How to wean a baby: recommendations for mom

Breast milk is a nutritious and healthy product that fully satisfies the baby’s need for minerals and vitamins, supports his immunity and promotes rapid growth and weight gain. Each mother independently decides when to switch her baby to artificial formula or “adult” food. To ensure that the weaning process occurs painlessly and with minimal stress, several points should be taken into account.

Optimal time

Some breastfeeding women try to wait until two years, when the baby is older and stronger, and his digestive system is ready to switch to cereals and vegetable purees. Other mothers begin weaning their baby at one to one and a half years old. From about 8–9 months, complementary foods begin to be introduced, so milk becomes a useful, but not necessary addition.

Experts sitting at the WHO advise switching to an adult menu no earlier than 1.6 or 2 years. Experienced mothers and doctors who are concerned about a woman’s physical and emotional health recommend not to force yourself if breastfeeding exhausts all your strength and does not bring pleasure. It is healthier for the child to eat formula and vegetables and see the parent happy. Love and a healthy atmosphere in the family protect against diseases no worse than breast milk and vitamin supplements.

Psychological attitude

Mothers experience weaning no less painfully than children. They get the feeling that their own blood is being deprived of something important. To make the transition from breast milk to other foods easier, a woman should mentally prepare herself and convince herself that this step is necessary primarily for the child. He should gradually become independent and less dependent on his mother and her breasts. Parents who are confident in the correctness of their own decision find it easier and easier to stop breastfeeding. They pass on their attitude to the child, so it is easier for him to come to terms with and adapt to new conditions.

Emergency measures

Women of the 20th century, who had never heard of psychology and pedagogy, knew only one option for weaning from breast milk. Children were placed in the care of caring grandmothers or nannies, and mothers took unplanned vacations for themselves. Modern parents can entrust their offspring to their fathers, who are able to change the baby’s diaper and open a jar of puree. A woman should stay with a friend, sunbathe at the dacha or spend time on the seashore. It is advisable to turn off the phone and other means of communication with the outside world, because in the first day or two the child will cry and ask for breastfeeding in addition to his mother.

Relatives will have to make every effort to feed the little guest, put him to bed and calm the next hysteria. They will be ready to give up and suggest holding off on weaning, but mom must be relentless. After 3-4 days, the child will calm down and wean off milk, and after a week the parent will be able to return to her beloved child with peace of mind. The main thing is not to give in to the desire to comfort or lull the baby with your breast, because in the first month it is very easy to break.

Important: Previously, to stop lactation, the mammary glands were tied with a sheet or bandages. Such experiments often ended in inflammation or mastitis. Modern women do not need to take such risks, because there are special drugs that stop the body from producing milk.

Gradual changes

Not all mothers are able to get rid of the feeling of guilt and place their beloved child in the care of a father or grandmother. And relatives are not always ready to support a woman and leave the baby with them for such a long time. You will have to be patient and move towards your goal gradually. Some manage to stop breastfeeding in 1.5–2 weeks, others stretch out the pleasure for a month or a little more.

A child needs energy and a lot of vitamins to keep his immune system in working order. You should experimentally find foods that the baby likes and do not cause allergies, and gradually increase portions of adult food, reducing the amount of mother's milk. You can give more juices or compotes, make sure that the child has enough fluid. Mother's milk is replaced with cow's or goat's milk, or special formulas are purchased. There is nothing wrong with artificial powders; on the contrary, they strengthen the immune system and promote normal development.

While the child gradually switches to purees and soups, the mother is also advised to adhere to the diet. Avoid meals and foods that enhance lactation for a while. Try to drink a minimum of water and other liquids, use diuretics or herbs. Some women reduce their milk supply with laxative tablets or drops, but the benefits of this method are questionable, and the harm is obvious.

Red Herring
The child must learn to fall asleep first during the day and then at night without his mother’s breast. The woman is advised to lie down with the baby on the same bed so that he feels her presence and support. But if he starts to be capricious and demand “food,” you need to gently calm him down and offer him a hug. Only the child's back should be pressed against the mother's belly, so as not to tempt the child with the opportunity to have dinner before bed. You can offer a bottle of water or cow's milk instead of the usual breast, but some children then develop a dependence on the pacifier.

During the day, a woman should wear T-shirts or sweatshirts without a cutout, which prevent access to the mammary glands. You can wear sports tops that maintain the shape of your breasts and protect you from persistent children's hands. You cannot change clothes in front of your child and bathe with him in the same bath. During the day, when the baby begins to be capricious and beg for the breast, it is recommended to distract him with games, cartoons, go for walks or meet dad at the door. You can offer to look through the peephole, open the lock yourself, and even go out onto the landing to check if the other parent is there.

Over time, the child will learn to eat purees and cereals, and after a few months he will forget about the existence of mother’s milk. For some children, a week is enough to stop breastfeeding. First, they learn to fall asleep on their own and not get up in the middle of the night to “snack” their mother. Then they get used to having to eat mashed potatoes and steamed cutlets for lunch, without washing everything down with milk. During this period, it is advised to give full portions of food so that the child does not feel hungry.

Advice: If the baby refuses porridge, demanding the breast, you should not stuff lunch into him or immediately take out the mammary gland. Let him remain hungry for a while; nothing terrible will happen in a few hours. But then he will happily swallow everything his parents offer him.

To lull the baby to sleep, the mother is advised to sing quietly or read fairy tales. Stroking on the back or head also has calming properties. Women who have given up breastfeeding note that the baby sleeps much longer both day and night and becomes less restless.

Women should exercise, because physical activity and increased sweating help stop lactation. The swollen breasts are expressed, but lightly, to get rid of the discomfort. If you constantly empty the mammary glands, the body will produce “food” for the baby as usual. Breasts that retain milk are a signal to the brain that it is time to stop feeding.

Unconventional methods

Capricious babies who do not want to part with their usual “food” are given nipples smeared with mustard or wormwood tincture. A few feedings are enough for mother’s mammary glands to become tasteless and unattractive. The main thing is not to poison the baby with grass and not to burn his esophagus.

Sometimes the garlic option helps. Mom should eat a decent portion of the seasoning so that the milk has a specific taste. The baby, having tried such food one or several times, will independently refuse it and switch to delicious vegetables.

Weaning should not be perceived as a tragedy or betrayal. The love and tenderness that the baby received while breastfeeding can be compensated through joint games, communication and reading books. The main thing is that both mother and child are ready for such a serious step, and then everything will work out for them.

Video: how to wean a baby correctly