How and when to stop breastfeeding

The mother should only stop breastfeeding after the baby's 2 years of age and to do so she must reduce breastfeeding and its duration, for example.

However, the baby should exclusively breastfeed until 6 months, not receiving any other food until this stage, but the mother should continue to breastfeed until the child is at least 2 years old, as breast milk is ideal for good growth and development of the baby. Read more about: Composition of Breast Milk.

When is the best time to stop breastfeeding

The mother can choose when to stop breastfeeding, but it is best for the child that she is breastfed at least until the age of 2 and should only stop breastfeeding after that age.

However, the number of feedings during the day should gradually decrease from the baby's 7 months onwards to facilitate weaning and the complications that may occur, such as stone milk and mastitis, and the feeling of abandonment that may arise in the baby.

In some cases, the woman may have to stop breastfeeding in order not to harm the baby's health as in the case of having chickenpox, herpes with lesions in the breast or tuberculosis. Read more at: When not to breastfeed.

4 Tips to Stop Breastfeeding Without Trauma

Although it is not always easy to stop breastfeeding for the mother or baby, there are some techniques that facilitate weaning, such as:

1. Decrease feedings and play with the baby

In order for this to be done without harming the mother and baby, it is possible to replace a feeding schedule with a meal from 7 months onwards.

For example: If the baby eats the baby food for lunch, he should not breastfeed during this period, neither an hour before nor an hour later. At 8 months, you should replace the snack, for example, and so on. Normally, from 1 year of age the child can start eating the same meal as the parents and, in this period, the mother can start to breastfeed only when the baby wakes up, before the baby's breakfast and when the baby baby goes to sleep in the afternoon and at night. This care is important because, by decreasing the number of times the baby is breastfeeding, the production of breast milk also decreases at the same rate and thus the mother does not have heavy and full breasts.

2. Decrease the duration of feedings

Another good technique to end breastfeeding without trauma is to shorten the time the baby is breastfeeding.

For example: If the baby spends about 20 minutes on each breast, what you can do is let him suck only 15 minutes on each breast and, every week, decrease it a little bit more. However, it should not be forced to leave the breast, this moment is important that the mother has time and willingness to give all the attention that the baby needs, playing with him, because then the baby associates that the mother is not only to breastfeed, but that she can also play, just like Dad.

3. Do not breastfeed after the baby eats

When the baby has a full tummy, it is easier for him to resist mom's breasts. If the mother has difficulty feeding the baby, a good option is to ask someone else to do this, because it is normal for the baby to associate the mother with the breasts and when he is hungry, it is natural that he wants to breastfeed. After the baby has eaten all the baby food, the mother can return to play with him and, even if he wants to breastfeed, the amount of milk he will drink will be less and in a short time he will stop doing it.

See also how the introduction of new foods for the baby should be.

4. Do not offer the breast

From the age of 1 the child can eat almost anything and, therefore, if he is hungry he can eat something else instead of breastfeeding. A good strategy to facilitate weaning is that the mother does not offer the breast or wear blouses that facilitate the baby's access to the breast, breastfeeding only in the morning and at night and, when she is close to 2 years of age, only offer at these times if the child asks.

For example: If the child wakes up wanting to play, the mother does not need to take her out of the crib and breastfeed, she can leave the child playing in the kitchen while preparing her baby food, but if the child looks for the breast, the mother should not refuse it abruptly, she must first try to distract the child, but if it is not possible, she can breastfeed, but without offering the breast again.

Stop breastfeeding at night

Generally, the last feeding of the day, which happens before the baby goes to sleep, is the last to be taken, but when the baby learns to sleep alone and no longer needs the breast to calm down, it is a good time to stop offering the breast before to sleep. But this is a process that can take months before weaning is complete. Some babies can go up to 2 or 3 days without breastfeeding and then look for the breast, staying only a few minutes. This is normal and is part of the baby's development, what should not be done is saying 'no' or fighting with the child.

Another mistake that can harm weaning is to want this process to happen very quickly. When the baby suddenly stops breastfeeding he may miss the mother and feel abandoned and this can also have unpleasant consequences for the woman because the milk accumulated in the breast can cause an infection.

Remedy to stop breastfeeding

To stop breastfeeding and dry the milk, you should go to the obstetrician who can recommend the use of a medicine like Dostinex in tablets, for 2 days. However, milk can dry up to 10 days after use. Read more at: Dostinex.

How to feed the baby who stopped breastfeeding

Usually the baby starts to eat solid foods between 4 and 6 months of life, and up to 1 year of age, he can go on eating his baby food intercalated with the feedings or the bottle. Here's what to give your 6-month-old baby to eat.

After 1 year of life, the baby can breastfeed or take the bottle only when he wakes up and before going to sleep, at night. At all other meals he should eat vegetables, fruits, lean meats and dairy products, as long as he has no food allergies or intolerances. See how the baby should be fed from 1 year.

If the baby suckles up to 2 years of age, at this stage he must already be used to eating everything, making meals at the table, with the same food as the parents, and therefore when the breastfeeding ends, there will be no need for any supplement, only taking care to always offer healthy and nutritious food so that the child can grow up healthy.