So I am stressing a little about how to keep my soon to be 19 month old entertained while I nurse my infant. I remember when DD1 was nursing in the beginning, it could take 30-45 minutes at a time. How am I going to keep her out of trouble for that long, multiple times a day?! My husband usually leaves early and gets home late so that's not really any help. If there are things I can do now to prepare her for those stretches of time without me being right on her, please share!
We have a P&P in the living room so I could use that some but definitely not every time I don't think if I'm being realistic. We also don't do TV except maybe when I get a shower....so maybe 15 minutes a day.
Do you find yourself on a "distraction routine" for your toddler with each nursing session? I want to plan ahead with some high interest stuff she'll like if I can.
Re: Do you have a "schedule" for entertaining the older while nursing?
TTC#1 for 19 months with PCOS and MFI IUI#3 + injectables = BFP!!!! Beta#1-134(13dpiui) Beta #2-392(15dpiui)
#1 born December 2011
TTC#2 - Beta #1 -51@10dpo Beta#2 -1353 @16dpo
#2 born May 2013
TTC # 3 June 2014 BFP 12-1-14
#3 born August 2015
#4!!!!!!! due June 2017
I tried to feed the baby while dh had breakfast with the toddler so she started the day with some undivided attention (which maybe won't work for you). In the early days, I set us up in a different room each time where she could play and there were a few things I could do one-handed. I was trying to avoid monotony for her so she wouldn't feel I was always feeding the baby in the glider and unable to play with her. So, we'd be in the nursery, her room, the living room. And, I would feed the baby while she ate lunch.I had a few new toys at the ready in case I'd need ot pull them out, but never really did
I also got us out of the house every morning. I nurse on demand, in theory, but with 2 sometimes I would squeeze in a feeding if the toddler was occupied rather than wait.
Yes she likes books but doesn't have the patience for me to really read to her. SHe wants to flip pages too fast and gets mad if I want to finish reading. Instead I've tried helping her find things on each page.
The moving room to room idea sounds pretty good...
I've seen an idea for this on Pinterest! "Nursing Box". Basically a shoe box, plastic storage box, whatever, filled with a few books, quiet activities for the older sibling to play with only when mom was nursing the younger baby. Not going to work 100% of the time but it's a nice idea.