If you don’t want to breastfeed, nobody has the right to force you to. It doesn’t make you a worse mother. Mother’s milk is best for the baby, but there is no obligation to breastfeed. Then what to do with breasts full of milk? How to stop lactation and how to feed the baby? Let’s try to figure it out.
Why Don’t I Want to Breastfeed?
The reason for giving up breastfeeding can be a serious illness, but not only. Not every woman has to be satisfied with being constantly “tied” to a baby. There are women who are embarrassed to breastfeed for months, often in the presence of other people or in public places, since they consider this process too intimate.
Many women are also discouraged by the biology of breastfeeding. The very physiology of feeding and the need to be available to the suckling baby at any time. As they say, they feel bad, reduced to the role of a “dairy fabric.” The mother can be encouraged to breastfeed but cannot be forced. And when a decision has already been made, it is necessary to help and provide (1) information.
Choosing the Right Baby Formula
Where breastfeeding is not possible, after consulting a doctor, a mother can give her infant an appropriately adjusted baby formula. It is worth remembering that cow, goat, and sheep milk are not a substitute for human milk or European baby formulas. The model for creating such products is, of course, human breast milk. In addition to the basic nutrients, baby formulas may also contain oligosaccharides, probiotics and prebiotics, fatty acids, and other substances that naturally occur in human milk. Make sure to check with your doctor and your baby’s pediatrician to choose the most suitable product for your baby and its nutritional needs.
Important! Breastfeeding promotes the formation of an emotional bond between mother and child. You will be deprived of this possibility if you decide to bottle feed, but you can also do a lot to make these moments of closeness and tenderness for both of you. When feeding, look your baby in the eye, talk to it tenderly and hug it. Also, in other circumstances, show your child your love as often as possible.
Ways to Stop Lactation
Whether you choose to breastfeed or not, your breasts will produce milk. Lactation will gradually decline, but not overnight. It usually takes around a few weeks. A woman’s body produces milk when there is a demand for it, but when it disappears, the milk production stops.
If you do not want to breastfeed, do not put your baby to the breast, and do not express milk. When you have a lot of it, gently express a small amount so that you feel relief in your breasts. When the breasts are very tense, and you feel lumps under the skin, you can gently massage the breasts with your hand or a warm shower. Note: the water cannot be too warm or the massage too strong because the effect of these actions will be the opposite. (2)
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