Sooner or later, lactation must end. But what if your baby simply refuses to stop nursing? Many mothers face this problem, but a few simple tips can help ease the pain of weaning for both mother and child.
For many mothers and their children, stopping breastfeeding happens naturally. The baby begins to take an interest in the foods others around her are eating and begins to eat solid foods on her own. As the baby eats more solids, the less he wants her mother’s breast milk. However, some children simply refuse to stop breastfeeding voluntarily, and many mothers may feel upset, tired, and not knowing how to stop breastfeeding altogether. If you are having trouble stopping breastfeeding, the following tips may help.
Avoid going cold turkey. This is often very upsetting to the child, which in turn leads to tantrums. Instead, it is better to reduce the number of feeds during the day, perhaps replacing feedings with a bottle or cup of expressed breast milk. This gradual reduction in the time spent suckling will alleviate the infant’s sense of loss or discomfort, especially if he is bottle-feeding breast milk. Eventually, breast milk could be replaced by formula.
Many children cry when they wake up in the middle of the night. Usually it is the mother who tries to calm the baby back to sleep. Unfortunately, this calming process may mean breastfeeding the child. It may be best if the baby’s father, or someone else the child feels safe with, cares for the baby. Many mothers will instinctively go to their child if the child is crying, so it may also be a good idea to try to stay out of earshot. The child may take a long time on this new regimen, but perseverance is the key. Eventually, when the child has been weaned from these night feedings, the mother is able to tuck her back in at night.
With an older child, who is able to speak and understand what is being said, you can start by setting limits on where and when to breastfeed. Say, “We only nurse at naptime and bedtime” or “We only nurse when it’s dark outside.”
When you’re ready to stop altogether, you could simply tell her, “You’re already a big girl, and big girls don’t breastfeed.” It is important to remember that with children this age, the emotional stress caused by stopping breastfeeding can be great. So replace lack of nursing with more pampering; replace your emotional dependency on breastfeeding with other physical comforts.
It is also important to take care of your breasts during this time. Any anguish or pain that the mother feels will be picked up by the child who will then also feel upset, thus aggravating an already delicate situation. By gradually reducing lactation, it should help relieve your breast engorgement. Your milk supply should gradually decrease. If not and her breasts feel uncomfortable, then express her breast milk; You can give it to your baby in a bottle or cup. Cabbage leaves are known to help reduce waterlogging. Flatten the cabbage leaves with a rolling pin if the leaves do not conform to the shape of your breast. Wrap the cabbage leaves around the breast and leave for about 20 minutes. Twice a day is enough. Typically, use the cabbage leaf treatment two to three times or less. You can use the cabbage leaves after each feeding and leave them until they wilt.