Breast milk is the most valuable food for a one year old baby. The period of breastfeeding is called lactation. Many mothers try to prolong breastfeeding as long as possible. However, there comes a time when, for some reason, it is necessary to stop breastfeeding the baby. Let's take a closer look at how to get rid of milk for a nursing mother without harm to herself and the baby.
Preparing to stop breastfeeding
How to get rid of milk for a nursing mother? The first step is to prepare the child. The transition to new foods is a difficult test for children. This is due to the complete restructuring of the digestive system. There are times when a mother has stopped breastfeeding, but the baby flatly refuses the mixture and the bottle. The child begins to lose weight, which can bring a lot of problems with he alth and development. Therefore, experts recommend approaching the cessation of lactation in advance. Mom needs to make sure that the baby starts eating food that will replace breast milk.
A woman must remember thatthe cessation of breastfeeding is a strong stress for the child. During this period, children need affection and care of their parents. Mom should take the child in her arms more often, reassure him.
Pumping
If a woman is uncomfortable with feeding, for example, it is painful for a mother to feed a child, you can use an alternative method - pumping. To do this, mom will need a breast pump. Breast milk is expressed, then the baby is fed from a bottle. Regular pumping and preparation of milk for the baby takes a lot of time. But then the mother can be calm for the digestion of the baby. Since the breasts are emptied during hot flashes, a woman will be able to avoid milk stasis, mastitis and other breast diseases.
Methods for stopping lactation
The most important principle of completing lactation is not to harm the baby and yourself. Therefore, a woman should develop a plan to stop feeding a child, which will save her from negative consequences.
There are several ways to get rid of milk for a breastfeeding woman:
- natural;
- gradual;
- hard;
- partial.
There are several methods for how to get rid of milk for a nursing mother. The choice of method depends on the age of the child, the employment of the mother.
Natural method
Suitable for babies over 6 months old. During this period, the introduction of complementary foods begins, so the child eats foods in addition to breast milk. With the addition of new food, the amount of mother's milk to saturate the child gradually decreases. Then the feedings become less frequent, the milk disappears by itself.by oneself. But the natural way to interrupt lactation is long, takes several months.
Step by step method
The most effective method of "winding down" breastfeeding. The woman gradually removes feeding, the breast stops producing milk. There are no specific deadlines in the gradual way to stop lactation.
The hard way
This method is suitable for women who are thinking about how to get rid of breast milk quickly. The technique involves the use of drugs. And the weaning of the child passes literally in two or three days. But this method is unsafe and should be resorted to as a last resort and only after consulting a doctor.
Some women decide to leave home for a couple of days during weaning. Since the child does not see his mother, he begins to experience stress. And the process of stopping breastfeeding will be associated with the departure of the mother.
Partial way
This technique is used by women who have to leave during the day, for example, to work. A woman prepares a bank of milk in advance: she expresses and freezes the milk. A child in the absence of a mother drinks breast milk from a bottle, it can be replaced with a mixture. When the woman returns home, the baby is offered the breast again. This situation can last 2-3 months. During this period, the milk gradually decreases by itself, the number of hot flashes decreases. Since the amount of milk produced will not be enough for the full nutrition of the child, his interestto suckling disappears, lactation ends.
Medicated technique
Drugs that suppress lactation are popular. Often women think about how to quickly get rid of milk. Preparations allow you to interrupt feeding in a few days. However, drugs that reduce milk production are banned in many countries. Doctors recommend resorting to the use of pills only in emergency situations:
- Deterioration of a woman's he alth due to feeding, for example, mastitis, lactostasis, high fever, and so on.
- Serious diseases like tuberculosis, HIV and others.
- Malignant neoplasms.
- Death of a newborn.
Cessation of milk production with the use of drugs is a strong stress for a woman's body. And before using this technique, you need to consult a doctor.
Popular drugs to reduce milk production:
- "Dostinex";
- "Agalates";
- "Bromocriptine".
Important! It is worth remembering that pills that allow you to quickly reduce milk production have a number of contraindications that cannot be ignored.
Chest pull
There is an opinion that bandaging the breast is the best method to stop milk production. For this technique, the woman first expresses all the milk, then bandages the breast with a sheet or an elastic bandage. After the tideIf there is a feeling of heaviness in the chest, the bandage is removed, the chest is re-expressed until relief and bandaged again.
Women note that milk disappears after the third dressing. But this technique causes discomfort in a woman. Moreover, there is a high risk of developing breast diseases. During a tight pull, a woman can simply injure the milk ducts, milk stagnation appears. If medical care is not provided during such a period, then mastitis develops. In this case, the woman needs to see a doctor immediately to start treatment.
Folk methods
If a woman gradually interrupts feeding, the body stops producing milk on its own. To do this, you just need to reduce the number of feedings, every day the milk will arrive less and less, and gradually you can curtail breastfeeding.
If a woman does not remove the number of feedings of the baby, the number of attachments to the breast is more than 7 per day, then folk methods can come to the rescue:
- Sage. A natural hormone that stops prolactin production and milk production.
- Cabbage leaf. Allows you to reduce milk secretion, it must be used as a compress. The cabbage leaf is rolled out with a rolling pin until juice appears, cooled in the refrigerator, applied to the chest. The compress is made for two hours, then changed. The duration of application is a week.
- Mint. The plant reduces the amount of milk produced.
- Cowberry. The plant has a diuretic effect, which can reduce milk production.
But folk methods can not always lead to an effective result. When choosing a recipe for getting rid of milk, a woman should take this into account.
Other methods
Many mothers resort to non-traditional methods that they heard from grandmothers to "fold" breastfeeding. There are some simple tips to get rid of breast milk:
- If the child is over a year old, then mom can just try to negotiate. Explain that her chest hurts.
- Women put plaster over their nipples, show the baby and say that there is no more milk.
- You can smear your chest, for example, with lemon juice. The child does not like the taste and refuses milk on his own.
To our time, a lot of advice has come down to how to get rid of breast milk. Reviews of women confirm that the old grandfather ways work. But all children are individual, so it is impossible to say which method is suitable for one or another.
Reviews
Currently, there are many methods to get rid of milk. Reviews of women may differ: someone helps pulling the chest, while others have developed mastitis because of this method. Someone helped folk recipes, while others developed an allergic reaction to herbs and plants. It should be noted right away that all people are individual. It is impossible to determine how the body of a nursing mother will react to pills, tugging, and any other way to stop lactation.
If a woman decides to stop lactation, but no method brings the desired result, there is always the opportunity to contact a specialist. How to get rid of breast milk? This can be answered with accuracy by a GW consultant. The specialist will not only explain how to get rid of milk correctly, but also select the best method that will not harm either the child or the mother.
Mom's body reaction
Doctors recommend weaning the baby from the breast gradually. Milk production will decrease, the woman will not experience discomfort. With a sharp rejection of breastfeeding, problems may arise:
- Hormonal failure. With a sharp rejection of HB in a woman, the amount of hormones is intensely reduced. Therefore, the psychological state worsens: the mother becomes whiny, often sad. But after a few weeks, the condition returns to normal without the help of doctors.
- Isolation of milk. If a woman presses on the nipple, then a couple of drops of milk may stand out from her for several years. However, if the milk comes out without pressure for more than three months after stopping breastfeeding, you need to see a doctor immediately.
- If a mother gives her baby frequent sugary drinks instead of breast milk, the risk of tooth decay increases.
In the process of stopping lactation, the woman will feel the flow of milk for a while. At such moments, the breast is filled, milk can be released without pressure, the nursing mother feels pain. To improve the condition, it is recommended to express the breast a little - until relief. If you empty your chestcompletely, then milk will continue to be intensively produced, so it will not be possible to stop breastfeeding quickly.
Results
Weaning is an important milestone in a child's life. The transition to artificial feeding is a serious blow: the baby's body is completely rebuilt to absorb heavy food. To make the process of stopping lactation easy, you need to clearly choose a strategy, develop a plan for how to get rid of milk for a nursing mother. In this case, stopping breastfeeding will be comfortable for both mother and baby.
