How to Stop Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is said to be one of the most important thing that bonds the mother and the baby after birth. The mother's milk is said to highly nutritious which protects the little one from any kind of health problems. The first 4 - 6 months of the baby's life, she is provided only with the mother's milk as her body is not very strong to accept other types of foods. After six months, most mothers start giving semi solid foods and also milk formula. Though nursing or breastfeeding the baby gives an emotional satisfaction for the mother, it has to be stopped after a certain period of time.

According to expert opinion, babies should be breastfed at least for a year, though there are women who continue to nurse their children even after they become toddlers. Though this is considered to be fine, the older the child gets, the more difficult it becomes to stop breastfeeding. Nevertheless, it can be done by following proper steps. Here are some useful tips for first time moms.

Tips to Stop Breastfeeding

Many people say that the process of stopping breastfeeding is a natural one. After six months, the baby is introduced to other foods and her focus shifts on solid foods and the need for breastfeeding slowly decreases for the baby. However, it does not happen so perfectly for everyone. Breastfeeding is a way for the baby to feel closer and emotionally attached to the mother and hence, many babies may prove difficult during the time of weaning. However, continuing breastfeeding for a long time can be difficult for the mother for different reasons like going for work, taking care of other children, household duties, etc. During such situations, it becomes a necessity for the mothers to stop nursing their babies. Here are some important steps that you can follow.

Weaning Gradually
One important thing that mothers have to remember that breastfeeding should not be stopped suddenly. In other words, you should not stop nursing your baby abruptly. This can upset the child badly and can also become the reason for the child to throw tantrums. Rather, the process of stopping breastfeeding should be a gradual one and should be done very slowly. You should begin by reducing one feed during the day for a week and reduce one more in the next week. However, it is said that practice of feeding at night should be continued for some more time and should be stopped as the last step of weaning. During this process, the baby can be fed with breast milk mixed with little amount of baby formula for the initial few weeks in a bottle or a sip cup and slowly shifted to formula milk completely.

Explain Gently
This step will be useful, if you want to stop breastfeeding a toddler. Most toddlers are able to talk and can understand what is said to them. Moreover, it is also said that the emotional stress caused by weaning at this age is said to be greater than when it is done while the child is still a baby. However, talking to them gently can help in the process of stopping breastfeeding. In the beginning, you can tell your child that breastfeeding will be done only during nap time or bedtime. Once you are ready to stop breastfeeding the child completely, you can tell her that she is a big girl and big girls are not breastfed. Explaining it gently to the child is important to ensure that weaning does not cause her emotional distress .

Taking Care of the Breasts
Many women are clueless about stopping breastfeeding without pain. Though you have decided not to nurse your child, your breasts are still producing milk and refraining from nursing can make your breasts feel heavy, sore and sometimes painful too. Though there are certain drugs that are said to dry up the supply of milk in the breasts, it will be best to stay away from them as they do contain some side effects.

If your breasts feel too heavy due to engorgement, pumping some milk and storing them to be fed to your child in the bottle can be helpful. However, you should pump only till your breasts feel light and less sore. Pumping too much milk can increase the production of milk, which does not serve the purpose. Slowly the milk producing glands get the message and gradually stop producing milk altogether. If your breasts are feeling sore even after pumping milk, applying cold packs or cold cabbage compresses can be helpful. Massaging the breasts or taking a hot shower are some of the other ways of getting rid of the soreness and pain caused by engorgement.

Mothers must remember that stopping breastfeeding can cause emotional stress and discomfort to the child and hence, it is important to replace it with other physical comforts like hugging, cuddling, etc. One must understand that the process of weaning is a crucial one and handling it with patience and care will ensure that the baby soon gets over the distress caused by it.