Mothers who, for whatever reason, should or wish to wean their children, may encounter many doubts. Weaning can cause many negative feelings in the baby or the small child, since he naturally desires and needs breastfeeding. Also the mother can suffer for this, even if weaning considers it necessary. There are several issues to consider if the mother wants to wean.
It is better for babies to be breastfed, both for health and emotional reasons. Nor can they, if they are not old enough, understand their mother's motives. Especially with babies it is impossible to agree on weaning but if we can try to do it respectfully.
Before weaning
Before weaning We can, whenever we want, go to seek help and information that allows us to overcome the bump that leads us to consider leaving the chest.
In Babies and more You can find a lot of information about it. In addition, breastfeeding support groups will offer strategies to manage breastfeeding and solve problems, be they work, illness or physical causes that make it difficult to breastfeed.
Some of the issues we have discussed in Babies and more They are about resources about breastfeeding or why our baby is rejecting the breast, and I hope they can help you.
Progressive weaning
Once the decision is made, it is convenient for both of you to do it very slowly. Preferably we should start with a weaning progressive about three months before total weaning.
If the reason for weaning is the incorporation to work and we do not want or it is not possible to make extractions we can breastfeed when we are at home, being the shots in which we are absent when other formula foods or milk are offered. It is not necessary to start weaning before returning to work.
Started on progressive weaning It would be necessary to replace one take every two weeks, very gradually, until we only make one take per day.
We must have a lot of patience, especially if the baby is very small or shows clear signs of not being prepared. You can cry and get angry, and that's normal. Do not deny your chest then, but rather look for activities that keep you distracted from your desire to breastfeed at the usual times.
"Do not deny, do not offer" is the rule that is usually given. But let's not think it will be simple. Babies know what they want and sometimes no strategy will make them forget.
The weaning of the mother
Moms also have to be prepared. Eliminating the shots, especially if they do it too fast, can cause physical discomfort. Having your chest too hard and full is not convenient. In that case you have to extract a little milk, not much, to relieve yourself, making the body, little by little, adapt to produce less milk.
The mother's feelings should also be taken into account. If breastfeeding caused a lot of anguish, you may feel relieved, although at the same time there is some guilt for having made that decision.
For that reason, looking for solutions and much, much information, will allow them to be sure to do their best in their personal case. Also, it is true, you may feel sad when you lose breastfeeding, and that should accept it as part of the natural process of a early weaning.
Conclusion
Of course it will always be better to do weaning when later, and preferably once six months of exclusive breastfeeding. Even after weaning is not always easy.
And yet, after have wanted to weanIf the mother repents, she can relate. It is not the most common option but I must mention it because there are women who have done it successfully even several months after they stopped breastfeeding.
