Natural feeding. How to stop breastfeeding

Proper feeding of a child of the first year of life is a priority for the mother. However, it is not so easy to figure out what will be right. Sources on the Internet offer sometimes directly opposite opinions, among doctors-pediatricians and neonatologists unanimity is also not observed. The only thing different sources agree on is that breastfeeding with mother's milk is the most healthy option for a baby.

Breastfeeding guarantees the balance of vitamins and other nutrients, the child doses his own portions, milk provides access to maternal antibodies to the baby, which is very important during epidemics, it has a beneficial effect on the development of immunity and the baby's gastrointestinal tract. In addition, psychologists say that breastfeeding provides emotional comfort to the child, strengthens communication with the mother and positively influences its development.

Natural feeding also has its pluses and from a practical point of view: milk is always ready for use, there is no need to adjust the temperature, and from the point of view of the budget, mother's milk is an ideal option. It is noteworthy: at the same time, many sources add that feeding a child with a mixture is also not something undesirable. But we must admit that artificial feeding still gives side effects. For example, the higher the risk of allergies and problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Studies show that children with artificial diseases often have weight problems, since they eat not the amount of the mixture that they need, but the one that they are given.

Despite all the positive aspects of breastfeeding, at some point it's time to give it up, and before mother comes the question: "How to quit breastfeeding?" There are a number of opinions on how this process should proceed. Some of these views are already outdated, but still many women drink pills and tighten their breasts, often provoking serious health problems.

However, before answering the question of how to stop breastfeeding, it is necessary to decide when to do it. In general, you can designate three options: feed, while there is milk, stop feeding sharply, for example, in connection with going to work, or decide on the timing of the feeding and gradually wean the baby from the breast.

The first option is very ambiguous, and it all depends on the timing, but many people react very negatively if they see a mother who feeds the child for 3 years. From an ethical point of view, this is an individual choice of a family, so criticism is inappropriate here. Nevertheless, continuing to feed the child, even when the physical need for this has disappeared, the mother can involuntarily harm him in terms of psychological: if in the first year and a half of the baby's life breastfeeding gives him comfort, then at a later age, it creates a certain dependence.

The abrupt cessation of breastfeeding is an extremely undesirable option, as this, on the one hand, can negatively affect the child's psyche, on the other hand, cause some damage to his physical health. Ideal can be considered an option, in which weaning is gradually. This is an optimal option for both the mother and the child. Doctors call several periods when the cessation of breastfeeding occurs without harm to the development of the child, for example, 1 year or 1 year and 2 months. If you choose a specific timeframe and consistently reduce the number of feedings, your mother will not even have to think about how to quit breastfeeding, everything will happen naturally. Among the general recommendations for excommunication, a temporary reduction in the volume of the liquid being drunk can be mentioned. It should also cancel night feeding, limit consumption of hot and fatty foods.

Regardless of how you answer the question: "When and how to quit breastfeeding?", It must be remembered that the child's physical and psychological well-being is paramount, so stopping breastfeeding should not coincide with potentially distressing situations for the child, for example, by moving . It goes without saying that weaning is unacceptable during illness or teething.