@kbamomma33 it is usually pretty much constant with my newborns too, so honestly my first thought is that they just get used to it. Really quickly. Like, by a couple weeks in each of my girls grabbed the nursing pillow and a doll and got to work. My older daughter was traumatized by it at first - she ran away screaming every time I nursed DD2 - but it was short-lived. Seeing Mom nurse openly on the couch while she watched all the TV and movies she normally could not became her new normal (for the first three months).
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@kbamomma33 - @ladythrice has great suggestions. You'll also be amazed at how good you get multitasking when you BF. I would sit DD#2 up on a bobby to BF and then I would read DD#1 a book or i would "color" with her or do other one handed activities. I tried to time snacks for DD#1 around some BF times too. Then we'd all have a snack together (mom, baby and big sis).
@mountainsmama I let my 2.5 year old help out a lot which helped with the transition. She would get the diaper out of the basket, hand me creams, hold baby, "read"/sing/talk to baby, etc. I don't know if that philosophy works for all kids, but it worked for mine quite a bit.
My H also enjoyed that it gave him more 1:1 time with our oldest. When BF (specially) DH is defiantly limited to what he can do to help. Since my attention was more geared towards the new baby it gave him the opportunity to really bond with our oldest in ways they hadn't before. He took her on dates (aka. MCD's and Home Depot run) and just took her with more than he would have if I wasn't preoccupied.
My DH and I also worked out a shift schedule. However since I was BF I didn't want to introduce a bottle that early so during his shift he would get up get baby, hand her to me I would (almost sleep) nurse then pass her back to him he would do diaper change and put her back to sleep. I am loving these ideas of how to entertain my DD during feelings! Friends of mine have also said they used way more baby wearing feedings with their second.
@aabbaby babywearing feedings also saved us! I couldn't nurse DS at all while wearing him... It was just too difficult for me to figure out. I'm not super well endowed, nor super tiny, smack in a middle range size and I felt that made it hard to nurse while wearing him. Well, with DD, I just had to figure it out. I became a pro at nursing in a SSC and we regularly went on walks, to the park, to the jumping gym, etc so DS could run out his energy, and I'd chase him around wearing DD, nursing the whole time. We even hit up Disney Land when DD was 10 months old and she nursed and slept in our Tula the entire time we toured the parks. Figuring out how to nurse in the damn carriers was amazing for us!
DS: EDD, December 19th, 2014. Born, December 19th, 2014! DD: EDD, July 18th, 2016. Born, July 19th, 2016!
Re: Transitioning to a bigger family: tips, tricks, words of wisdom
I tried to time snacks for DD#1 around some BF times too. Then we'd all have a snack together (mom, baby and big sis).
@mountainsmama I let my 2.5 year old help out a lot which helped with the transition. She would get the diaper out of the basket, hand me creams, hold baby, "read"/sing/talk to baby, etc. I don't know if that philosophy works for all kids, but it worked for mine quite a bit.
My H also enjoyed that it gave him more 1:1 time with our oldest. When BF (specially) DH is defiantly limited to what he can do to help. Since my attention was more geared towards the new baby it gave him the opportunity to really bond with our oldest in ways they hadn't before. He took her on dates (aka. MCD's and Home Depot run) and just took her with more than he would have if I wasn't preoccupied.
I am loving these ideas of how to entertain my DD during feelings! Friends of mine have also said they used way more baby wearing feedings with their second.
DS: EDD, December 19th, 2014. Born, December 19th, 2014!
DD: EDD, July 18th, 2016. Born, July 19th, 2016!
Baby #3: EDD, April 16th, 2016