Help juggling a nursing infant and a toddler!

JuliaKL

I would love any suggestions you ladies have. I am so frustrated with nursing my infant and trying to keep my toddler happy. DH works in an ER so his hours are all over the place. Some days, evenings, nights. Ds1 is great but is 2 1/2 and during the day has trouble being occupied by anything but tv or the iPad while I nurse - and I don't like using them that much anyway.

Second, DS2 is six weeks old and fussy in the evenings and cluster feeding often. When DH is working, I can't just let him nurse all evening. I'm just so frustrated after another really rotten evening tonight and would love any suggestions! I know this too shall pass... But I'm ready to be at the point where it has passed and we have figured things out!

tokenhoser

If you can, hire some help or send DS to some childcare part time.

Accept that DS might get too much screen time for the next few months, but that it really won't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Do you have any family around? I admitted I was exhausted and asked MIL if she could come by some mornings (she works as a cook, so her hours vary a lot). And she did! I got some extra sleep, she gets to play with DS when he's the happiest. 

Managing expectations is really the biggest thing. Your baby is a baby and he needs to nurse. Your toddler is a toddler and those are trying little people sometimes. These are likely a few weeks you just need to survive. You don't have to be a perfect mom - just survive. Keep everyone alive and cling to the absolute basics to achieve that.

lals08

I also have an infant and a toddler and have the same problem. My infant is now 4 months, but still cluster feeds, and my toddler is 3. I also don't like to resort to the iPad or TV, but I do. What I do is have her play learning games on the iPad and she has to watch something like Little Einsteins on TV so that at least she is learning with that too. What I also do at night is read to the toddler while I nurse. Then we can sit together and the baby can listen too which also benefits her. Good luck!

nolongerdinks

I also have an almost 2 1/2 year old and a one month old.  I feel your pain!!!  It can be do hard to attend to DD1 while DD2 is nursing.  DD1 also always wants to hold baby and I have to explain that she has to wait until she's done eating.  I often have DD1 sit with us and we'll play games like "I spy" or we'll read her Higlights magazine.  They have a great toddlers edition.  She loves doing the hidden pictures and circling the things she finds.  Coloring has also been a good occupier!  Good luck!

jennylove1084

I've only found 2 things that work for us.

1. DS watches tv

2. I sit outside while DS plays w his toys.

If we are inside DS will get into everything he's not supposed to when I feed DD so it has to be the TV.  I learned that the hard way when he got a crayon and wrote on every wall in the house.  It's not forever.