How to stop breastfeeding: tips for ending breastfeeding
How to stop breastfeeding your baby without it being a big stress for mom and baby? The decision to stop breastfeeding is not always easy to make and can depend on several factors, not just the lack of breast milk production. But when is it okay to stop breastfeeding? Here's everything you need to know about it and some great tips on how to stop breastfeeding your baby.
When to stop breastfeeding your baby?
There are many legends and preconceptions about breastfeeding and when it would be best to stop breastfeeding. The truth is that there are no rules and that only mother and baby can know when the time is right to stop! Every mother has the right to stop. to breastfeed and should not feel guilty for this: breastfeeding is certainly not the only way in which the relationship between mother and baby is consolidated!
If you want to stop breastfeeding, therefore, know that it is your right: you must not feel pressured or conditioned by the opinions of others! The same is true if you wish to continue breastfeeding: if you and your baby live this moment naturally, continue to do so, there is no rule that establishes a specific "age at which it is right to stop and after which" breastfeeding would become a kind of "vice": the "when" is really relative!
In fact, according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health, long-term breastfeeding does not negatively interfere - as has often been believed - on the acquisition of autonomy by the child or on the psychological well-being of mother and child. On the contrary, breastfeeding would contribute to increase the "cognitive, emotional, family and social well-being of the child".
The World Health Organization also recommends continuing breastfeeding for up to two years or more, as long as mother and baby so wish.The baby, according to the WHO, must be breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life, and then continue to feed it with mother's milk and other so-called "complementary" foods for up to two years.
According to anthropologists, the natural age for weaning human beings would be even higher than two years. Weaning, in fact, begins gradually when the child combines complementary foods with mother's milk around six months. After six months , the baby needs higher levels of other nutrients that mother's milk alone does not provide, while remaining his main food for the months to come. Between 11 and 16 months, breast milk still accounts for half of his daily calorie intake.
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Why stop breastfeeding: the importance of this decision
There can be several reasons why a mother chooses to stop breastfeeding: the important thing is that it is always and only her decision, free from any kind of social pressure. Breastfeeding can be tiring, although beautiful and rewarding, and don't feel guilty if you feel tired! In these cases, however, before deciding to quit, it will be good to give yourself some more time to understand if it is just a temporary crisis or not, and above all do not be afraid to ask for help for other daily issues from partners, family members. and friends!
You can choose to stop breastfeeding also for work needs: in these cases you can think of using a breast pump to continue to feed the baby with breast milk, leaving it to those who will take care of him while you are at work. Or, you may want to gradually stop breastfeeding at night to feel more rested upon awakening.
The important thing is that the mother has the opportunity to take the time to understand what is best for her and for the baby. But be careful: you must always consider that stopping breastfeeding and weaning babies does not mean that they will not continue to wake up at night or to look for their mother! You must be well informed about all the possible consequences of stopping breastfeeding before deciding to do so.
How to stop breastfeeding your baby: go gradually!
If you are convinced and determined to stop breastfeeding, there are some useful tips that could help you do it in the best way and with less stress. First of all it is very important to proceed with a certain degree of gradualness, and not to suddenly remove the breast from your baby. This will prevent the baby from great suffering by decreasing the "trauma" of breast loss, and will also help the mother to avoid breast engorgement that could lead to mastitis: expressing breast milk manually can be useful in this case!
The best way to stop breastfeeding gradually is to start by eliminating non-main feedings: one thing is if the baby is hungry, another if he wants the breast out of boredom! play with him instead of breastfeeding him, try to distract him! Evening and night feedings will certainly be more difficult to eliminate. It is important to think of a different ritual to make him fall asleep.
If the child is already older, you can explain the reasons for the refusal of the breast (obviously in the most appropriate way for his age) and try to replace it with a bottle. Certainly it is not an easy step, which can cause stress, but with the right gradualness and a good dose of patience, you too will succeed!
Listen to your baby!
The relationship between you and your child is unique and irreplaceable: listening to your child is very important to accompany him in this epochal passage for him. If you want to stop breastfeeding, avoid offering your breast when he doesn't ask for it. Mom often happens to offer it to the baby to calm him down or to distract him: these are the first situations to eliminate if you want to stop breastfeeding!
Certainly this step will not take place in a few weeks, but it will take time: be patient and do not expect the baby to get used to the absence of the breast from one day to the next! He may be crying or very nervous at first, but he needs time to adjust: don't rush either yourself or him!
Listening to the baby is also very important to understand if he is actually ready to stop feeding at the breast: he may not be at all and manifest it with inconsolable crying, waking up several times during the night, getting dirty even if he had already left the diaper and so on. children are not ready for the transition, it is good to take a step back and postpone for some time.
Be careful, however, not to remove your child from the breast with tricks such as the application of bitter substances or other types of lies ... it would not be good for him and would leave him with a bad memory of a "beautiful experience like that of breastfeeding". Rather, extra cuddles could be useful to calm him down, find new rituals, invent games ... everything a mother knows her little one could love more!
Avoid swaddling and medication to stop breast milk production and stop breastfeeding!
Finally, on the market there are special drugs capable of stopping milk production, but we must consider that they are really effective only if taken before the arrival of milk and not in the following months. They could also have various side effects.
Breast bandages are also not recommended, as they are very dangerous because they could lead to traffic jams and mastitis. The best way for all moms to stop breastfeeding is to be patient: you will see that, day after day, your baby will understand the news.
