Mother's milk is the best product created by nature itself to feed the baby. It is especially important in the first months of a child's life. However, the child is gradually growing and his needs are constantly changing. And in the end, there comes a moment when the mother decides to stop lactating.
How difficult and painful will this process be? A variety of factors influence this. These are the reasons why the decision to stop breastfeeding was made, and the temperament of the child, and the correct organization of the weaning process.
Natural factors
Cessation of lactation at home is sometimes a completely natural process. If this is predetermined by nature, then milk ceases to be produced gradually in the mother's breast. This happens when the following factors take place:
- The child has reached the age of two and a half years. This is the period whendramatic changes in the composition of breast milk. Biologically active substances and immunoglobulin begin to predominate in it to a greater extent. The amount of these elements in the parent product is quite large. That is why one application of the baby to the breast is able to provide the child with 60 doses of immunoglobulin, which contributes to the formation of immunity. In connection with this, the practical significance of women's milk is also changing. For an adult child, it no longer serves as food, but as a kind of inoculation against various ailments.
- The baby's sucking reflex fades. This happens in connection with the maturation of his nervous system. And this moment comes when the baby reaches the age of 3 years. Mothers who have decided to stop lactation at home before this period extend the time allotted for the maturation of the nervous system of their child. After all, breast milk contains neurostimulating elements. They contribute to the formation of the nervous system.
- Reluctance of the child. The fact is that sucking the mother's breast for an adult child is not at all a whim. This is a natural physiological need of a small person. Over time, it is gradually lost. And this is as normal as the transition from crawling to walking on legs. If a woman continues to feed the baby until this period, then the question of stopping lactation at home does not even arise before her. Her milk disappears on its own gradually due to the fact that the baby is less and less asking for a breast.
- The absence of one hundred percent filling of the mammary glands. Completionlactation in a natural way is possible only in cases where the breast does not roughen up, if a woman rarely attaches her baby to her. The intervals between feedings can be from 12 to 24 hours, and at the same time, mommy should not have any discomfort.
- Separate sleep. Judging by the reviews, cessation of lactation at home is impossible without the use of pedagogical methods. After two years, the crumbs must be taught to sleep separately from their parents. To do this, you need to carry out some kind of ritual of laying in bed. It can be, for example, reading books or a song. In addition, if the baby asked for a breast at night, then he should be fed, and then put back to bed. Over time, the frequency of such requests will begin to decrease. At the same time, the child will sleep completely peacefully until the morning.
A woman should keep in mind that stopping lactation at home is a pretty serious decision.
Even if the baby is already 2 years old, breastfeeding is not only a habit for him. It is food and closeness with his mother, from which he gets real pleasure. That is why a woman needs to be patient and wean the baby from the breast gradually.
Other reasons for stopping lactation
Sometimes it is not possible to wait for the natural involution of the mammary gland. The decision to stop lactation can be caused by the following reasons:
- for medical reasons for a baby or woman immediately after childbirth;
- due to self-deniala baby who, for various reasons, does not breastfeed and switches to "adult" food;
- emotional or physiological fatigue of a woman who is in dire need of restful sleep and wants more rest.
In each of these cases, it should be borne in mind that, according to WHO recommendations, it is desirable to continue feeding the child until he reaches the age of two. If for a number of reasons it becomes necessary to stop it, then you should still try to extend lactation until the period when the baby turns 1.5 years old.
Required period
When deciding to stop lactation at home, how many days will it take for involution to occur? Milk ceases to be produced in a woman within forty days. This period must be counted from the last application of the crumbs to the chest. With the resumption of active sucking, lactation may return. This will happen even if a month has passed since the last feeding. It is forty days that it takes for certain changes in the structure of the breast to occur that will make milk production impossible. In it, glandular tissue will be replaced by adipose tissue. In this case, the breast after the cessation of lactation will go into the state that was characteristic of it before the woman's pregnancy.
After childbirth
Sometimes there is a need to quickly stop lactation. It can occur immediately after childbirth if the mother or child has been diagnosed with diseases. A woman needs to alleviate her condition even if the baby was born dead or latepregnancy had a miscarriage. And here the question of cessation of lactation also arises. According to women, it is most effective in this case to use medications and folk remedies.
Already in the first days, colostrum will begin to stand out from the breast. On the third or fifth day, he will be replaced by full-fledged milk. If it is not removed from the chest, then redness and soreness, fever may occur. With proper care, this condition will occur within a few days. However, a longer period is required for the complete extinction of milk production. When stopping lactation at home, how long will it take? Approximately 2-3 weeks. The tactics of the actions taken by the woman must be coordinated with the doctor. Only a specialist, based on the individual characteristics of the body, will be able to recommend the most gentle and effective way.
If a decision has been made to stop lactation, how should a woman behave?
- Wear a tight bra around the clock. However, it should be borne in mind that he should fix the chest well, but not compress it.
- Apply cool compresses. To stop lactation at home, it is recommended to wrap ice in a towel or use cold bandages. They are applied to the mammary glands to eliminate burning sensations and soreness.
- Don't let your chest expand. Sometimes there is too much milk. In this case, it must be expressed. However, this should be done only little by little, only to eliminate its excess. After some time, the productionmilk will decrease naturally.
- Take painkillers. Preparations based on "Paracetamol" or "Ibuprofen" are capable of normalizing the condition of a woman. The last of them produces an additional anti-inflammatory effect.
- If persistent lumps form, seek medical attention immediately. A similar phenomenon indicates the stagnation of milk. Having found dense lumps in the chest, the areas at their location should be gently massaged. If the pathological condition persists, the state of he alth worsens and the body temperature rises, the use of drug treatment will be required. After all, such symptoms indicate the development of lactostasis.
Komarovsky's advice
In the event that the grown-up baby is active, and breastfeeding takes too much strength from the mother, she can also begin the process of stopping lactation. However, the well-known pediatrician Komarovsky recommends doing this only when the baby is 1.5 years old. Until that time, milk will continue to play a very important role in the development of the child's body.
What recommendations does Komarovsky give to stop lactation at home? A well-known pediatrician warns women that starting this process will not be easy. An already grown child is unlikely to want to just part with his mother's delicious breasts. He will demand it, scream and throw tantrums. In this regard, a serious stressful situation will arise, which not every mother can withstand. At such moments, some women give up and allow their child to suck a little.breast. Komarovsky claims that after that the whole process will need to start over. Indeed, with irritation of the receptors on the nipple, lactation cannot be stopped. Moms who want to wean their baby from the breast will need to be patient and understand that without their milk, the baby can already live quite normally.
Evgeny Komarovsky believes that the best way to stop lactation is to separate mother and child for 5-7 days. This period will be enough for the baby to learn to do without a breast. Of course, when he sees his mother again after separation, the baby will again strive for the lost pleasure. However, these attempts must be resolutely suppressed. Most often, children are dissatisfied with such actions. However, a woman should not change her mind. Otherwise, this process will drag on not only for months, but also for years, causing moral suffering to her and all household members.
If such a method is not feasible for one reason or another, then Komarovsky advises spoiling the taste of milk. To do this, the pediatrician recommends that the woman smear mustard on the nipple or eat garlic. Having received a breast with similar products, the child will definitely think next time whether to ask her again or it is better to do with a bottle with a nipple. However, keep in mind that this method does not always work. Some babies are not at all embarrassed by the pungent smell coming from their mother's breasts, and they even like "garlic" milk.
Best time
Complete the period of breastfeeding, according to Komarovsky,possible both in summer and winter. The time of year doesn't matter for this. The most important thing is that the child is ready for such changes. There are several situations in which the decision to wean should be delayed. Among them:
- baby illness;
- teething causing discomfort to the baby;
- Change of the environment familiar to the child.
No rush
The longer the process of stopping breastfeeding lasts, the easier a woman's breasts will be able to adapt to this process, because the mother's body produces as much milk as the baby sucks. That is why it is recommended to remove one breastfeeding for 3-4 days. This method is safe for the mother, because the abrupt weaning of the baby can provoke milk stagnation, and sometimes mastitis. That is why a woman is advised to strive for the smoothest weaning of a child from the breast.
Adaptation time
Stopping eating mother's milk, the baby will switch to other food. But at the same time, it takes some time for his digestive tract to adapt to the new food. Moreover, the younger the child, the more difficult it is for him to do this. Sometimes, with a sharp weaning of the baby, he refuses the food offered to him and begins to lose weight. That is why, before starting the process of stopping lactation, a woman is advised to make sure that her baby successfully masters the food that she will receive instead of mother's milk.
Hand pumping
If mom is willing to take the time to graduallyweaning her child from the breast, but at the same time she does not want to breastfeed the baby (it hurts, unpleasantly, etc.), it is worth resorting to the help of a breast pump.
Pumping your breast and feeding your baby a natural product from a bottle will help avoid baby's digestive problems. A woman, by emptying the mammary gland in a timely manner, avoids the risk of lactostasis, as well as mastitis.
Need for contacts
Reducing the number of breastfeedings should not be accompanied by the elimination of bodily contact between the baby and mother. For a child, this is very important. After all, tactile sensations are tenderness and communication, as well as a sense of security.
A woman should hug her baby more often. It needs to be carried on hands, to walk with it in the fresh air. It is also necessary to introduce the baby to new products and constantly expand the range of complementary foods.
Basic ways to stop lactation
The main principle at the end of breastfeeding is "do no harm". To avoid negative consequences, a woman will need to choose for herself one of the main ways to stop lactation and stick to it:
- Natural. This is a step-by-step method that is used after the baby is six months old. During this period, the child begins to take additional food, and breastfeeding is relegated to the background. Gradually feeding exhaust themselves. This process lasts for several months.
- Gradual. He is consideredone of the most effective for stopping breastfeeding. When using it, the mother should gradually reduce the number of breastfeedings. Milk in this case ceases to be produced without any stress. What are the terms for stopping lactation with a gradual method? They are not defined as they have no specific scope.
- Sharp. This method is quite harsh and unpleasant. Most often, its implementation is possible when taking special medications. The entire period of weaning when using the abrupt method lasts 1-3 days. But resorting to its use is recommended only in the most extreme cases.
- Partial. With this method, the baby needs to be given milk formula from a bottle throughout the day and only occasionally apply the baby to the chest. This situation sometimes lasts from 6 to 8 weeks. During this period, the decrease in breast milk will begin and lactation will stop.
Use of folk remedies
With the gradual interruption of breastfeeding, the woman's body begins to stop lactation itself. In this case, the natural mechanism will allow every day to produce less and less milk. However, with full lactation and the desire to speed up the process of the child's transition to "adult" food, you will need to use some of the most effective means to stop lactation. And here the methods recommended by folk medicine will come to the aid of a woman. Let's take a closer look at some of them.
Camphor oil
Healers recommend this natural product to stop lactation.
Camphor oil is used to reduce milk production because of its complex effect, which is that:
- Sharp specific smell of the product repels the child. That is why when a small amount of oil is applied to the breast, the baby loses interest in it.
- The drug warms the tissues, distracting from the pain that occurs in the chest due to overflow of the mammary glands.
Camphor oil is an excellent remedy for stopping lactation when it is used in a compress with simultaneous breast tightening. This procedure creates conditions that allow the milk to "burn out".
Sage
The intake of various drugs from this plant has a direct effect on the hormonal background of a nursing woman due to the presence of a large amount of phytoestrogens in its composition. These elements are plant hormones that reduce the production of prolactin. The result of this effect is the suspension of milk production.
How to take sage to stop lactation? To do this, you need to prepare an infusion or decoction from a medicinal plant, brew tea or make a compress using its essential oil.
How to drink sage to stop lactation? Traditional healers recommend taking it several times a day, with a course lasting for several weeks, but not more than 3 months.
But the use of compresses with sage essential oil is a kind of "ambulance" to complete breastfeeding.feeding. In this case, a woman manages to reduce milk production in 3-4 days.
Sage tea for lactation cessation is a gentle remedy. It can be used for a long time, which will gradually reduce the production of breast milk. To prepare such tea, you need 5 g of the plant, 200 ml of water and a teaspoon of honey. The crushed raw materials are poured with boiling water, covered with a lid and infused for 15 minutes. Honey is added for taste. How to drink sage to stop lactation? It is taken in 0.5 cups three times a day. Reception should be carried out in a course for 1-2 months.
When taking a decoction of sage, a woman gets rid of the feeling of fullness in the breast, and also prevents the formation of seals in it. A similar remedy, similar to tea, is recommended for the process of gradual completion of feeding. To prepare it, you need 7 g of sage leaves and 250 ml of water. How is this drug prepared? Water is boiled in a water bath, after which vegetable raw materials are poured into it, which is then boiled under a lid over low heat for 10 minutes. After that, the container with the decoction is covered with a towel and left for 2 hours. Next, the drug is filtered with a strainer. How to take sage to stop lactation in the form of a decoction? It should be used 4 times a day, 1 tablespoon before meals.
