Abrupt or sudden weaning is the same thing that often mothers do for their babies. It is such kind of unusual situation for both mother and baby (when you quick end of breastfeeding.) According to the experts, there could be a lot of unusual situations that insist you to wean your baby.
Breastfeeding is a totally deliberate decision for mothers; she is fully free to decide whether to continue breastfeeding or wean cold turkey. Somehow sudden weaning may affect both mother and baby, but in some medical emergence, it is essential.
After weaning, you will see a point to transition off breastfeed and switch onto milk formula. Particular ages are recommended for different milk formulas. Some parents go to the bottles, whether a few choose sipping cups.
Anyways this informative article will going to share a lot of essential information regarding “Switching baby from breastmilk to formula cold turkey” with possible ways to carry and many more.
Switching from breastmilk to formula what to do?
According to some experts and my research here we have some key points to apply in sudden weaning.
1. Never rush
Undoubtedly you have made breastfeed period so lovely, but now this is going to be end soon. Before planning, make sure that your rush can make both of you irritate, so you have to be calm. Personally, I have made hurry with my boy and later saw a lot of misconceptions.
You may start your weaning period by introducing a bottle in the evening and distribute feed in different portions. This way, your baby will have a great chance to adjust without breastfeeding, and breasts will not produce any milk further.
If your baby would not go to the breastfeed, then stop cold turkey will be a great idea.
2. Use a portable breast pump
Physically breasts will take some time to get in the previous position so, in the starting days, mothers may feel tenderness or tightness. To get relief from heavy breasts using a breast pump is such a cool option.
Do not use this pump frequently; otherwise your milk producing process can be long. Too much breast pumping will signal that to produce milk (which obviously you do not want.)
Only use this pump to get relief from pain or heaviness. Haakaa breastfeed pumps worked great for me. They need only a simple attachment with breasts, later they will make your breasts lighter. There will be no need for pressing nipples once you attach that pump with breasts.
3. Wear tight bra
An adjustable or loose bra means too much breastfeed, so that always try to use a firm bra. I can understand that a loose bra helps mothers to feed their babies in an easy way, but for weaning, we have to admire tight bras.
This time you have to ignore your comfort-ness until your feed gets end. Breast pads are also a good match for leakage; use these pads after soaking in cold water.
4. Use icepacks
Cold pads helped me a lot when I was “Switching baby from breastmilk to formula cold turkey.” Normally bras produce heat that generates milk production while cold icepacks give relief from soreness stop producing milk.
You may simply experience breasts without milk by using icepacks. Frozen cabbage leaves or icepacks both will work the same when it comes to the production of breast milk.
5. Blocked mastitis or ducts
The blockage of some ducts is highly responsible for painful breasts. Often mothers do not wean due to this breast sore. After weaning, your breast can be tender and milky ducts can be swelling in size.
The warm shower works great and opens all the blockage of these ducts. Some experts suggest especially warm showers to all the mothers who lost their babies and cannot feed anyone. By expressing a little bit will release all the feed any make your breasts lighter.
Nurofen is helpful for pain and inflammation. It will never convert into mastitis, but there is always a risk. Seek any treatment when you see anything uncommon regarding breasts.
How long does it take to switch baby from breastmilk to formula?
The answer is divided into many terms, for instance, the age of baby, how long you have been breastfeeding for, and many more. For me, 3 to 5 days can be the worst for weaning cold turkey.
By distributing things, you may expect 2 to 3 weeks for complete settlement. Anyways days will pass and turn into year though do not worry at all. This is not going to be too long as much you are afraid.
Causes for sudden weaning
A few circumstances are responsible for sudden weaning, including health emergencies. Although in some situations, weaning is highly ignorable. As I already concluded that breastfeeding is totally a free will of mothers.
As a mother, you may consult your health provider in order to get help regarding weaning purposes. According to my research some common reason for sudden weaning could be;
New treatment
We have certain criteria for different treatments. Some prescribed drugs are not suitable for babies for that mother wean their babies. Often doctors own suggest weaning before prescribing a new drug that may go wrong to the baby’s health.
Baby’s safety should be on your prior so that before taking any new medication, please have a table talk with your prescriber. Such types of cancer treatments (chemotherapy or radiation) and chronic disease do not allow you to breastfeed your baby.
Surgery or prolong sickness
Obviously, mild sickness allows mothers to breastfeed their babies, but what about prolonging sickness or hospitalization. Obviously, a sick body will never produce health breastfeed, so it would be better to wean your baby when you are being diagnosed by a health curious disease.
Before having a surgery weaning baby is a must; otherwise, you may face some critical situations. On the other side, if both mother and baby are sick, then continue breastfeeding will be helpful to recover the baby’s health.
Separation of mother
Child separation is a bitter situation that a few mommies experience in their lives. There can be hundreds of reasons behind child separation, such a military deployment, and other job journeys. In some uncommon situations, the mother won’t be able to feed again whether some mothers use pumps to maintain their supply.
Child separation can be challenging for both mother and baby, but if it is possible, then send your feed to your home. I know this can be hard for mothers, so the majority of moms skip breastfeeding and switching baby from breastmilk to formula cold turkey.
External pressure
Criticism is always painful for women, no matter if this is from her partner or by someone else’s. Often mothers cannot tolerate external pressure due to their other duties, so they wean their baby instead of breastfeeding.
The external pressure can be any type of, like some babies are addicted to breastfeeding. Due to addiction, the mother won’t be able to do other work, so she might switch the baby from breastfeeding to mil formula.
Another conceive
Pregnancy is such a blessing that God gives to women, but it is hardly challenging, especially when you have a little one and expect another. For some mothers stop breastfeed to their younger baby is not necessary; although they continue breastfeeding to both babies.
Nevertheless, breastfeeding in pregnancy may cause uterine contraction when you are at high risk of miscarriage. However, weaning is a good choice that protects your baby from premature birth.
For my time I fed my girl at 6 months of pregnancy later my doctor suggest me to wean.
Switching baby from breastmilk to formula cold turkey (complete procedure)
Of course, weaning should be a gradual process, but what should you do when it comes to a sudden prior?
Anyways below, you are going to know some authentic and helpful techniques for switching from breastmilk to formula newborn cold turkey.
- If the baby is one year or less, then substitute bottle formula for breast milk. It will help your breasts to reduce milk production all the way.
- If you have a toddler and he is not taking a bottle easily, then a sippy cup is a good alternative for this purpose. He/she will learn a lot of new motor skills by taking sips of milk from another object. It will give complete independence in order to fulfill her tummy.
- Purees made with a blender are incorporative for the baby’s diet. Additionally, the food processor also takes an important place in the weaning process.
- You may try purees with breast milk and serve it to the baby; surely this method will foreign baby.
- Within six months, give solid food to the baby as per the quantity of breastmilk.
- Sudden weaning will be easy for you if your baby is already on night weaning.
- A nutritious diet like fish egg, meat, and fruits will maintain your baby’s health after weaning. For switching on milk formula, please take a table talk with a child expert surely, he/she will guide you excellently.
Changing from breastmilk to formula side effects
Steady wean allows a baby to adjust slowly on a bottle with milk formula or other sources of nutrition. By gradual weaning, your baby does not lose her comfort at all and gets all protection from mother milk.
On the other hand, when you decide to wean suddenly, then it may badly affect your baby. Sometimes babies refuse to take bottle feed instantly, especially from mother; though try to feed your baby by another person (father.)
Sudden weaning can be a difficult period for both mother and baby. It all depends on the age of a baby. Newborns and infants will easily adopt bottle feed, whether older babies will hardly adopt bottled milk.
Mothers will need a lot of effort to understand their baby that it is all stopped now. Their formal feeding has ended up, and they have to feed some other things now. Sudden weaning often makes babies sad, fussy, and angry, but you have to be strong anyhow.
Keep in mind that sudden weaning may be more likely keeps baby sick so, you have to continue this process under the supervision of a health provider.
Breast milk is full of antibiotics that secure newborns, infants from a lot of health issues. It is why sudden weaning may increase the risk of respiratory problems, ear infections, skin rashes, and many more.
