You have always dreamed of becoming the best mother for your baby. You attended the most advanced courses for pregnant women. During childbirth, you tried to do everything in your power to make it easier for the baby to be born. Once born, the baby was always with you. And, of course, you breastfed him.

And now the baby has grown up, he is two years old. He learned to walk and even run, he can eat on his own, drink from a cup, his speech becomes clearer, his vocabulary expands every day. But he still suckles.

Your relatives, already accustomed, it would seem, to the fact that you are raising a child differently from what was customary during their youth, again begin to pester you with questions: “Well, how much longer are you going to feed?!” and intimidate with stories about how long-term feeding can cause anemia and hair and teeth loss, as well as interfere with the normal mental development of the child.

You should not take such horror stories seriously. Compassionate grannies, as a rule, simply do not have up-to-date information about breastfeeding. They just want everything to be “as it should be,” that is, the way it was for them.

The latest research suggests that it is possible and necessary to breastfeed a baby until he refuses breastfeeding - both in the third and fourth year of life. And this is mutually beneficial for mother and child. But feeding at such an “adult” age is not at all similar to feeding a baby in the first months of life, and even a one-year-old toddler. During this time, the relationship between mother and child became different, both the breasts and the milk itself changed.

Involution and life

I had to think about this when my youngest daughter was 2 years and 3 months old. Until now, the feeding process had brought us both only pleasure, and suddenly I felt that something had changed. It became difficult for me to feed my daughter for more than half an hour (she loved to fall asleep with the breast and suck in her sleep), soreness in the nipples appeared, and instead of the usual peace from feeding, I felt irritation. I became nervous, I was in a bad mood, I wanted to sleep all the time.

At first, I decided that the time had come - I had a similar experience with my eldest son when he was 1 year 11 months old. Then, being 8 months pregnant, I simply could no longer endure the pain of sucking on a completely empty breast. I started looking for information about weaning and came across a description of lactation involution, which occurs during long-term breastfeeding and usually occurs after the baby is 1.5 years old.

It turned out that the period while the breasts enter the stage of involution is indeed often accompanied in women by increased fatigue and drowsiness, frequent mood swings and irritability. Some people experience increased sensitivity, even soreness in their nipples when feeding, while others experience disruption to their menstrual cycle.

But these symptoms should not be alarmed. This period lasts no longer than two months and does not lead to any harmful consequences for health. Remember the first months of pregnancy - how the terrible toxicosis of the first trimester at 12 weeks subsided by itself. Try to survive the onset of involution while maintaining breastfeeding. This is worth doing if only because of the qualities that it acquires over time.

Those who believe that after a year there is nothing useful in breast milk are mistaken. During the period of involution of lactation, milk in its immune properties approaches colostrum and contains the most biologically active substances: antibodies, immunoglobulins, hormones. We also must not forget about the exceptional benefits of breast milk for the development of the baby’s nervous system and brain, and this development continues in full swing even after the child reaches the age of two years.

This is why it is important that breastfeeding continues for several months after involution. Then the baby will have time to get from milk everything he needs to form his body. There is evidence that children weaned at the stage of involution of lactation do not get sick for six months after stopping feeding.

Continuing to breastfeed the child after he reaches two years of age, the mother also takes care of. According to WHO (World Health Organization), long-term breastfeeding not only helps a woman regain her figure after childbirth, but also prevents a number of diseases. In addition, breasts in the stage of involution of lactation are ready to stop feeding at any time - and the mother is not threatened by lactostasis, mastitis, and will not need pumping or medications to reduce lactation. I also discovered this sure sign of involution in myself - my breasts stopped filling with milk, even if I took a break between feedings for more than 12 hours.

How we grew older

Having “digested” all the above information, I realized that, despite the changes that have occurred, we must try to maintain breastfeeding. Indeed, if the baby still likes to suck long and often, and this begins to cause discomfort to you, stopping feeding is not the only way out. It is quite possible to agree with a two-year-old that he will now suckle before bed for 10 minutes rather than 40, and gradually reduce the time spent at the breast to 3-5 minutes.

That's how it was for us. After my daughter had nursed for 3-5 minutes, I changed the breast with the words: “That’s it, the milk is over, it hurts now. Give me another one." After she nursed the second breast for 5 minutes, I tried to finish feeding. The first time, in response to my refusal, the little girl burst into tears, I felt very sorry for her, so I suggested: “Okay, let’s do it a little more.” My daughter happily suckled, but after a couple of minutes I still took the breast, and she began to whine again. “Well, do you want us to go to the kitchen and I’ll heat up some milk for you?” - I asked. After a cup of warm milk, my daughter finally fell asleep, asking me to hold her hand. A week later, the baby stopped waking up at night, and now it was enough to give her milk before bed, and after 5 minutes of latching, just take her by the hand, hug her and sing lullabies in a whisper until she falls asleep.

The number of daily feedings can also be reduced by distracting the baby from the breast with interesting activities or offering a snack. After all, very often a child asks for the usual “boob” when he is bored, he has not found a suitable game for himself, or it is time to refresh himself. A baby who has recently learned to speak simply cannot yet accurately determine his desire.

Here's how I cut back on the number of times I applied during the day. If the baby asked for the breast because there was nothing to do (for example, I read a book to my eldest son, she becomes uninterested, so she starts asking: “I want the breast!”), I refused: “No, breast only before bed!” and suggested that she do something else (she took out a mosaic, long-forgotten dolls, or offered an apple). The first time, of course, my daughter was naughty, I tried different options, and finally she agreed to eat grapes instead of boobs while we read. The next time it was much easier to negotiate with her; she didn’t cry when I refused to give breasts, but calmly listened to what I was offering in return. Soon my daughter remembered that she “only sits before bed” and stopped asking her just like that.

The situation when, in the third year of life, a child latches on only to fall asleep and at night is absolutely normal. This feeding regimen will allow you, without any special sacrifices on your part, to continue breastfeeding until the baby himself refuses to breastfeed.

When should we excommunicate?

Natural weaning should follow this plan.

1. Your breasts are entering the involution stage, meaning you don't feel any hot flashes. Even if you haven’t fed your baby for a day or more, your breasts are soft and there is no desire to pump.
2. The baby's sucking reflex fades away, he simply forgets about your breast. By this time, as a rule, there is only one morning feeding left, and then the baby stops waking up for it. Moreover, if the baby wakes up and his mother is not nearby, he does not even remember that he needs to suck.

Thus, one day you will remember that the last time you breastfed was a few days ago, and you will realize that your baby is no longer interested in breastfeeding. This will end the period of breastfeeding in your life.

But even if you are not ready to wait for the child to wean himself, try to at least wait until the moment when stopping feeding on your initiative does not cause stress in the baby. If the baby does not respond to your message that you can now suck only before bed and just a little bit with hysterics, and you do not feel pity when trying to distract him from latching, then you can safely begin the weaning procedure.

If your baby is ready to wean, then in order for him to give up breastfeeding, you will not need to leave home for several days, as is often advised in articles on stopping breastfeeding. On the contrary, if the only way you see to stop feeding is to leave, your child is not ready for weaning.

When the mother is nearby, she can convince the baby that she still loves him very much, the breast is just tired, and now she can’t suck for a long time. To do this, you just need to hug the baby tightly, sing a gentle lullaby before bed instead of feeding, or tell a fairy tale. But if the mother leaves, the baby will be left without a breast and without a mother, and this can only cause him additional worries and stress.

Often women stop breastfeeding, citing fatigue and poor health. If you start getting sick often or the condition of your hair and teeth has noticeably worsened, do not rush to blame breastfeeding for everything. Many women breastfeed for five or more years, without taking a break even during the next pregnancy, and at the same time maintain strong teeth and thick hair. Try to adjust your diet, lead an active lifestyle, avoid stress, try to find more time to relax - all this will help you strengthen your immune system and improve your health without giving up breastfeeding.

When deciding to stop breastfeeding when the child is not yet ready for this, you should also not forget about the problems - both domestic and psychological - that may arise as a result of your decision. So, I know firsthand that putting a child under 3 years old to sleep with the breast is much easier than without it. Our son, who was weaned on the eve of his second birthday, hardly slept during the day from the age of 2 to 3, and it was very difficult to keep him in bed. Until almost 4 years old, in moments of thoughtfulness, he sucked his finger for a long time, and when falling asleep in the evening, he asked to “hold his boobs.” (I have come across similar possible consequences of early weaning in the literature.) Obviously, “such a long” feeding, according to his relatives, until he was almost 2 years old was not enough for him. I hope to feed my daughter until the time when she herself refuses to breastfeed. Moreover, feeding again gives us both only pleasure.

Milk appeared in your breasts to meet the needs of your newborn baby, and the main guideline for deciding whether to stop feeding should also be the needs of the baby. Pressure from relatives, the onset of involution or your fatigue should not be the determining factors. If the thought that your baby will never put your baby to your breast again upsets you, then there is no need to rush into weaning.

Chubchenko Olga

The child is 2 years old. It's time to wean your baby off breastfeeding. But how to do that? Many children, having reached 9-12 months, wean themselves. They just become more and more interested in the adult food taken by mom or dad. But not all of them are ready for this. What is the best way to wean a child from breastfeeding so that both mother and baby can cope with the current changes with dignity? I’ll tell you about this now!

Effective ways to wean a child from breastfeeding after a year

If you begin to notice that your baby is not suckling well, is often distracted and pays attention to all sorts of little things, you should know that the time has come when you can safely wean your baby off the breast.

There are 3 methods of weaning. Let's talk about these methods now.

Medication method

It can be suggested by a gynecologist. The doctor will prescribe pills that reduce milk production. Bromocriptine or Dostinex are the most famous drugs today. They contain the active component gastogen, which produces fewer side effects than estrogen drugs.

If you decide to use this method, then my advice is for you.

• Try to distract the baby from the breast by playing together, kissing, or carrying him in your arms.
• Let dad do more with the baby and replace mom more often.
• Wear a turtleneck or turtleneck and try to hide your breasts.
• Avoid severe swelling and express milk more often.

Grandma's way

Young mothers use this method very often. It consists of sending the baby to the grandmother for a couple of days, and the mother bandages her chest with a sheet so that the milk no longer flows.

Grandmother’s method gives a good result, but it is very dangerous both for the psychological state of the child and for the health of the mother.

Firstly, the child’s beloved breast and dear mother are taken away. Therefore, he eats, sleeps, plays poorly, and the baby is stressed.

Secondly, what does mommy get? Poor sleep, worries about separation from your child, sometimes chest pain. After all, improper dressing sometimes leads to swelling and hardening. Mastitis may occur, which often leads to surgery.

The natural way

This method is very long and takes up to six months. It does not consist in weaning, but in a gradual conscious cessation of feeding the baby. This method is considered the most psychologically safe and gentle.

Just 5 steps on the path to separation

1. Stop indiscriminate daytime sucking.
2. Instead of feeding before bedtime or during sleep, read a book to your child or sing a lullaby.
3. Replace morning feeding with distracting games and toys.
4. Before going to bed, you need to feed your baby tightly.
5. Stop breastfeeding at night and replace it with patting the baby on the back or hugging.

How did I prepare and wean my baby in a week?

Before separating the baby from the breast, he must be prepared for this difficult test. This will not be easy to do. You will need parental warmth, tenderness and love. The preparatory process lasts for some a week, and for others a couple of months. It all depends on the child's temperament. I will tell you about my personal experience, how it all happened for me.

I weaned for 3.5 months. The first thing I did was refused to feed the baby before naptime. Yes, it was not easy, but very important. When my baby stopped nursing in the afternoon, he began to fall asleep alone without his mother during the day, and it became easier to go to bed in the evening. I didn’t give in to the child’s tantrums. I tried to lie next to him, read a fairy tale, sing him a song, calmed him down by any means, but the breast did not give.

Second, I reduced daily feeding to three. She let me breastfeed in the morning, at midday and at night.

If the baby still cannot live without his mother at all, you can reduce breastfeeding to 4 times a day at first.

Third, I did not force morning sucking on the baby. If the baby forgot about the breast in the morning, I didn’t remind him of it. The baby played and minded his own business.

But it also happened that he remembered about the chest closer to lunch. Then I tried to explain that it was too late for a morning snack and early for an afternoon snack. She distracted my son and offered to go and look at dad through the window or grandma through the peephole in the door. This is how I gradually managed to wean myself off morning sucking.

Fourth, The midday feeding was short-lived. She allowed me to suck for no more than 15 minutes. I reduced this time by 2 minutes every 2-3 days. Thus, I weaned her at midday.

Fifth, Weaned off night feeding. As soon as this became the only feeding for the day, I boldly began to break this thread between us. This was easier to do. Before going to bed, I fed him good porridge or some kind of puree, in a word, so that the baby would eat and not snack. She gave me tea or kefir to drink and went to bed. She held her close, read a book or sang a lullaby. Tired, satisfied and well-fed, the child quickly fell asleep throughout the night.

That's how we weaned ourselves off breastfeeding. There were hysterics, scandals and a sea of ​​tears every evening. But I gained strength and patience, and we succeeded.

Some useful tips from experienced mothers on how to wean at 1.5 and 2 years

Each baby is individual, and if something is good for one, it may be bad for another. Try, experiment, and you will succeed.

Well, I’ll give you some of my advice and share recommendations from experienced mothers.

• Don't offer, but don't refuse either

This advice can be applied to all weaning methods.

• Don't forget to feed adult food

Offer “adult” food to your baby that is appropriate for the child’s age.

Some mothers simply forget about regular meals, but the baby doesn’t even ask, because the breast is always nearby - here you can have a snack and just have fun.

• Change your habitual behavior

If the baby asks for the breast precisely when you are sitting and talking on the phone, then stop sitting down and walk at this moment. Try to reduce the duration of calls and conversations.

• Actively attracting dad

Try to involve dad as much as possible. Let him put it to bed, play, and feed the baby himself. Move into the background, allowing the baby to forget about you for a while.

• If your baby constantly asks for the breast, try with him more often

And if you just hang on it when you are visiting, increase your time at home.

• Try to delay feeding

Agree with the baby that you will feed her when you collect the toys or wash the floor. And if he suddenly asks for it on the street, then explain that you will feed him as soon as you come home.

• Try to reduce feeding time

This advice is good for children aged 2 years and older.

• Be attentive to your baby's well-being

If you see that your baby is unwell or is just teething, then you should wait a while before weaning from breastfeeding.

How to wean a child from breastfeeding at 2 years old? At this age, the baby is already fully familiar with adult food. Mother's milk becomes a treat, and the sucking process becomes a way of calming. We can say that physiologically such children no longer need breastfeeding. After two years, it is easier for the baby to give up the habit, and the mother’s breasts are already ready for involution.

When a child is 2, everyone around is talking about stopping lactation. Women of the older generation believe that there is nothing useful in breast milk anymore, and breastfeeding is becoming a bad habit. It is necessary to stop lactation and take the relationship between baby and mother to a new level.

Lactation consultants and modern progressive pediatricians have a different opinion on this issue. It is not necessary to end lactation at two years unless one of the breastfeeding participants needs it. The child can already do without the mother's breast. Milk is gradually replaced by regular food. It ceases to be the main source of strength and energy.

However, this does not mean that it is definitely time to end the GW. During involution, the composition of breast milk changes. It becomes close to colostrum. This means that lactation after two years is beneficial for the baby, and the milk does not become “empty.”

Modern doctors advocate long-term breastfeeding as it prevents breast cancer. If a woman has a desire, she can feed after 2 years, and wean her only at 3 years.

In the same way, if a mother is tired of breastfeeding, she has every right to stop it. This will not affect the child’s health and psyche.

What is lactation involution and how to recognize it

Involution is a natural process of reverse development of lactation. When a baby attaches less frequently to the breast, milk automatically becomes less. During this time, the woman’s breasts decrease in size and hot flashes disappear. Weaning from breastfeeding during this period is painless and comfortable for mother and baby.

Involution of lactation has little to do with the age of the baby. The reverse conversion process starts when the number of applications is reduced. Involution usually occurs after 2 years of age, but sometimes occurs earlier.

Signs of the onset of involution:

• the size of the mammary glands decreases;
• the tides disappear;
• the breast does not fill, even if the baby has not been fed for a day;
• milk does not flow spontaneously from the breast;
• The color of the milk changes and it becomes similar to colostrum.

How to painlessly wean a child from breastfeeding? First of all, you need to choose a time. After the age of 2 years, most children tolerate breastfeeding discontinuation well. It is important to take into account the specifics of weaning.

Features of weaning a child 2 years old and older

It is easier for three-year-old children to stop breastfeeding on their own. The digestive tract of babies fully adapts to adult food, and the immune system functions fully. If a two-year-old baby is suckled 1-2 times a day, it will be easy for the mother to wean her off the breast. It is important to determine whether the baby is ready for this at the moment.

• . In the spring, most children experience a lack of vitamins and microelements found in breast milk. In summer, the risk of intestinal infections and dehydration increases. Therefore, it is not recommended to deprive the baby of an additional source of immunoglobulins and fluid.
• During teething, breastfeeding should not be curtailed. This period is accompanied by increased tearfulness, deterioration of sleep and loss of appetite. It will be easier to wean your child from breastfeeding at 2 years of age once the tooth has erupted.
• Lactation cannot be curtailed during illness, after vaccination and during epidemics. During these periods, a two-year-old needs breast milk no less than at 9-12 months.
• If the baby is currently experiencing stress (for example, starting to go to kindergarten), then it is impossible to refuse latching. Otherwise, the adaptation process may be delayed.

A pediatrician can tell you how to properly wean a child from breastfeeding at 2 years old. The doctor will give recommendations, taking into account the individual characteristics of the baby. There are several known methods for curtailing lactation.

Methods

It is not difficult to complete GW in 2 years. Often children themselves forget about latching if the mother stops offering the breast. The self-weaning method is considered the most painless and comfortable, especially if a woman has signs of involution. Babies who are ready to wean eat regular food well and hardly remember breast milk. They can nurse before bed or when they need reassurance. If mom distracts her during the day, creates a new evening ritual, and refuses to sleep together, the baby will no longer ask for the breast.

Gradual withdrawal of breastfeeding is also considered a comfortable way of weaning. This technique is suitable for children who are not yet ready to give up titi. The hardest thing for a mother is to teach her baby to fall asleep without breastfeeding. After two years, you can come to an agreement with your child.

For example, say that milk will be available in the morning, but you must definitely fulfill your promise. You can delay the time of attachment by taking a walk, active play, or going on a visit. It is important that the child is well-fed and does not perceive the mother as a source of nutrition.

Close relatives, whom the two-year-old knows well, will help complete breastfeeding. If the baby suckles only before bedtime, then the process of putting him to sleep can be transferred to the dad. When sucking occurs more often in the morning, the mother should get up earlier than her child. To complete lactation, it is necessary to avoid situations where the baby has the opportunity to latch on.

If you want to stop breastfeeding quickly, you can use the separation method. Mom needs to leave for a few days and leave the baby with dad or grandma. While the woman is away, her baby will forget about the breast. Modern psychologists and breastfeeding consultants do not welcome this method, since it negatively affects the psycho-emotional state of the baby at any age.

Possible difficulties

Weaning is often accompanied by difficulties. Moms need to be patient. We must treat breastfeeding as a stage in the baby's development. Soon the need for breastfeeding will disappear. Many women then remember with a smile the difficulties that did not allow them to quickly curtail lactation.

If during the weaning process the mother notices changes in the child’s behavior, it is worth reducing her pressure and taking a few steps back. Possible difficulties:

• hysterics begin when mother does not breastfeed;
• the frequency of night breastfeeding increases;
• the sucking reflex intensifies (the child begins to suck a finger, corner of a blanket or other object);
• the baby's night sleep worsens;
• increased anxiety appears.

After the baby has abandoned the breast, the mother needs to monitor the process of stopping milk production. We must ensure that the chest does not overfill. It is quite normal for milk to remain in it for some time. You should not express unless there is discomfort. Drugs that suppress prolactin will help to abruptly stop milk production.