MotherBreastFeeding.com

As a rule, mothers stop breastfeeding because of two reasons – either it is right time or mothers are reluctant to breastfeed any longer. A baby can be fed mother’s milk for a long time, but not forever. As for getting tired of breastfeeding – I can say nothing about it, as personally I am against such treatment of a baby. I prefer to talk here about how to know if it is right time for stopping breastfeeding or not.

Is mom ready? To detect if mother’s body is ready to stop lactating is quite easy. Watch closely for changes in your breasts when you stop breastfeeding for a while (12-24 h). Are you producing much milk? If there is no uncomfortable feeling, and there is no need to pump – it is ok then.

Is baby ready? It is only you who can understand if the child is ready or not to stop breastfeeding, as there is the bond between a mother and a child. Most women feel when their child needs to be weaned off. Still, there are specific signs apart mere feelings. If your baby needs nursing no more than 3 times a day, when it does not suckle a bottle, thumb or something else, you are welcome to wean it off the breast. Otherwise, try gradual decrease in time at the breast, nurse no more than 1-3 times and only then stop breastfeeding.

You may stop breastfeeding anytime you need and want to, season does not make difference. There exist certain risks at any season. Still, most doctors and lactation consultants recommend to avoid stopping breastfeeding in summer. Why that?

1. Loss of liquid. A child might need much liquid to fill in the loss. Meanwhile, not every child will start drinking from a mug.
2. Mother's breast milk is best in the heat. With breast milk, a child gets the substances that increase its immunity. In the heat, the amount of gastric juice and enzymes goes down, dyspepsia can develop easily, so, it is desirable to prolong breastfeeding till autumn.
3. Intestinal diseases. There are high risks of enteroideas in summer. Mother's breast milk can help to avoid any intestinal disorders. If your child has fallen ill and you are feeding it with a formula, resort to breast milk only, unless the child recovers.
4. Breast infections. In summer, there are also high breast risks related to milk stagnation in breasts, i.e. mastitis.
5. Extra stress. Stopping breastfeeding is stressful in itself which adds to the infections above.
6. Summer is the time for trips. People plan their summer vacations, meanwhile stopping breastfeeding far from home is not the best variant to choose.