian” methods (such as mustard or pepper on the chest), and a one-year-old child would not have understood “bobbing a wava”.
Another important point is that you do not need to entrust the child to grandmothers and aunts for the time of excommunication, since the mother herself must wean from breastfeeding. The child at this moment needs her presence and support, because any change in his life is a lot of stress. For most children, “boobs” becomes a psychological dependence on their mother, it is important that he understands that his own person and so close. Now, near my son, while falling asleep, my hand must be sure.
I was accused of heartlessness for the baby, but I can see solid advantages after breastfeeding: improved appetite, quiet sleep, some independence and growing up, but most importantly, we both have a calm nervous system!
Therefore, all mothers want to say that you only need to listen to your intuition, casting aside fears, then everything will go easy and smooth!