Time flies quickly, and yesterday helpless grudnichok today is quite independent toddler. And how sad it is not aware of his need for a mother becomes a little less. In particular this applies, of course, breastfeeding.

When the child turns about a half - two years before the mother raises the question of how to separate the baby from the breast. In order for this process went more smoothly, mom need to know a few physical and psychological characteristics, like his body, and the body of the baby.

And above all, to successfully wean a child from breastfeeding mother should clearly understand the process of lactation. That lack of knowledge of what happens in a woman's body in certain periods, often gives rise to difficulties and complications of the process of weaning the baby from the breast.

Lactation is divided into three stages of flow:

1. Infancy. This stage begins a few months before the birth of your crumbs when produced during pregnancy hormones begin to prepare the breast for milk production. Continue this period up until the mammary gland is not adjusted to the needs of the child, about two - three months after the birth of the baby. During this period, possibly periodic breast swelling, perhaps even the appearance of symptoms. Unfortunately, at this stage mother scared and transferred to artificial crumb mixture.
2. Mature stage of lactation. At this stage of the mammary gland is maximally adapted to the needs of the crumbs disappear soreness overcrowding breast - milk is produced only as much as is necessary to your child. Mom does not feel the need to express milk or, conversely, to finish feeding the baby formula.
3. Stage of lactation involution. Occurs in approximately 1, 5 - 2, 5 years of baby's life. Most importantly, the characteristic feature of this stage of lactation, this change in the composition of milk. At this time, the milk composition reminiscent of colostrum: it contains very large amounts of antibodies, hormones and immunoglobulin. The mother's body prepares crumbs so that weaning the baby from the breast happened without the threat of his immunity.

It is at the stage of lactation involution wise to reflect on how to wean the baby from the breast. Numerous studies confirm the fact pediatricians that children, excommunicated at this time, for a few months, almost never get sick. And those kids who were excommunicated at one year of age, in the second year of life, usually carry some infectious diseases before their immune system learns to function fully. Be sure to pay attention to it when deciding how to discourage the child from the breast.

When to wean the baby from the breast? Signs lactation involution

To weaning the baby went smoothly and painlessly, mother to be sure that breastfeeding is just in the stage of involution. It can be defined by the following features:

1. The period duration of lactation. Usually, it comes in 1, 5 - 2 years of baby's life, but never after 1, 3, the only exception - a re pregnant mother. Due to hormonal changes in the mother, the involution stage typically occurs by 5 months of pregnancy.
2. When the involution of lactation the child there is a high sucking activity. The reason is very simple: the need for the amount of food the baby has increased dramatically and the amount of milk on the contrary, decreases. The child tries to intuitively increase lactation by frequent and long-term attachment to the chest.
3. Third, no less important, feature of involution - the physical condition of the woman after feeding. The woman is experiencing fatigue, drowsiness, possibly a manifestation of sore nipples. If you do not pay attention to such disturbing "bells" may cause dizziness, headaches and even fainting.

To weaning the baby coincided precisely at the point of involution, pay attention again on his condition. To be absolutely sure, perform the following experiment: leave the baby with relatives at least for a day. If during this time the breasts are not filled to such an extent that might appear painful. In the same case in the first 12:00 you will feel a strong filling and pain in the chest, interrupt feeding is too early: it will not bring benefit to you or your crumbs.

Also be sure to note the following fact. You can not stop feeding at the first sign of the onset phase of involution. It was at this time there is increased production of much-needed child of immunoglobulins and antibodies, which protect the baby from the occurrence of possible diseases. Nature thus prepares the baby for an independent life, without physical symbiosis mother.

Contraindicated When weaning a child?

In addition there are several stages of lactation when to wean the baby from the breast is highly undesirable and, moreover, can harm the child's health and development. In deciding to stop breastfeeding, be sure to pay attention to the factors described below:

• Not to leave the child from the breast in early spring when the thaw begins, because at that time, usually start of the epidemic of SARS and influenza. Baby, devoid of mother's milk is much more exposed to the virus and its chances of getting significantly increased.
• Summer heat is also not suitable for breast-feeding cessation, as high-temperature air is much higher risk of intestinal infection.
• Teething - a period when to wean the baby from the breast is highly undesirable. During the active phase of tooth eruption immunity of the child is considerably weakened, and, left without the support of antibodies and immunoglobulins, the baby may be very sick. In addition, during the growth of the baby teeth is experiencing physical and as a consequence, moral discomfort. Depends on my chest and how he needed moral support.
• If your baby is sick or after his illness took less than a month, my mother, too, is to delay the termination of breastfeeding. The same is true in cases where someone was sick of people living with the baby.
• Out Mom to work, going to the child in the manger, the emergence of a new family member, moving and should not coincide with the termination of breastfeeding. This fact is explained by the fact that all the changes in the life of the baby, as a rule, cause him stress. A deprivation of mother's milk will be an additional stress factor, which will only exacerbate the situation.
• Another very important factor that definitely need to pay attention before weaning - a stable emotional state of the child. If a kid is capricious and cries constantly, and my mother should wait for a more favorable time to further not aggravate the situation.

Methods of weaning

Very rarely, it happens that the kid alone and absolutely painless refuses to breastfeed. For most mothers the question of how to wean the baby from the breast, is very, very important.

For many years women have tried a variety of ways to weaning. Some of them are very effective, while others do not bring any results, and some frankly hurt the psyche of the child. Young mother may get lost, standing in front of goal.

We asked a consultant on breastfeeding tell our readers about the most popular ways of weaning the baby from the breast. You are free to evaluate all the pros and cons of each method on how to wean the baby from the breast, and choose the most suitable for you and your crumbs.

• Many mothers on the advice of the older generation prefer to smear some nipples - a bitter substances such as mustard. This method can be very effective, but do not forget at the same time that it is for a baby can be a real tragedy. Try to imagine yourself in the place of crumbs: mother's breast from birth was for him not only a source of food, but also to give a sense of security and peace. And here, once again, running up to her mother, the child feels in his mouth the bitterness. It can cause severe emotional stress.
• Another way how to stop breastfeeding is the lubrication nipples zelyonkoj. This mom explains to the child that the breast milk and it hurts no more. It also sometimes works, but do not forget that little kids are always very sincere and strongly empathize with the pain of others, and especially the pain of my mother. If your pipsqueak too emotional, do not make him worry.
• Very often in response to a question about the mother how to stop breastfeeding, she hears the advice to leave the house for a week - another. These methods are highly controversial: on the one hand, it really helps the child will throw the chest. On the other hand, the child may feel abandoned and not fit mother. Of course, impaired emotional connection will eventually be restored, but the nerves mother and baby will be badly marred.

How to separate the child from the breast?

Since otsadit baby from the breast, making the process less painful for the mother and for the baby? The most important rule to be observed is as follows: in any case it is impossible sharply to interrupt breastfeeding. The number of feedings should be reduced gradually. Every three days, replace one breastfeeding on supplementation. In addition, it is necessary to reduce the duration of breastfeeding itself. The last thing you need to eliminate the night feedings.

In that case, if the child is categorically refuses to eat or drink a mixture of plain milk, try giving expressed breast, but from a bottle or cup (depending on the age of the crumbs). If a kid is stubborn and stubbornly refuses the bottle, ask your dad or grandmother to give him a bottle. Often the baby agrees, while from the hands of my mother, he does not want to take a bottle.
If the baby is still stubborn, try to skip one feeding. In the end, hunger will do the trick.

Also very important question of how to separate the child from the breast at night. After all, the problem of the deprivation of the child during the night of breastfeeding is greatest. Almost all babies wake up at night and cry. And, as a rule, the best way to calm a breast. The child gets used to this ritual of reassurance as to what - something natural and self-evident.

And in a "beautiful" night, not finding his usual chest pipsqueak arrange hysteria. All attempts to appease his mother often lead to the opposite result. In this case, the ideal situation would be that the child will try to reassure the pope or someone from relatives. Of course, my mother would not be easy to hear the lamentation of their crumbs and reassure him in this. But only a certain toughness and perseverance will help you succeed in this difficult matter as to wean the baby from breastfeeding.

It raises the question of much debate when and how to separate the child from the breast. Komorowski (pediatrician) argued that feeding the child only useful up to a year. However, as shown by recent studies, early weaning is possible only if the feeding is further physically impossible (serious illness, the departure of the mother). And it is very important to know how to stop breastfeeding, to minimize the risk of complications for the mother. In a dramatic feeding until the stage of involution are often used methods below:

• Tug chest. This method does not lose its relevance for many years. Unfortunately, this method is 90% only leads to occurrence of mastitis. This is explained by the fact that the tug of the breast does not affect the amount of produced milk. And especially not reduced their number. A tightening of the milk ducts cause a blockage.
• Reduced fluid drunk woman also brings nothing but harm. The amount of milk does not depend on the number of drunk liquid. Moreover, a woman who drinks three liters of fluid a day, lactation stops faster.
• The use of drugs that reduce lactation. Enough effective method, however, is totally unacceptable to make any - or the drugs themselves. It is much wiser to decide how to wean the baby from the breast, along with the doctor. It helps to choose the right drug at the optimal dose.

In conclusion, it is necessary to add that the most important key to success is how to wean the baby from the breast is your solid belief in the necessity of this action. If the mother feels the slightest doubt, an attempt is doomed to failure. We wish you and your kids quickly and painlessly pass this important stage of growing up.