How to wean without causing milk engorgement and mastitis

When a mother is weaned during the breastfeeding period, there will be lumps and milk knots in the breasts. This is mainly because the breasts have not been emptied of milk. The mother needs to drain the milk and eat some milk-reducing foods to promote milk withdrawal. Many breastfeeding mothers experience symptoms of milk engorgement and mastitis after weaning. Mothers need to shorten the duration of a single breastfeeding session and lengthen the interval between each breastfeeding so that their babies can successfully wean themselves off breast milk.

How to wean without breast milk engorgement?

1. Mothers should gradually reduce the number of breastfeeding times from 3 times a day to 2 times or 1 time. Excess milk should not be accumulated in the breasts. It should be squeezed out until the breasts are soft and there is no swelling or pain.

2. Lengthen the interval between feedings. Gradually increase the interval between each feeding to allow the baby to slowly adapt and the breasts to slowly adapt, thereby slowly reducing the secretion of milk, which is very helpful for weaning.

3. Shorten the single feeding time. Don't feed your baby for too long each time, shorten it gradually. This will reduce the baby's sucking stimulation and naturally reduce milk secretion.

4. Reduce the intake of high protein. Mothers should pay attention to eating less soup and milk-inducing foods, and must be careful not to eat fish, mutton and other foods rich in protein. Drink less soup and water, especially milk-producing foods such as chicken soup and fish soup. You can eat more leeks, hawthorn, etc. Eating a light diet can help reduce milk secretion.

5. After weaning, you should wear a well-fitting or slightly tight bra. This can not only inhibit the secretion of milk, but also relieve breast pain.

6. If symptoms such as breast lumps, local skin redness, and fever appear during weaning, you should seek medical attention promptly.

7. After successful weaning, mothers are advised to engage in appropriate physical exercise and do more chest expansion exercises to help the breasts regain elasticity more quickly.

The following 3 points will help you go through the weaning period smoothly.

1. Develop your baby's eating habits

It takes some time for the mother to develop regular eating habits for the baby, gradually increase the amount of complementary foods, and get used to drinking milk with tools (bottle, straw cup, etc.). When your baby eats regularly, with 3-4 meals a day and 600ml-800ml of milk, you can start weaning your baby!

2. Distract your baby’s attention

Take your baby to play outdoors more often to distract his attention! If the baby cries for milk before going to bed, let family members other than the mother coax him to sleep; when sleeping with the baby, let the father sleep next to him. It is important to emphasize here that weaning a baby does not require him to be completely isolated from his mother. This will make the little one feel that he can't see his mother without breastfeeding. This will not only increase the baby's need for breastfeeding, but also cause him psychological trauma. In fact, mothers only need to avoid the baby when the baby is crying for milk!

3. How to solve the problem of breast engorgement

My mother's breasts are swollen and hard as rocks, and they hurt. Don't hold it in. Allowing it to develop can lead to mastitis, which can cause the mother to have a fever. Therefore, if you experience breast discomfort during weaning, you should seek medical attention immediately. The doctor will give you appropriate medication to reduce milk production and relieve breast pain, making it easier for you to wean!

PS: Raw malt, hawthorn, Shenqu, and vitamin B6 can effectively reduce milk production. Mothers can use them according to their personal circumstances.