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Success after IF
dana316
member
It happened again...Caroline asked to nurse
dana316
member
I was getting ready to nurse Parker down for the night. I sat down in the recliner, pulled my shirt up and my bra down while DH was putting on P's sleep sack.
Caroline climbed up in my lap and said "I want to drink milk from your belly". (She has bellies and breasts confused...she calls nipples belly buttons)
I didn't really know what to say, so I just told her that she was a big girl, and big girls drink cows milk in a cup...and that babies drink milk from Mommy's breasts.
She just looked really confused. I tried my best to explain it, but it made me feel so bad. I don't think she remembers nursing (she weaned at 14.5 months), but every now and again, she seems to be interested.
She pretends to nurse her babies in her bed, and I've seen her pretend to nurse her rubber animals in the bathtub. I had assumed this fascination would pass...but after almost 7 months, I'm not so sure.
I'm just going to keep explaining it to her if she asks, and use it as a teaching opportunity to normalize breastfeeding. I don't really know what else to do. WWYD??
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Re: It happened again...Caroline asked to nurse
I'd do exactly what you did
(and I've had several dreams about BFing lately...apparently its been on my brain!?)
I would do exactly what you did as well. I think she is genuinely confused and also a little jealous of Parker. FWIW, I nursed DD until 17 months and I think even 2months later she didn't realize what it was. One night she was having a terrible night and I decided to try to nurse her (I was dried up, but I thought it might comfort her). So I gave her my boob and she literally stopped screaming and look at my boob like wth? Then went back to her screaming.
I have two other thoughts but I'm not sure of them: could you offer to nurse her or are you afraid of what that might lead to? My gut tells me she wouldn't want to do it after attempting. I'm not sure she'd be able to latch but I don't know much about that.
The other is that maybe be more discreet nursing Parker - but I know you want to normalize breastfeeding. I just wonder if a child her age can understand what is going on. I'm not saying 'hide' it from her, but maybe make the startup less obvious. Something about this idea doesn't sit right with me - it solves the problem but I'm not sure I like how, if that makes sense.
Patrick asked too after I had Julia. I told him he could try but that when you get big you aren't able to nurse like a baby. He actually did put his mouth on my nipple and just as I thought, he forgot how to latch. He really couldn't do it. Once he realized that it was not like sipping on a sippy cup, he lost interest.
Maybe next time let her go ahead and try. She will probably realize that she has no idea how to do it.
Oh- and I even told him that the next time I pumped, I would put my milk in a cup for him. He thought that was a great idea until I put my milk in a cup and placed it in front of him. He crinkled his nose like I had put a cup of poison in front of him. Thanks buddy!
I think I'd do exactly what you did too!
Though you got some great advice here...
This. DD has asked several times and I've said sure, try. She doesn't know how anymore. She only asks when she sees my boobs so I anticipate having this issue more and more in the future. I really think its NBD, sort of like toddlers asking for baby toys or to sit in the bouncer or whatever.
She asked me for some pumped milk one day while I was pumping. I poured her about an ounce in a cup right when I finished pumping...the milk was still warm.
She got a big mouthful and apparently didn't like the taste of it and spit it all over both of us.
She was NOT impressed with Mama milk, lol.
She asked me for some pumped milk one day while I was pumping. I poured her about an ounce in a cup right when I finished pumping...the milk was still warm.
She got a big mouthful and apparently didn't like the taste of it and spit it all over both of us.
She was NOT impressed with Mama milk, lol.
Are you a fan of the leaky b@@b on facebook? If not try to ask over there. Its a very supportive breastfeeding group. I would make it clear in your post that you have weaned your daughter and you dont wish to tandem nurse.
Sorry I don't have any other advice.
Make a pregnancy ticker
I was *really* hoping that I could get pg while nursing and that Kira would continue to nurse through my pg such that we could tandem nurse, even if just once!, but alas she weaned in my 2nd trimester. I thought she might ask after her baby sister was born as it had only been about 3 months since she had weaned, but instead she just stared, LOL. Once she tried though, and the same thing happened as with Patrick. If I had any pumped milk I would have had the same conversation and I betcha the same thing would have happened as with Patrick too!
I think normalizing as you are is great, Dana. I'd probably word it to her that her nursing isn't inappropriate but it probably just wouldn't work! Good luck!
Our Thanksgiving Day baby 11/22/07
Pregnant with #2 with LPD, uterine polyp/hysteroscopy, DOR (AMH = 0.17), 2 c/ps
Our early Christmas present 12/9/10
Thanks for all the suggestions.
I think I'll just keep doing what I've done the last two times should the situation arise again. I really, really, really don't want to let her try to nurse...simply because I am beyond terrified that she would bite me. Parker is already starting down that road (he's teething) and my poor nips are not in good shape as it is...a bite from her might send me over the edge.
Considering the fact that I'll hopefully still be nursing Parker for another year or so, I'm guessing this is not the last time she will ask...but she loses interest in things so quickly, who knows??
DS1 asked to nurse again once so I let him. He put his mouth on my nipple, pulled away, and said "Yuck!" Pretty effective I'd say. He never asked again.
He also used to like to try to nurse his brother. His brother never enjoyed playing along with that. I think the curiosity is very normal. Maybe just try to add in some extra snuggle time with her if you think it is the intimacy she is after rather than the modeling of care giving.
LOL! This exact situation happened with us too. Jude wasn't interested in nursing but he wanted to try some "baby milk" like Luca. So he watched me pump some and I put it in a cup for him. He took a sip and shuddered and handed it back to me and told me he didn't like it. Hasn't asked for it since! I figured if he liked it, there were worse things I could give him if he wanted some in a cup every now and then but he just wasn't a fan! I told him he used to love it until he was 15 months and he looked at me like a was nuts.