How to wean a baby and 5 reasons mothers can stop breastfeeding

How to wean your baby properly will help you solve the problem you are having effectively, as well as help your baby reduce discomfort. For more information, please refer to the article below.

Breastfeeding has many wonderful benefits. However, many cases of mothers having health problems and needing to stop breastfeeding face many difficulties. In fact, also because of this, many mothers gradually become tired, even depressed after giving birth . Don't worry, let aFamilyToday Health tell you a few simple ways to wean your baby below.

The best time to wean your baby

There are many reasons why you may decide to stop breastfeeding. However, the most important reason is still with you. You don't need to explain your choices to anyone. But, when is the best time to stop breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding in the first six months of life is the best thing you can do for your baby. After six months, you should give your baby solids along with bottle-feeding until the baby is 1 year old.

That doesn't mean you have to stop breastfeeding by the age of 1. You can still breastfeed as long as you and your baby are comfortable. If you want to wean your baby before the age of 1, it won't do any harm.

The reasons mothers need to find ways to wean the baby

The easiest way to wean your baby is to wait until your baby is ready. However, this is not always the case, sometimes you have to stop breastfeeding before that happens. There are many reasons to wean early such as:

1. Back to work

Many mothers have to go back to work 6 months after giving birth. However, leaving your baby at home and having to go to work can sometimes be painful. This is one of the most common reasons mothers have to find ways to wean their babies.

2. Difficulty with milking

Many people think that when I go back to work, I can express and feed my baby. However, the reality is not so. Expressing breastmilk is quite a difficult task, machine expressing can be painful and expressing breastmilk by hand , if not technically correct, it will be difficult to do. Therefore, many women stop breastfeeding and try to find ways to wean their babies.

3. Stress and pressure

Some women experience stress while breastfeeding. This is also a fairly common reason why they decide to stop breastfeeding to help them feel better.

4. Pregnancy

A lot of mothers have to find ways to stop breastfeeding because they become pregnant again.

5. Health problems

Many mothers have health problems that require treatment. To avoid hindering this treatment process, many women decide to find ways to wean the baby.

How to wean the baby effectively

No matter what reasons you stop breastfeeding, let's take a look at some of the following ways to stop breastfeeding, maybe they will help you:

1. Wean off urgently

If you need to wean quickly, here are some tips for you to consider:

Doesn't stimulate milk production, just let it flow a little to relieve pain and prevent mastitis.

No milking. The best way to stimulate milk production is to express milk by hand .

Use an ice pack to reduce blood supply to your chest and reduce discomfort.

Avoid hot compresses as it can stimulate more lactation.

You can use green cabbage leaves to reduce milk production. Just add a layer of cold green cabbage leaves to the bra. Replace a new layer every 2 hours or when you notice it starts to heat up.

The way to stop feeding your baby can be painful, prepare some pain reliever .

Shop good bras for your comfort.

Too tight corsets don't reduce milk production, but only cause more pain.

Give your baby a bottle (cow's milk or formula) to gradually forget about breast milk.

Make your baby feel comfortable with a bottle by making eye contact, singing a song or talking to him.

Don't limit your water intake as this will not affect your milk supply, but will only cause dehydration.

Avoid using salt or using it sparingly to reduce milk production. This is the best way to stop breastfeeding.

Breast engorgement is a major problem you will face when you stop breastfeeding urgently. You can take 200mg of vitamin B6 per day to ease the pain of this condition.

Another way to stop breastfeeding is to use sage tea. Sage tea contains natural estrogens, which reduce the amount of milk produced. Place 1 teaspoon of dried sage leaves in a cup of hot water and let sit for about 15 minutes. Add a little milk or honey to reduce the bitterness. Drinking milk every 6 hours will help emptying milk quickly.

If you haven't already taken birth control pills, now is a great time to start. Ask your doctor about an estrogen-containing combination pill.

You can also take Pseudoephedrine, which helps reduce milk production. However, talk to your doctor before using this medication.

2. Wean slowly

If you're not in a hurry, the following ways to wean your baby will help:

If you want to wean your baby before the baby is one year old, offer him some formula (formula). Show your baby only a small amount to see how he reacts.

Combination of breast milk and powdered milk so that the baby's digestive system gradually gets used to the change.

When starting to stop breastfeeding, offer breastmilk before you start solids (or before formula).

When the baby gets used to it, change it back Give your baby formula or solid food before feeding.

Once your baby has stopped breastfeeding, offer him water from a speculum instead of a bottle.

If you pump regularly, reduce the number of pumps per day and stop completely for 1 month.

The mother can practice the baby to suck on a pacifier from 3 months old, this will help the baby get used to it more easily when leaving the breast milk. However, this method has a downside that you will have to practice baby weaning.

Consuming a lot of garlic will cause the breath and flow of breast milk to smell bad. When the baby is breastfed, he feels a change and doesn't want to ask for money.

Just like the one above, you can use lipstick, turmeric or anything to dress up your breasts. When detecting a change in the mother's breast, the baby will stop feeding immediately.

Some important points to note in weaning your baby

Here are some important points to keep in mind when weaning your baby:

1. Do not refuse when the baby wants to breastfeed

When weaning, you will tend not to feed your baby when he wants. Don't do this, however, as babies tend to do the opposite of what you don't want them to do. So your rejection will only make your baby want to feed more. If your baby wants to breastfeed, continue to breastfeed but try to distract your baby with your play, food or cuddling.

2. Ensuring nutrition for the baby

An issue that many mothers are concerned about is nutrition when applying weaning to babies. When you breastfeed, you can rest assured that your baby is getting all the nutrients he needs. But when you stop breastfeeding, you must ensure a nutritious diet for your baby. If you are preparing your baby to wean, you should give your baby iron-fortified formula. Do not give cow's milk before 1 year of age.

3. Bottle feeding

When weaning your baby, you will need to replace breastmilk with formula or cow's milk. At this point, you should practice your baby get used to bottle feeding. If your baby is used to bottle feeding, you will not need to worry too much.

4. Be patient

Patience is key when weaning. Even if you want to stop breastfeeding urgently, you will need to wait a few days. Don't burn the stage as this will only make things worse. If your baby refuses to stop feeding, try the following:

Comfort your baby in a variety of ways to help him believe in things other than breastfeeding. For young children, breastfeeding helps you feel comfortable and your baby does not go hungry. So try singing a gentle lullaby or read a good book, give your baby a comfort toy.

If your baby is a little older, you can stop breastfeeding and help your baby get used to it. You can also try to explain to your baby.

Get ready

Before you stop breastfeeding, get ready everything you need such as formula, bottles, bottle cleaning equipment ...

6. Talk to your doctor

Talk to your pediatrician before stopping breastfeeding. Although weaning is a personal choice, you should still consult your doctor to ensure the health of your baby.

7. Limit friction

What you should think about when weaning your baby is to reduce the amount of milk produced. Therefore, limit the movement that makes the nipples rubbing, stimulating the production of breast milk.

8. Stop letting your baby sleep together

Where to put your baby to sleep is your choice. Some people like to let their baby sleep in a crib in their own room or let their baby sleep in a separate room, some people like to let their baby sleep together. If your baby was still sleeping with you before, now is the time to let your baby sleep separately. If you are not satisfied, move your baby to sleep in a crib in your room.

9. Make time for yourself

If you plan to stop breastfeeding, take a few days off. Weaning can be uncomfortable, and your breasts are rocky and painful. You need a break to get through this difficult time.

10. Keep track of your feelings

When you stop breastfeeding, the hormones in your body change, affecting your emotions. Therefore, please pay attention to your feelings.

11. Ask for help

Ask your husband for help during weaning. If you are trying to wean your baby, ask your husband or relative to help you. This not only distracts the baby, but also increases the affection between the father and the child. You can also try asking your husband (or loved ones) to breastfeed so that when you're hungry, your baby doesn't have to think only of you.

12. Prepare yourself for your baby's tantrums

Your baby will be uncomfortable during this process. So, please be mentally prepared.

13. Maintain old habits

Your child already has a few habits that are formed over time and you are trying to erase one of your baby's habits. So, try to practice other baby habits to make them happier.

14. Sleep can be affected

Sleep can be a headache when you stop breastfeeding. It is also normal if your baby cannot sleep at night and during the day while undergoing a big change.

15. Acne reappears

The changing hormone in your body that will make you at risk for acne to stop breastfeeding.

Things to consider before applying ways to wean your baby

Before starting the weaning process, consider the following to see if this is the right time to wean.

1. Allergy

If you or your husband has allergies, your baby's risk of allergies is also very high. Breastfeeding reduces your baby's risk of diseases like eczema, cow's milk allergy and wheezing. So consider allergies before weaning your baby.

2. Health problem

If your baby is sick, you should delay weaning. Even teething can make you reconsider your decision and wait until your baby feels better.

3. Change

Babies find it very difficult to adapt to many changes. If your family is having many big changes, wait a while then find ways to wean your baby.

In addition, when the weather changes, especially during the hot and hot period, mothers should not wean the baby because this will make the baby feel more frustrated and uncomfortable.

Breastfeeding is a beautiful and emotional experience for most women. When it's time to wean, you'll feel sad and miss. In addition, you will also feel blamed: "Do not know if this decision will hurt your baby or not?", "Am I a bad mother?", "Relationship between me and the baby will be lost? ”… These questions will keep you awake for many nights.

However, please answer no to the above questions. As a mother, you have the right to get your body back to normal as long as you decide on the right time to wean your baby.