Over the past few months I have been posting readers' questions on our Facebook page and have been blown away by the fantastic advice and support you have shared. The downfall with Facebook, though, is that eventually the terrific advice will work its way down the wall and succumb into Facebook oblivion, never to be found again.
Well, that's just a travesty!
So, here is what we're going to do....
Each week I will post a topic and question (or maybe a few!) on the San Diego Breastfeeding Center and The Boob Group Facebook pages. At the end of the week, I will collect all of YOUR fabulous breastfeeding mama advice and tips and place them into a blog post, which I will share the following Tuesday! Now your breastfeeding expertise and support will be documented and saved for moms to cherish and learn from, even years from now!
So, let's get started.....
'Help a Mama Out' Topic of the Week:
Tips for Breastfeeding the Distracted Baby
What's Your Best Advice for Nursing a Distracted 8-10 month old Baby?
Gina: Strap toys to bra, like the kind with a loop for a play gym or use a nursing necklace.
Kat: Different things worked for my daughter at that age. Sometimes I would nurse with a cover so she wouldn't get distracted by the environment. A nursing necklace sometimes helped. Sometimes I would sing a song so she would only look at my face.
Yolanda: I sing, hmmm never thought to clip toys to me lol.
Melissa: Nursing/teething necklace. TONS of patience :-)
Christine: My daughter (who's now 10 months, not a lot has changed since then) loved to hit, pinch, and slap me so I would simply take her hand and hold it and talk to her. Talking to her seems to help her focus because she has one thing to focus on, my voice. I also will position her upright straddling my knee to nurse so she can somewhat look around while she's nursing and then she feels like she's not missing out on all of the way cooler things than eating lunch. Or simply latching her and standing up to walk around with her so she can nurse and still look around at all of the would-be distractions. I find it's better for her to nurse in busy areas where she has lots of things to look at in those ways than nursing in a quiet, dimly lit room because then she'll just do the "fake sucks" and try really hard to listen to noises outside.
Michelle: Dark room and soothing music
Kara: A quiet, out of the way - darker room! From about 7-10 months my first nursling required no distractions whatsoever!
Jennie: Go in a dark room:)
Ria: Read them a book and hold it up so they can see the pictures. Or keep a pile of toys just for that time, toys with different textures and and colors. Works for us.
Katie: In a room away from others/TV...use a nursing necklace.
Kathy: I always started playing with my son's hands. I would rub them, fold them into a fist, etc. Now he plays with my hair the whole time! :-)
Jessica: I tap on my daughter's leg or arm gently and that helps keep her focused.
Tammy: Tapping the bottom of her feet. All of mine went through periods (just days) where they were not as interested.
Jeni: I found hanging a toy off a necklace helped focus him back towards me and then he played while he ate.
Jona: Patience; reducing distraction by nursing in a quiet, dark room; breastfeeding when baby is sleepy.
Amy: Babywearing! I'm relearning it 1st hand with my super distractible 9 month old.
I put him up in a front carry and it helps immensely. Otherwise even in a calm environment he's too busy checking it all out. Wearing him is my saving grace every day and some days the only reason he gets a good milky feed in the daylight hours. I'll stand by it now and forevermore as the 2nd best parenting tool!