The chief freelance specialist pediatrician of the Ministry of Health of the region Irina Klimova answers:
- First, about how to understand that it is time to wean the child from the mother's breast. Watch him carefully: if a child eats well, lays on the breast just before bedtime or to calm him down, he is easily distracted by a book, a toy, a walk, he is healthy and calm - the time has come. If there are stressful situations: teething, mother's going to work, starting attending kindergarten, moving - then it is better to postpone the process. In any case, it is impossible to remove all feedings at once, it is better to do this gradually: first, remove the daytime feedings, then refuse to feed before the daytime sleep, and finally leave one night. The weaning process takes at least a month. There may be periods of regression when the baby is breastfeeding more often. This must be endured and the weaning process must be continued methodically.
I do not recommend using the advice of experienced grandmothers and mothers: smear your breasts with something unpleasant to taste, look, smell, send the child out of the house. All these measures are very traumatic for the baby's psyche. However, you can accept the help of relatives when putting the baby to sleep, let him fall asleep with dad or grandmother, if he knows that mom is nearby and sees her during the day.
If you gradually stop feeding the mother, it is better to do without medication, unless it is an emergency or medical condition. But drugs should be taken only after consulting a doctor. Milk decreases gradually, the risk of lactostasis decreases. Due to hormonal changes in the body, the mother may experience feelings of depression, depression, etc. In such a situation, it is better to visit a psychologist.
