A toy during breastfeeding?

Jbunny100 · October 2013

I recently looked at an article that said you should give your baby a toy to play with during breastfeeding now that he/she is preoccupied. I am wondering if anyone out there does this. My DS decided last night that hair pulling and pinching during feeding was the best toy. I told him "ouch" when he pulled the hair at which point he just looked at me and smiled. Lovely. Any ideas for keeping his hands on something other than my hair?

MrsG071809 · October 2013

I have seen those necklaces that are made for them to play with (that you wear), but haven't tried one. My LO likes to pull my hair or my shirt or whatever she can get her hands on too, I usually try to just hold her hand while she nurses and that seems to help. Last night I was reading a book while nursing her to sleep, and she was reaching completely behind her back to get a hand on my book while she ate, it was pretty funny.

lars1226 · October 2013

I give him a lovey or silky blanket while he's nursing. He likes to rub it between his fingers or on his face. I think an actual toy might too distracting for my guy, the lovey is enough to keep his hands busy but not too much to distract him from eating. Otherwise he has one hand pulling my hair and the other one ends up tickling my side.

SidraJedi · October 2013

I usually just give DD her blanket (used to be her father's) and she manipulates it in her hands or rubs it on her face or covers her yes with it if it is too bright. It works pretty well unless she is too distracted by something else.

Sometimes she wants to hold onto the toy she was playing with before we started nursing and that works out too. Or other times I try to comb any tangles out of my hair so she can run her fingers through it. I try to teach her how to do it nice, redirecting her hands or combing out my hair again if it gets uncomfortable. Sometimes we hold hands or she plays with my hand.

If she starts grabbing my face and it hurts I show her how to touch my face in a way that feels good and then we hold hands because she hasn't quite learned what I have been teaching her about that but I just give her the reminder and then hold her hand or put her lovie in her hand.

All this works out pretty well for us. I don't know that handing her a toy (even the same one) every time we nursed (not for a nap I'm guessing) that it would help her to avoid pulling on me uncomfortably or getting distracted. It's an interesting idea though and might work for some people.

Jbunny100 · October 2013

I started giving him a blanket to hold onto and that has helped SO much! Good note on redirecting his hand when he starts hurting me. I will try that next too.

Devbo18 · October 2013

Too funny, my son tickles my side a lot when he's nursing too! He also loves to pull on my hair or necklace. Maybe I should look into this necklace you're talking about, I just don't want him to think its ok to pull on necklaces. Oh the joys of nursing! Lol

Angela814 · October 2013

I've always given a blankie to hold while nursing. It helped with DD1 and DD2. DD3 just likes to grab my shirt and touch my face instead.

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