Natural feeding. How to stop breastfeeding

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Proper feeding of the baby in the first year of life is a priority for the mother. However, it is not so easy to figure out what exactly will be right. Sources on the Internet sometimes offer directly opposite opinions; there is no unanimity among pediatricians and neonatologists either. The only thing that various sources agree on is that breastfeeding is the he althiest and most beneficial option for the baby.

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

Breastfeeding also has its advantages from a practical point of view: milk is always ready to drink, nothe need to adjust the temperature, and from a budgetary point of view, mother's milk is ideal.

Remarkably: at the same time, many sources add that formula feeding is also not something undesirable. But it should be recognized that artificial feeding still gives side effects. For example, there is a higher risk of developing allergies and problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Studies show that artificial babies are more likely to have weight problems because they don't eat the amount of formula they need, but the amount they are given.

Despite all the positive aspects of breastfeeding, at some point it's time to give it up, and the mother is faced with the question: "How to stop breastfeeding?" There are a number of opinions regarding how this process should proceed. Some of these views are already outdated, but still, many women take pills and tighten their breasts, often causing serious he alth problems.

However, before answering the question of how to quit breastfeeding, you need to decide when to do it. In general, three options can be identified: feed while there is milk, stop feeding abruptly, for example, in connection with going to work, or decide on the timing of 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 extremely negatively if they see a mother who feeds a child of 3 years. FROMFrom an ethical point of view, this is an individual choice of the family, so criticism is inappropriate here. Nevertheless, continuing to feed the child even when the physical need for this has disappeared, the mother can unwittingly harm him psychologically: if in the first year and a half of the child’s life, breastfeeding gives him comfort, then at an older age it creates a certain dependence.

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 he alth. Ideal can be considered an option in which weaning occurs gradually. This is the best option for both mother and child. Doctors name 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 period and consistently reduce the number of feedings, the mother will not even have to think about how to stop breastfeeding, everything will happen naturally. Among the general recommendations for weaning can be mentioned a temporary reduction in the amount of fluid you drink. You should also cancel night feedings, limit the consumption of hot and fatty foods.

Regardless of how you answer the question: "When and how to stop breastfeeding?", you must remember that the physical and psychological well-being of the child is paramount, so stopping breastfeeding should notcoincide with potentially stressful situations for the child, such as moving. It goes without saying that weaning is unacceptable during illness or teething.