Alternatives to nursing in public

[@llli*m.mangai]

I do nurse her before going out.Last week I went to meet a counseller at college. I nursed her before we left the parking lot and we were there in line for 20minutes .She was on baby carrier and the minute I reached his desk she started asking mlk mlk pulling my shirt. There were so many people who can clearly understand what she is saying.Its just when she is bored she thinks nursing will get my attention. She doesn't understand if I say wait.She keeps pulling the shirt till I feed her. And she thinks its funny to do that b'cos my DH and DD1 laughs hysterically when she does that.

Thanks for all the suggestions
Mangai

[@llli*joe.s.mom]

I do nurse her before going out.Last week I went to meet a counseller at college. I nursed her before we left the parking lot and we were there in line for 20minutes .She was on baby carrier and the minute I reached his desk she started asking mlk mlk pulling my shirt. There were so many people who can clearly understand what she is saying.Its just when she is bored she thinks nursing will get my attention. She doesn't understand if I say wait.She keeps pulling the shirt till I feed her. And she thinks its funny to do that b'cos my DH and DD1 laughs hysterically when she does that.

Thanks for all the suggestions
Mangai

Yep, I think Joe asks to nurse in public sometimes because I'm paying attention to other people (heaven forbid! ). If I pay attention to him in other ways, that often helps, but then I can't pay attention to the people I'm trying to visit with! I think boredom/attention nursing is the trickiest to address.

[@llli*sixyearplan]

It took time, but I would delay, distract, offer other fluids or food. if we were gone a long time she needed to nurse somewhere after a few hours when she was tired. Now at two she doesn't NIP unless she is hurt or something and doesn't ask at all. She makes up for it at home.

[@llli*babygirl05]

I do nurse her before going out.Last week I went to meet a counseller at college. I nursed her before we left the parking lot and we were there in line for 20minutes .She was on baby carrier and the minute I reached his desk she started asking mlk mlk pulling my shirt. There were so many people who can clearly understand what she is saying.Its just when she is bored she thinks nursing will get my attention. She doesn't understand if I say wait.She keeps pulling the shirt till I feed her. And she thinks its funny to do that b'cos my DH and DD1 laughs hysterically when she does that.

Thanks for all the suggestions
Mangai

Sometimes a snack can help in these situations. Or trying to make them feel like they are included in the conversation (as annoying as that is).

[@llli*tarantamom]

Sheesh
I didn't realise I was setting myself in for such a mouthful about how horribly wrong I am. I don't think biting is "absolutely intolerable", despite how you all are saying the disciplining is for the better of the relationship you're making it sound like the child is doing something malicious. My son doesn't bite hard, he has only once bitten very hard and I did put him down on the bed when he did that but only for about 30 seconds. I take him off the breast and tell him and that's all I feel is necessary because I don't feel like leaving him to cry and suffer when he's already in terrible agony and needs to be close to his Mama. That's WHY he's nibbling, after all.

[@llli*joe.s.mom]

I don't think biting is "absolutely intolerable", despite how you all are saying the disciplining is for the better of the relationship you're making it sound like the child is doing something malicious. My son doesn't bite hard, he has only once bitten very hard and I did put him down on the bed when he did that but only for about 30 seconds.

Joe DID bite hard, hard enough to leave toothmarks, and even so all I did was put him down and refuse to nurse for a few minutes. I know it wasn't malicious - he was only five months old at the time, but he learned cause and effect pretty quickly. Now he never bites me.

Nibbling or gnawing might be a different matter.

I only mentioned it because I don't want new moms to think that long term breastfeeding requires that you deal with your baby biting you. It's not that I thought you needed to do something you're not, but I know a lot of moms hear things like, "You'll breastfeed him until he gets teeth, right?" and the idea that children bite their moms can discourage women from trying longer-term breastfeeding. When I said it was "intolerable" I meant that no one HAS to tolerate it (well, also, I meant, wooo-eeee, it hurts! ). Not the right choice of words, perhaps.

[@llli*sixyearplan]

I am a huge advocate of nursing through challenges, but biting does hurt. My DD bit -with chompers - and drew blood. It hurt so bad I cried nursing her while it healed. And she went through a time where she bit out of boredom and for a reaction. So yes, I had to handle that firmly. I think the point is that you can be firm and still loving. And just because a behavior is normal and there is a developmental reason for it, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't work to stop the behavior. And for some babies, it means ending a nursing session for a while.

[@llli*tarantamom]

...It's not that I thought you needed to do something you're not, but I know a lot of moms hear things like, "You'll breastfeed him until he gets teeth, right?" and the idea that children bite their moms can discourage women from trying longer-term breastfeeding. When I said it was "intolerable" I meant that no one HAS to tolerate it (well, also, I meant, wooo-eeee, it hurts! ). Not the right choice of words, perhaps.

Misunderstanding *peace*
The one time O.O. did bite down hard it did REALLY hurt, and the gnarwing does too but I'm just trying to curb it through a bit of a gentler approach...and trying to calm his pain before it gets so bad too. When he has been really nibbly I easily too just pass him to his Dad for finishing off his feed with a bottle of expressed milk, and he didn't seem to like it very much. Not that he minds eating with Dad at all, he likes it just fine, but he HATES the interrupting of a feed lol (that old commercial I saw o'er there, the "don't bother me, I'm eating", springs to mind..) I've done it a couple times for my own relief but I may do it for a disciplinary measure in the future if it pans out to be effective when those #&@*%^ teeth actually cut through lol

[@llli*lsksam]

Might be a terminology thing. I don't see interrupting a nursing session because my LO is biting me (or doing other annoying and/or painful things) as a "disciplinary" measure but part of teaching my LO that their actions can (often unintentionally) be painful/harmful to others. I start teaching my LO when they are very young "gentle" or "soft" touches when they are trying to pet an animal or touch a plant or touch other people. Teaching them to stroke with an open hand instead of grabbing a handful of fur (or hair). So for me, teaching to be gentle while nursing is closely related. Even if baby isn't biting "on purpose" I do not need to accept being bitten. And yes I (and I'm sure others) DO offer baby other ways to soothe sore gums from teething.

[@llli*djs.mom]

Sheesh
I didn't realise I was setting myself in for such a mouthful about how horribly wrong I am. I don't think biting is "absolutely intolerable", despite how you all are saying the disciplining is for the better of the relationship you're making it sound like the child is doing something malicious. My son doesn't bite hard, he has only once bitten very hard and I did put him down on the bed when he did that but only for about 30 seconds. I take him off the breast and tell him and that's all I feel is necessary because I don't feel like leaving him to cry and suffer when he's already in terrible agony and needs to be close to his Mama. That's WHY he's nibbling, after all.

Don't feel attacked. That isn't what any of us are trying to do. But hear us. I was trying to get you do better understand WHY you were getting advice which based on your post, seemed to make no sense to you. Obviously your baby isn't maliciously biting you at this point. But IMO biting out of boredom isn't much better and your baby is only going to get MORE teeth. I have heard horrible stories of what women with older babies have endured due to NOT setting clear and firm boundaries early. That's it.

I am a huge advocate of nursing through challenges, but biting does hurt. My DD bit -with chompers - and drew blood. It hurt so bad I cried nursing her while it healed. And she went through a time where she bit out of boredom and for a reaction. So yes, I had to handle that firmly. I think the point is that you can be firm and still loving. And just because a behavior is normal and there is a developmental reason for it, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't work to stop the behavior. And for some babies, it means ending a nursing session for a while.

This. Exactly.