Reduce lactation in women. The best time to wean. How to reduce lactation during weaning

A whole complex of body systems is involved in the supply of milk to mammary glands. Before deciding how to get rid of breast milk, it is necessary to understand the physiological processes.

naturally;
with the help of medicines;
use of traditional medicine recipes.

The best time to wean

Under certain conditions, it is possible to stop lactation naturally. Milk burns out under the following circumstances:

The age of the child is over 2 years old. At this time, the composition of milk changes. It becomes close to colostrum. It also contains a lot of antibodies that boost the baby's immunity. But nutrients lacks. Therefore, feeding is not nutrition, but only protection against various infections. Decreased milk supply.
A decrease in the sucking reflex occurs by the age of 3. At this time, the formation of the nervous system of the baby ends. Eliminates the need for breastfeeding. Breast milk contains substances that have a beneficial effect on the nervous system.
As the baby grows, the need for attachment to the breast gradually disappears. Milk becomes less and less, and it gradually disappears.
Rare attachment to the breast, after 12 hours, leads to a decrease in lactation. Complete the process of breastfeeding in a natural way this case won't be difficult.
Sleeping in a crib after 2 years leads to the fact that the child is weaned from waking up at night. At first, after a nightly feeding, he again needs to be laid in his crib.

With a natural finish breastfeeding milk burns out within 5-6 days.

In any case, weaning should occur gradually so as not to injure the child's psyche. After all, breastfeeding for him is a lot of pleasure, closeness with his mother and peace of mind.

Complete cessation of breast milk supply after the last feeding occurs after 1.5 months. Therefore, it is possible to restore lactation even after a month of weaning.

Apart from natural termination lactation, there may be other situations:

stop lactation immediately after the birth of the baby, as there are medical indications;
refusal of the baby to breastfeed;
a woman's decision to stop breastfeeding.

Natural weaning has a number of other advantages:

you can not worry about the condition of the mammary glands (the risk of lactostasis, mastitis is reduced);
at abrupt weaning from breastfeeding there is a violation in the production of the hormone prolactin, which leads to depression of the mother and stress;
the baby does not experience discomfort.

Unforeseen situation

There are times when a woman has to face the problem of how to get rid of breast milk immediately after childbirth. There can be many reasons: illness of the mother or child, death of the child, late miscarriage, lactase deficiency in infants, pathology of the mammary glands.

The work of the mammary glands is carried out according to a certain scheme. First, colostrum is produced, by about the 5th day, milk itself begins to be produced. Wrong care or the inability to empty the breast leads to inflammatory processes in the body, fever and breast diseases. It will take several weeks to completely stop lactation.

All actions a woman should discuss with a doctor. The following actions can be taken to stop feeding properly:

Wear a tight, supportive bra both day and night.
Pain and heaviness in the chest at home can be relieved with cold compresses.
Do not allow full filling mammary glands milk. Needs to be squeezed a little. If you pump constantly, then it will be more difficult to stop lactation.
Medicines that relieve inflammation and pain are allowed during this period.
At home, instead of medicines, you can use cabbage leaves that are applied to the chest. Before that, they need to be beaten off well. Wear until they fade.
A decoction of some herbs helps to reduce the flow of milk (for example, from sage). A tablespoon of sage is poured into a glass of boiled water and infused for an hour.
Decoctions of diuretic herbs (elecampane, parsley, bearberry) can reduce lactation. These decoctions act quickly, milk burns out within 2-5 days.

If you find seals in the chest, an increase in body temperature and the appearance of other signs of inflammation, you should immediately visit a doctor.

Medications

When there is a lot of milk, the doctor may prescribe medications that can stop lactation (Bromocriptine, Dostinex, Dufaston, Utrozhestan). Before using them, all sides should be weighed. They quickly stop the flow of milk, but cause a mass side effects including hormonal imbalance.

If drugs are prescribed, then they must be taken strictly according to the instructions. The difference between the drugs lies in the different concentrations of hormones. Many of them have contraindications, such as diabetes, kidney and liver disease.

Tablets quickly stop milk production, and it is no longer possible to restore lactation after them. A woman must be sure that the baby will not need breast milk.

The course of taking the tablets is from 1 to 7 days. During this period, the milk burns out.

Rules for taking pills:

Reception only when necessary.
Do not increase or decrease the dosage on your own.
Do not forget about decanting to prevent inflammation.
It is worth informing the doctor about the deterioration of the condition after taking the medicine.
After taking the first pill, you can not feed the baby.
During the use of drugs, you can not pull the chest.

The most negative consequence of the completion of lactation with the help of tablets is that during next pregnancy there may be no milk at all.

Independent decision making

Feeding a baby often leads to the fact that mothers get tired, as they are forced to be with the child for a whole day. I also have to get up several times during the night. Therefore, mothers themselves decide at home to stop breastfeeding.

If the decision is made, then it is necessary to choose the most suitable time. You can not stop feeding during a move, illness, quarrels in the family.

Weaning the baby from the breast must be done correctly. Scheme gradual weaning from feeding at home next.

Initially, it is worth abandoning daytime feeding. Replace breast milk with another liquid: tea, compote, juice.
When the child wakes up after sleep, it is better if another family member comes to him.
After that, you should start to get rid of feeding before bedtime. It is necessary to come up with a different ritual, for example, reading fairy tales, singing songs, stroking the baby and talking.

Gradual weaning will not harm the baby, but it will take a long time. Milk burns out only by the end of the 2nd month after weaning.

You can find such a method as pulling the chest. However, most gynecologists are sure that this does not stop milk production, but only reduces the milky streams, which can lead to serious problems. Blood circulation in the chest is disturbed, swelling and inflammation occur.

It is believed that the best way is to leave the mother for a while from home. The method works quickly and gives good results.

The disadvantages of this method are:

psychological trauma for the child and mother;
the onset of breast inflammation and a rise in temperature in the mother;
increased risk of developing mastitis.

In the event that this is not possible, it is worth wearing clothes that cover the chest. The kid will try to find her, but you should not follow his lead, you need to patiently explain that there is no milk.

No need for breast milk

There are times when the child himself refused breastfeeding, and milk continues to arrive. In this case, mothers can try these methods:

liquid intake should be limited, especially hot: soups, tea;
drink decoctions of medicinal herbs;
do not need to dress too warmly, especially in the chest area, as heat stimulates the flow of milk;
limit the presence of the child in her arms so that close contact does not stimulate lactogenesis;
in order to keep the breasts soft and there were no seals, milk must sometimes be expressed, but not completely.

There are two ways to release milk from the breast: manually or with a breast pump.

With the first option (manually), lactation can be stopped quickly, but this is accompanied by unpleasant sensations. In the second option, it will take a long time to stop milk production, but the woman does not experience discomfort.

A child may refuse breastfeeding for the following reasons:

additional pacifier sucking;
use of a feeding bottle;
timed feeding;
improper attachment to the breast;
violation emotional contact between baby and mother.

The exact time when the milk burns out is unknown, since it all depends on individual features organism. A great influence on the duration of burnout is exerted by methods of combating and psychological condition. If the mother correctly weaned the child from the breast, then the milk burns out within two weeks.

Whatever method is chosen, one should, first of all, think about the condition of the child. It's natural to breastfeed your baby long time. You don't need to make adjustments to this. Let the baby get everything he needs with milk. In the case when stopping feeding is not a whim of the mother, but a necessity, you should be patient and follow the doctor's recommendations.

Some mothers admit that they are waiting for the end of feeding, because breastfeeding is sometimes so tiring and the woman can no longer wait to offer the baby adult food. It is also common that circumstances such as going to work or health problems force you to stop feeding. In any case, the milk in the breast will not become less simply because you want or need it. Helpers in the form of a list of products that reduce lactation will come in handy.

Your baby is lucky if he could receive all the benefits of breast milk from birth. It has been repeatedly proven to be the optimal food for the health and development of the baby. But, of course, the moment when the baby will need to be weaned is inevitable. How I would like the body to perceive the desire to end breastfeeding as a call to action. But everything is not so simple, because this process takes not a day or two.

Some mothers say that milk production gradually fades away without any extra effort. However, most women complain about pain in the breast, the occurrence of seals and the uncontrolled formation of milk. If this problem is familiar to you firsthand, you can start the fight against it by adjusting the menu, choosing products that can reduce lactation. This will help your body stop producing milk.

About the reasons for the termination of GV

Mom must inform her doctor about her desire to stop lactation. This is followed by an analysis of the cause and drawing up a plan of action. The measures taken to stop lactation largely depend on the motivation for such a responsible decision. Sometimes it is impossible to do without medicines. But there are times when folk remedies can help reduce milk production in combination with a special diet consisting of products that reduce the ability to lactate.

So, among the main reasons for cessation of lactation are the following:

the most common motive for such a decision is the health problems of the mother or baby;
sometimes it is necessary to reduce the amount of breast milk only for a while, this happens due to an urgent trip or the departure of the mother;
sometimes a woman complains about an excess amount of milk, which is too much for a child, and if lactation is not reduced in this case, there is a risk of mastitis or lactose;
age after 2 years is considered optimal for weaning - and if it has come, the mother almost always faces the need to stop milk production;
V maternity leave many benefits, but often the mother has to go to work at the age of crumbs up to 2-3 years and stop lactation;
the reason may be new pregnancy;
sometimes a mother just gets tired of breastfeeding and wants to nullify it;
taking some medicines incompatible with breastfeeding, so its production must be stopped.

When deciding to stop lactation, a woman must carefully weigh the pros and cons. First of all, it is worth considering whether the reason is so weighty to deprive the baby of breast milk. If the answer is firmly yes, then you should move on to active measures and you can start by choosing products that reduce lactation.

Pulling - why doctors are against

Wise by experience, the older generation loves to give various advice to a young mother with or without reason. And if you share that you want to reduce the amount of milk, a caring grandmother will confidently assert that breast tightening is The best way. This recommendation can often be found on the Internet.

So, inspired by simplicity this method, mommy enthusiastically takes up the search for an elastic bandage or scarf. And doing so big mistake! You can ask any modern doctor about the reasonableness of this method - for sure he will quickly convince you.

The fact is that by pulling the chest, you create all the conditions for circulatory disorders. And this entails such serious consequences as mastitis or lactostasis. It is understandable: tight pulling directly affects the formation of milk stagnation.

Sometimes this method can be effective and safe, but this is only if you have already noticed a decrease in the amount of breast milk. We still advise you not to take risks, but to resort to the help of more loyal means, for example, to the choice of products that help reduce lactation.

Breast pump - no!

Of course, we are not against this wonderful invention. Today it is a faithful assistant for high-quality pumping. Some moms can’t even imagine life during breastfeeding without it. For some reason, they also believe that a breast pump, among other things, is able to reduce lactation.

Actually it is not. Using this miracle device, on the contrary, you will give the body a signal that there is not enough milk. This cry for help will be accepted, and lactation will begin to occur more actively. And since this is not the effect that you need, you should refuse to use a breast pump.

soft weaning

If you have enough time, you can use natural method reducing the amount of milk. Also, this is definitely your option if you are for soft and painless weaning baby from the chest.

The essence of this method is to slowly but surely reduce the number of feedings, and then completely reduce them to nothing. Here's how it works in practice:

The first step is to eliminate one feeding. So that the baby does not starve, feed him artificial nutrition at this time.
After 3-4 days, the child will adapt to such innovations. This means that it is time to remove another feeding.
It will take a few more days, and the baby will get used to it again. Then cut down on one more meal of breast milk.
Then eliminate night feedings.
If you add to the above measures proper diet, which includes products that can reduce lactation, the effect will be even better.

In order not to provoke milk stasis Don't forget to express milk until your breasts are soft. At the same time, you should leave a large number of milk: so you let it burn out. According to this scheme, soon the number of feedings will be reduced to 1-2 times a day, and then there will be no need for them at all. It will also gradually decrease, and then lactation will stop.

It is this technique of reducing the amount of milk and stopping breastfeeding that is practiced by modern mammologists. Its main advantage is that you minimize the stress of the baby at such a serious stage in his life. If the mother acts carefully and gradually, the baby may not even notice these cardinal changes.

When to Diet

If you are breastfeeding, you have probably noticed more than once how your diet and the foods you choose affect the condition of the child, as well as the quality and quantity of milk. When you are looking for a way to reduce lactation, consider the dependence of the amount of breast milk on your menu.

Sometimes in the life of a mother there are situations when lactation should be reduced only for a certain period of time, for example, an urgent departure. Following a simple diet, you will achieve this goal in about 2-3 weeks. If later the amount of breast milk needs to be increased, you can also do this by changing the menu.

There are foods that reduce milk production, but they will be harmful to the baby. For example, quite often you can find a recommendation about the use of smoked meats, canned food, hot spices and spices. Yes, under their aggressive influence, milk can really leave you, but the child will have colic or other digestive problems.

Products - assistants

Then what foods are safe to reduce lactation? Here is the list for you:

black pepper and other spices;
mint or lingonberry tea;
decoctions and infusions based on sage;
folk recipes with parsley;
a decoction of horsetail combined with sage;
infusion of belladonna, white cinquefoil or jasmine leaves.

What should be excluded

As you can see, lactation-reducing foods are mostly herbs. Unfortunately, there is no such food that could greatly affect the decrease in the amount of breast milk. But you can achieve this effect by excluding the following products from your menu:

walnuts and hazelnuts;
seeds;
restriction of sour-milk and dairy foods;
tea with milk;
carrot juice;
beer;
any hot dishes and drinks;
dairy products;
limit fluid intake per day to 1.5 liters;
also reduce the amount of foods with a high content of liquid.

These bans in the diet should help you reduce the amount of milk, but you should not expect miracles from them - more often special diet will act as additional method. However, if you need a temporary reduction in lactation, the above menu changes will come in handy.

The choice of a diet based on products that reduce lactation can be supplemented with several more effective actions:

if possible, reduce the amount of milk and wean the baby from the breast during the lactation crisis;
during this period, it is better to wear a tight cotton bra with no underwire;
closed clothing without cutouts on the chest would be preferable;
do not deprive the baby of a pacifier or a bottle - they will comfort him at the moment of weaning;
keep a calm and confident attitude - then the little one will feel that there is nothing wrong with the changes taking place;
talk to your doctor to find the perfect way to control your milk;
it is unlikely that the baby will immediately “with a bang” take your idea - but you should not give up and give up: if you go against your script, then you will only aggravate weaning.

And finally, and most importantly, always stay in good mood, whether or not you consume products to reduce lactation. If you think and act positively, then even such a difficult stage as weaning and reducing lactation will pass easily and naturally!

by the most healthy nutrition children in the first year of life is breast milk. Only it is able to provide a full range of necessary useful substances, enhance immunity. But often a woman is faced with a situation where feeding must be interrupted. For this, it is important to know how to stop breast milk lactation correctly?

Should be weaned from the breast different reasons. Most often this is due to the fact that the child grows up, it must be given to kindergarten. To adapt to children's institution passed favorably for the baby, it is necessary that he does not feel discomfort. And if he is breastfed during this period, separation from his mother will become a real stress.

It is necessary to transfer children to bottle feeding already 1.5-2 months before the mother goes to work or sends them to kindergarten.

Breast milk suppression may resolve naturally in the presence of the following factors:

When a child is 3 years old, the composition of milk changes, it begins to resemble colostrum. In addition, the intensity of its production is noticeably reduced.
By the age of three, children have nervous system the sucking reflex fades.
At this age, children no longer need to be attached to the mother's breast.
It will be possible to complete feeding naturally only if the mammary glands are not completely filled.

Breastfeeding can only be stopped if the mother and child sleep separately. Even if the baby asks for a breast at night, he needs to be fed and laid back in his crib.

After the birth of a child

Women often have to deal with the inability to breastfeed their baby. Someone cannot do this because of their health condition, and sometimes the baby is too weak and cannot breastfeed on his own.

It is important to reduce lactation, but not completely extinguish it. so that the mother has the opportunity to resume breastfeeding when she recovers. How to do this is the topic of the publication.

Not always the desire to breastfeed the child coincides with the capabilities of the mother. Sometimes this is not possible because of her illness or the child himself. It is also necessary to stop lactation quickly and safely even if the baby was born dead. For this, medical methods are used.

In the first few days, a woman has colostrum. Milk comes only on the third day. Due to the fact that the removal of milk from the breast does not occur, the woman begins to be disturbed by soreness, redness, and the temperature rises. Complete extinction is possible only after two weeks.

A woman must wear a tight bra. He should not squeeze the chest much, but he needs to keep his shape well.
At home, apply cold compresses to the chest.
You can not allow an excess of milk. If it becomes too much, you need to gradually decant.
In order to take off pain you can take drugs based on paracetamol.

It is impossible to stop lactation quickly. To do this correctly, you will need to achieve a gradual decrease in lactation.

By woman's decision

Often, after the birth of a child, a woman is under stress, especially if this is the first child in the family.

Often the thought of how to stop lactation at home occurs in women due to severe fatigue.

Night feedings take a lot of strength from the mother, because of the state of health, not everyone can withstand such a regimen. It is best to return to this issue when the child is 1.5 years old.

To stop lactating breast milk quickly, the following steps are recommended:

First of all, you need to remove feeding during the waking period.
Do not put the baby to the chest immediately after he woke up.
Gradually remove night feedings, accustom the child to fall asleep without a breast.

This technique will have an effect only after two to three months.

Physiological ways to stop lactation of breast milk

In order to competently stop lactation, a woman needs to follow certain recommendations:

Feeding should be reduced by one every two weeks. By the end of the period, only one feeding remains.
To satisfy the child's sucking reflex, you need to offer him a bottle of drink.
Mom will need to reduce the amount of fluid she drinks per day.
At unpleasant sensations in the chest you can express a little.

Natural Ways

The body of a woman is designed in such a way that the amount of milk produced depends on how often the baby will be applied to the breast. Milk will gradually decrease if you feed your baby less often.

During the period of cessation of lactation, it is necessary to express until relief is felt in the chest. You can't empty your chest completely..

If a woman feels a seal in the mammary gland, she needs to quietly express her breast completely so that the seal resolves. This is necessary to avoid inflammation. It is strictly forbidden to apply warm compresses to the places of compaction so that purulent mastitis does not form.

Dr. Komarovsky tells whether it is necessary to feed a child until the woman’s milk completely disappears and what breastfeeding experts advise:

Effective folk remedies

Are very popular folk methods How to quickly stop lactation. Unlike drugs, they act more slowly, but are considered the safest.

Samimi effective recipes are:

Folk methods may be safer, but not faster

Recommended to stop lactation use diuretics. The most popular is the collection of sage and mint. To suppress lactation, one tablespoon of crushed sage leaves should be poured with a glass of boiling water. You need to insist it for an hour. Take the resulting solution 4 times a day, 50 ml. Sage not only has a beneficial effect on reducing milk production, but also helps improve women's health.
Peppermint helps to reduce the level of milk production. To prepare the product, 5 teaspoons of mint leaves are steamed in 300 ml of boiling water. The herb should be infused for one hour. You need to drink such a remedy, dividing the resulting portion into three times.
Cowberry leaf helps effectively. You can include tea with lingonberries in your daily diet. It acts as a diuretic. For brewing lingonberry leaf you need to pour 1 tablespoon of raw materials into glasses of boiling water. After half an hour, you can take it 1/3 cup three times a day.

It is important to remember that folk methods will not help instantly. Most often they are suitable for women who want to gradually wean the baby from the breast. If you need to reduce lactation by medical indications quickly, this method will not work.

Compresses

It is important to know how to stop lactating breast milk correctly. Incorrect completion of feeding can lead to breast problems, inflammation. Compresses and breast wraps help to reduce milk production and alleviate the condition of a woman.

Cabbage leaf will not only help stop lactation, but also prevent the development of lactostasis.

A compress can be made from cabbage leaves. They are beaten a little so that the juice goes. Softened sheets are applied to the chest and changed every hour.

This is one of the most effective methods which prevents the development of lactostasis. The compress will lead to a decrease in milk production, and, consequently, lactation will gradually decrease.

An effective way to stop lactation of breast milk at home is a camphor oil wrap. It can be used both as a compress and for rubbing. To carry out the procedure, it is necessary to prescribe a bandage or a napkin with camphor oil, attach it to the chest and warm it from above. The disadvantage of this is that the oil has a too pungent odor.

Preparations for stopping lactation

Unlike folk methods of eliminating lactation, medicinal methods help to cope with a decrease in milk production much faster. Women cannot do without drugs after miscarriages, stillborn children.

The appointment of tablets should be in the following cases:

If the decision to stop breastfeeding is finally made, since after taking the drugs it will no longer be possible.
Only a doctor should prescribe drugs, as they have many side effects.
You need to take pills only in cases where you need to stop lactation urgently.
Care must be taken with hormonal drugs. They cannot be accepted varicose veins veins, diseases of the liver and kidneys, elevated level Sahara.

Any drugs aimed at suppressing milk should be prescribed by a doctor. Many of them are hormonal, and this requires strict adherence to the dosage.

Name of the drug	Advantages	Flaws
BROMCRYPTIN	You can take the drug immediately a few hours after childbirth, which took place naturally or artificially. The advantage of the tool is milk recovery if necessary after finishing taking the pills.	When taking tablets, dizziness, weakness, nausea may occur. If side effects occur, the doctor can either reduce the dosage of the drug or add corrective medications.
BROMCAMPHORA	The advantage of the drug: it refers to sedatives helps relieve nervous tension. Improves the work of the heart. Full completion of milk production occurs on the 8-9th day after starting the pills. Despite the fact that the drug is intended to reduce the level of lactation, milk production does not stop completely. It can be restarted if desired.	For those who want to quickly stop lactation, this remedy is not suitable. It is not intended for quick termination workings. Of the side effects, the drug can cause drowsiness.
DOSTINEX	The drug is aimed at suppressing the hormone prolactin. Its decrease is observed within three hours after ingestion. Tablets are taken once, immediately on the first day after childbirth.	Tablets lower blood pressure. The drug belongs to the hormonal, therefore it must be taken strictly according to the scheme following the doctor's recommendations. May cause drowsiness, therefore not recommended for use while driving.
MICROFOLLIN	Tablets are aimed at lowering the activity of the mammary glands.	The drug has many contraindications, so it intake must be strictly supervised by specialists. When taking the remedy, women may be disturbed by uterine bleeding. There is a risk of breast cancer.
PARLODEL	This drug designed to stop milk production after abortion or for medical reasons.	The remedy is contraindicated for women with a violation blood pressure and with heart disease. As side effects, allergic reactions, convulsions, shortness of breath, nasal congestion are possible.
CABERGOLINE	Tablets prevent and suppress lactation.	Sleep disturbance and dizziness may occur. With great care, you can use the drug for heart disease.

Which contraceptives exist during breastfeeding and which is better: Charozetta or Lactinet is the topic of this article.

What not to do when weaning

Ending breastfeeding should be gentle for both mother and baby. The main thing is not to cause great harm to the baby. Mom should be as attentive as possible during this period, give the child as much time as possible.

I believe that the best way is to gradually reduce the number of attachments of the baby to the breast. This will reduce stress.

But many mothers are most interested in how to stop lactation without pills. First of all, weaning must be structured in such a way that it does not become a trauma for the child. There are some tips:

You should not use the recommendation, leave and leave the child for a few days with his grandmother. It's stressful for the baby. He is immediately deprived of not only the opportunity to suckle the breast, but also to be close to the most important person for him.
It is recommended to take milk suppression drugs only in case of miscarriage, when milk must be stopped urgently. With a gradual decrease, it is recommended to use folk methods and ways to gradually reduce the amount of application to the chest.
You can not lubricate the chest with mustard and other spicy foods. This will not easily scare the child, but it can also ruin his stomach.
It is very dangerous to overtighten. At the same time, the milk ducts are clamped, milk remains there. The formation of stagnation leads to the development of mastitis.
If the baby is sick or teething, weaning should be postponed.

Conclusion

Stopping breastfeeding is a serious and difficult step for both mother and child. The main thing is to be patient. Cessation of lactation is a complex and lengthy process. To do everything right and not have negative consequences, you need to take your time and follow all the recommendations.

Breast milk is best product for a newborn who begins to adapt to the world around him. Microelements and vitamins contained in milk protect immune system baby and inhibit bacteria. However, one day there comes a moment when the baby needs to be weaned and then the woman wonders how to reduce the lactation of breast milk with the help of folk remedies.

Weaning a baby from the breast is not difficult, since many manuals have been written about this. But what about a mother who has milk coming in, causing pain? Stop this process slowly to prevent Negative consequences, in the form of stretch marks and mastitis. The article considers a safe way - the cessation of lactation by folk remedies.

Stop feeding

According to international standards, the baby needs to be breastfed up to 2 summer age when he has already formed a natural defense of the body against infections. However, not every mom is ready to breastfeed during this time. You can stop lactation due to:

woman's refusal to continue breastfeeding;
prolonged separation from the baby;
taking medications that adversely affect the lactation process and are harmful to the child;
crumb diseases, allergic reactions him.

As a result, a woman will have a question, how to stop lactation and milk production? Unfortunately, this process does not happen instantly, as we would like. Lactation may continue long after feeding is stopped. This causes some inconvenience for the woman.

If lactation is stopped or abruptly reduced, the breasts will become swollen and heavy as breast milk is produced over time.

This can cause mastitis or lactostasis, which are known to have severe consequences for the body. Stopping breastfeeding right away is very difficult. Since a lot of milk is produced, which must be expressed either independently or with the help of a breast pump.

For some period, a woman who has decided not to continue breastfeeding passes milk. For example, if a mother refuses breastfeeding in the first month, then it is released for several weeks.

Late weaning is characterized by the release of milk within 3-12 months. There are cases when it suddenly flows out of the chest some time after the cessation of lactation. This requires immediate medical attention.

The time has come

A young mother has the right to decide when to stop feeding. This may be due to specific circumstances listed above, or simply a reluctance to breastfeed.

You need to reduce lactation in a safe way. It is not for nothing that WHO claims that a child needs to be breastfed until the age of 2, since by this time the sucking reflex gradually disappears. As a result, the baby consumes less, which means that production slows down. No demand - no supply.

In addition, withdrawal from maternal breast a 2-year-old child will survive more easily than an infant. This way of stopping feeding is called natural.

Ways to suppress lactation

Experts identify 3 groups of methods to reduce milk production:

medical. This path is considered one of the most dangerous, because the drugs are hormonal in nature. Before taking medicines you need to make an appointment with a doctor who, according to the woman’s health, will select pills for her and prescribe the dosage. The drug route is able to quickly stop lactation.
Natural . The most acceptable way to reduce the release of milk due to lack of demand. Therefore, than smaller kid eats, the less is produced. This method is recognized as the best, since the whole process occurs gradually and painlessly.
Folk remedies. The path is used as an alternative to medicine. You can reduce lactation on your own, using special herbs and tinctures. This issue will be considered in more detail.

ethnoscience

Many nursing mothers are afraid of taking medications, as they can cause a malfunction in the body and disrupt the hormonal background. Therefore, more and more women are resorting to the help of folk remedies to stop lactation. We have collected effective and generation-proven methods to reduce milk production, before using which it is still recommended to consult a doctor:

Compress using camphor oil. How to use: apply to the chest every 4 hours for 3 days. Wrap the application area warm scarf. Do not use the tool for microcracks and other damage. Camphor oil is designed to effectively reduce the production of breast milk.
No less effective compress from cabbage leaf. The prepared sheet must be carefully kneaded and applied to the chest. Wrap with a scarf, leaving for 5 hours. Course duration - 1 week. Our mothers and grandmothers used this method to reduce lactation.
Herbs. At the beginning of alternative therapy, herbs that have a diuretic effect are considered to remove fluid from the body. As a result, there is a gradual decrease in lactation. Suitable for use herbal preparations sage, peppermint, parsley and bearberry. Cooking method: 2 tbsp. l. pour 500 ml of any herb. boiled hot water. Leave for an hour. Consume all day in small portions. The effect that stops lactation will become noticeable after 4 days of use.

Traditional medicine to reduce lactation is simple, painless and quite safe, but there is a drawback. It is impossible to quickly get rid of the production of breast milk.

Recipes of folk remedies

Sage

Sage will help to significantly reduce the amount of milk produced and suppress lactation.

To prepare the infusion you will need:

1 tsp sage leaf;
1 tsp collection walnut;
2 tsp crushed hop cones;
200 ml. boiling water.

How to cook :

Mix all ingredients and take 1 tbsp. l. this mixture.
Pour boiling water and leave for an hour.
Strain the tincture. Take a quarter cup a day.

Best like this folk therapy perform in combination with a sage compress and ice application. Ice will have an effect on reducing milk.

Belladonna

Belladonna infusion will also help to stop lactation with folk remedies. Care must be taken not to exceed the dosage, as the product is poisonous.

Ingredients :

5 g leaves;
300 ml. medical alcohol.

Cooking :

Pour the crushed leaves with alcohol.
Leave for 10 days.
Dosage - 5 drops per 100 mg. water.
The tincture is drunk before meals several times a day.

A folk remedy can reduce lactation in a short time.

Milk suppression - milestone for mommy and baby. In order not to harm your health, you need to follow some of the recommendations that are outlined in this section:

Pumping. Despite the use of a means to reduce lactation, the milk still continues to stay. It is necessary to express regularly, while leaving a certain amount of it. If a woman empties her breasts completely, then milk continues to be produced to compensate for this loss.
Comfortable underwear. The bra should be worn around the clock. It should be tight and comfortable.
Nutrition . A balanced diet that should include nuts, pumpkins, milk. Some experts say that you need to limit the amount of fluid you consume. However, this opinion is unfounded and criticized.

It is dangerous to stop the process of lactation by pulling the breast. It still won’t work to stop lactation, but it’s easy to harm health and develop mastitis.

We reviewed some of the most popular folk remedies that can reduce and stop lactation. They are considered in a safe way to complete breastfeeding. However, these recipes need to be proportioned and dosed correctly, as well as to be approved by a specialist.

Lactation is a very mobile process, which is influenced by many different factors (mother's health, frequency of feeding, the severity of the sucking reflex in the child). Breast milk cannot be produced according to a certain schedule, and under the influence of certain factors, a decrease in lactation may occur.

Reasons for reducing lactation

Insufficient milk production in the mother is called hypogalactia. Depending on the reasons that cause it, experts distinguish primary (true) and secondary hypogalactia.

True inability to produce milk occurs, according to various sources, in only 3-8% of women in labor. It usually develops in mothers who suffer from endocrine diseases ( diabetes, diffuse toxic goiter, infantilism and others). When these diseases are present in female body quite often there is an underdevelopment of the mammary glands, as well as a violation of the processes of hormonal stimulation of lactation, as a result of which her mammary glands are simply not able to reproduce a sufficient amount of milk.

Treatment of hypogalactia of this form is quite problematic, for its correction in such cases the doctor prescribes hormonal preparations.

But secondary hypogalactia is much more common. The decrease in lactation in this case is mainly associated with improperly organized breastfeeding (irregular breastfeeding, long breaks between feedings, improper breastfeeding), as well as physical and mental overwork, lack of sleep, eating disorders, diseases of the nursing mother.

The causes of hypogalactia can also be complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period, prematurity of the baby, taking certain medications and much more.

Decrease in lactation can be triggered by the unwillingness of the mother to breastfeed the baby or her self-doubt and disposition to artificial feeding.

In many cases, secondary hypogalactia is a temporary condition. If the reason for the decrease in lactation is correctly identified and eliminated, then the production of breast milk is normalized within 3-10 days.

Already in the process of established breastfeeding, a nursing woman may encounter such a physical phenomenon as a lactation crisis (when her milk supply suddenly decreases for no apparent reason). Usually this is due to a mismatch in the amount of milk to the needs of the child and cyclic hormonal changes in the mother's body.

The fact is that the growth of a baby may not occur systematically, but in leaps and bounds. Growth spurts are most typical at 3 and 6 weeks, and at 3, 4, 7 and 8 months. As the baby grows, so does his appetite. In such a situation, the mammary gland simply cannot cope with the production required amount milk. At the same time, the baby can receive as much milk as before, but this amount is already not enough for him.

In addition, it was during these periods active growth a child in the mother's body may undergo a temporary change hormonal background, which also affects the amount of milk.

This situation is reversible and does not pose any danger to the health of the child. With an increase in the number of feedings and the absence of supplementary feeding with a mixture, the mother’s breast will adjust in a few days and provide the baby with sufficient nutrition.

Most common lactation crises occur in the first 3 months after childbirth and can sometimes occur with a frequency of 1-1.5 months, their duration is no more than 3-4 days (much less often 6-8 days).

Therefore, before going to the store for formula, mom needs to find out if she really has little milk. The following complaints are the most common grounds for such doubts:

1. The breast is always soft, there is no rush of milk.

During the first few months after birth, lactation develops, when mother and baby adapt to each other. During this period, milk production may be more or less than what the baby needs and, accordingly, both a feeling of fullness in the breast and a feeling of empty breasts may occur.

When installed mature lactation milk begins to be produced as much as the baby needs for given feeding. In this case, the mammary gland may not be as full as before.

In addition, milk continues to be produced directly during feeding. Thus, based on the feeling of breast fullness, it is impossible to draw a conclusion about the sufficiency or lack of milk.

2. Inability to express even a small amount of milk.

Not even the most best breast pump can not be compared with the child in terms of the efficiency of sucking milk from the breast (provided that the baby has correctly captured the breast).

Besides, the pumping process requires a certain skill. Some women, having a large amount of milk in their breasts, can express only some of it, so the amount of milk expressed cannot be used to judge the sufficiency of lactation.

3. The baby is anxious during or after feeding, often requires a breast, sucks for a very long time and does not let go of the breast.

All these circumstances may indicate a lack of milk, but may also be a reaction of the baby to stress or fatigue. Such behavior can also indicate a child's poor health. Therefore, relying only on the behavior of the child, it would be wrong to draw conclusions about decrease in lactation, but of course, in such a situation, the mother has a reason to pay attention to more reliable criteria.