Four More Reasons Women Start Weaning Breastfeeding (Seven Reasons for Weaning Breastfeeding continued)
If you are a mother who feels or notices that you are not producing enough milk to meet your baby’s demand, you may choose to wean. If you would like to continue breastfeeding, though, try to see if your milk production will increase by continuously emptying your breasts in each feeding session or through pumping. Emptying your breasts completely sends signals to your body that your breasts have to produce more milk. If this method doesn’t work, try any of the natural milk producing remedies discussed in chapter four. You can also consult your doctor first to see if anything is the matter, and if they can prescribe anything for your problem.
Similar to not being able to produce enough milk, some women have medical conditions or reasons for not being able to breastfeed for long or not being able to breastfeed at all. Reasons beyond your control or that give you no choice but to wean may be saddening, but you do have many options. You can discuss the best possible formula milk for your child, including combinations with other foods.
You can also choose to purchase breast milk from some clinics or milk banks which specialize in breast milk storage. The milk in these banks is donated by mothers who have an abundant supply of breast milk. This way, your baby can enjoy the benefits of breast milk even if you are unable to give them your own milk.
A sixth reason for wanting to wean is if you are pregnant with another child. Many women choose to wean for this reason because they want to prepare themselves for the new baby. Other times it is because they are worried about their older child drinking colostrum again around the seventh month of their pregnancy. It is perfectly okay to continue breastfeeding an older child while pregnant, and in fact, you can breastfeed your older child and your new born together (see tandem breastfeeding in chapter three.) If it makes you more comfortable to stop, though, then that’s okay, especially if you’ve breastfed the older child for longer than six months.
The final reason for weaning is because your child has come of age, either by your opinion or by theirs. Yes, some toddlers do go up to their mom’s and say “enough is enough.” Weaning an older child can be very difficult, and it can also be very easy. Sometimes children get very attached and comforted by breastfeeding and don’t want to give it up, while other times they want to assert their independence and try new things. It is very rare to have a toddler who is still exclusively breastfed because they will have to begin eating solid foods to help fill their stomachs and meet some nutritional needs, so this scenario is also rare though it does happen.
Next Article: When to Stop Breastfeeding or Start Weaning
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