How to Stop Breastfeeding Without a Fight
While my first baby weaned early by simply refusing to breastfeed after she decided she finished, my 18 month old son still loves to breastfeed. In fact, he only calls me “Dummy.” (Who said mothers don’t deserve fame?)
As I foresee some kind of epic struggle for weaning, I have been looking for advice on how to make the process as painless as possible – for both of us. But it turns out that when it comes to the delicate relationship between breast, parent and child, there is no magic one size fits all approach. Here are some of my favorites. Whichever method you choose will depend on your goals, your parenting style, and your child’s temperament.
If you want to wean quickly
Some mothers prefer to wean their baby quickly, almost overnight. Acceleration through this transition, the offer of benefits does not confuse the child, saying that care is allowed sometimes (in the daytime only, for example, or before bedtime), but not all the time. However, this quick fix comes with potential pitfalls, as some moms feel depressed due to rapid hormone changes or physical discomfort when breastfeeding stops suddenly. If you choose to take this route, you can continue to express milk to help your body gradually adapt.
Here are some of the quick weaning methods that moms swear by:
- Take a solo weekend trip while your partner takes over the first few days and nights of weaning.
- Use plasters that are too large, like this mom , to cover her nipples, and just explain that Mom’s boobs have breasts and no longer produce milk. (After a few checks and days of no access, the babies seem to agree that Mom is still here and still loves them the same way, but her breasts are no longer their personal milk machine.)
- Apply some fresh aloe leaf aloe juice to the nipples to add a bitter taste and, in fact, encourage the baby to self-excommunicate.
If you do not mind stretching the process
Unless time is limited, many mums take a milder, longer-term approach to weaning, stretching it out over several weeks or months – even up to six months. For those who prefer this process, the following tips are recommended:
- Start by cutting the shortest feed and gradually move on to cutting out other feeds, one by one.
- Avoid feeding prompts, such as a regular chair or feeding your baby to get him to sleep, and gradually introduce new routines instead of feeding, such as having your partner tell you bedtime or offering a cup of milk or a snack.
- Tip from the Ask Dr. Sears website : “Don’t offer but don’t give up” breastfeeding, thereby allowing your baby to dictate when he really needs to breastfeed and when he doesn’t.
- Wear tops that cover your bust area more fully, making it less accessible and visible (easier in colder months, but great advice in warmer months).
- Help your baby understand when breastfeeding is still a part of his daily routine and when it is not by using an activity chart that reflects your usual schedule, such as meal times, walks or activities, sleep, bath, and bedtime.
- Distract, distract, distract. If you know that your baby loves to breastfeed when he is naughty, hungry, or after falling, anticipate this and jump with a cool band-aid, special snack, or your favorite lullaby. This is a good time to pick a whole bunch of fun books to enjoy in the library together, embark on new adventures, or try out extraordinary activities for “big kids” like making bread or clay or finger painting, for example.
Whether you are weaning quickly or slowly, three things seem to help babies take this big step forward: offer plenty of hugs and time to cuddle; providing a special cup or bottle for the “big baby” while you are breastfeeding normally; and read books together about this important milestone, making it easier for them to understand and accept the process. Here are some good bets: Mama’s Milk is All Gone , Nursies When the Sun Shines , A Time to Wean – A cute, original story about a cat and her kitten, explaining how all animals grow up and stop needing a mother. milk – and ” Loving Comfort” about a baby who has run out of mother’s milk, but her hugs, lullabies and even heartbeats continue to bring him the same loving consolation. One mom even wrote about creating her own personalized storybook with pictures for her son as she started the weaning process – a good idea if you’re a creative kid.
Ask Dr. Sears adds, “Life for a baby is a series of weanings: weaning from the womb, breast, bed, and home.” When I think of it that way, I start to feel normal when my son called me “Dummy” a little more.