Breastfeeding question!!! How do you breastfeed a newborn when you have another small child??

Question

I have a newborn & and 22 month old, I thought breastfeeding the 22 month old was difficult (she is weaned by the way) but it is 10 times harder to breastfeed the newborn and chase the 22 month old through the house esp. when my hubby is at work and im home alone. Would anyone like to share any tips??? Please!!!

For the person who said that I need to teach my 22 month old patience and discipline---you must not have any kids!!! to the person who suggested that I should pump the milk and put it in a bottle---you must not have kids either, that take more time and work than breastfeeding. And to the person who said that I should find something for them to keep them busy for 20 minutes---Breastfeeding takes way longer than 20 minutes. And its not just once a day its 8-10 times a day for 30-60 minutes at a time. I also cant just shove my 22 month old in a chair with snacks when I get ready to breastfeed--she would weigh a ton. Thanks for the comments from those who did/are breastfeeding.

Answer 1

I have 21 month old twins and a 5 month old that I'm nursing. I totally understand what you are going through. If my twins are acting up I just bring the baby with me. He usually keeps nursing and if not then he latches back on once I sit down. There isn't too much you can do besides just roll with the punches. Good luck!

Answer 2

I can totally relate to you. My children are 19 months apart (to the day, in fact!), so I was trying to chase a 19-month old around while nursing a newborn. It helped a lot that my mother came to stay with us for about the first 6-8 weeks. It also helped that the baby slept a lot, so I still got a lot of time to spend with my little girl (the older child). Try using a baby sling, like a Maya Wrap. You can learn to nurse in one of those, too, so that you will be better able to take care of your toddler. There is a "babywearer" group in my area that holds free classes for people who are interested in trying out different carriers and learning how to use them. You might want to look into it to see if there is a local chapter in your area. I put a few links at the bottom for you. Oh, and this is a perfect example of a time when it's okay to let your toddler watch a little bit of age-appropriate TV (try baby Einstein, BabyFirst TV, or Noggin -- no commercials!)

Good luck! It can be challenging at times to have two little ones under three, but soon your toddler will be able to help you out by getting things for you and becoming more involved.

Answer 3

Ok I have to disagree with everyone that told you to pump. You won't have anymore time to pump than to breqastfeed. As a mom that had a 20 month old and a newborn, I learnedto breastfeed where ever i was. Often I was on the floor with my younger son while I nursed my baby. Needless to say we managed. I nursed him for 14 months with no problem. Take time to have special things for the older one while you nurse the baby. We would read and sit together and enjoy some time that way. I was fortunate that I baby sat another little boy the same age as my older son and they played together often. Just relax and it will get better.

Answer 4

I am experiencing the same thing right now. I have a 6 day old, a 13 month old, and an 11 and 6 yr old. If my husband isn't home, I get my older children to keep the 13 month old busy while I'm nursing or I put him in his high chair for a snack, so far thats working for me!

Answer 5

i have 6 kids and breastfeed all of them .still breastfeeding my 7 month old.it is difficult to do the start with.but it does get easier.while you are breastfeeding .let her sit up there with you .let her feel like she is involved too.sometimes toddlers feel like mom isn't;t paying them the same attention you are paying to the new baby .so they decide they are going to make you by.getting into things a little more than they did before.sit down to breastfeed give your 22 month old a snack something she really likes.ask her to help you with the baby.when you need a diaper.ask her to go get it for you.when you are not breastfeeding.let you and your 22 month old do something together.something you all did before you had the new baby.try to set a schedule for breastfeeding i know it is hard but the older he gets the easier it will get.while your 22 month old is sleeping breastfeed him as long as he will eat.i wish you luck but don;t give up on breastfeeding .you know yourself how good it is for your baby .

Answer 6

I'm in the same boat. I have one son that will be 2 next week, and then a 2 month old little boy. My older son is enthralled by watching his brother eat most of the time. At least once a day he will sit with me while I nurse. I use that as additional cuddle etime for him. He is also quite independent though....so as long as I have potential hazards blocked off I let him go to town in the house. My house isn't very big so I know where he is at all times.

Answer 7

i dont think that you should try the bottle feeding thing as it will get in the way of proper breastfeeding.the best thing to do is start teaching your other child about the rules.find a nice game for them to play while you feed and envolve them in small tasks for you.t.v is a cop out there are so many other things a child can do.explain that you are giving food to the baby and they will soon learn but it is new to the whole family so be patient with it you will soon addapt thats what us woman are good at.it is true that it is not uncommon for toddlers to start breastfeeding again and this can do your child no harm it will help you to produce more milk and can bring you all close but that is up to how you feel about that.good luck and well done for breastfeeding it is the best thing for your child.

Answer 8

your other child will probably be trying to get your attention when you are feeding the baby. you have to remember, the older child has had your attention his or her whole life, and now has to adjust to you sharing your time (and usually the older sibling is only getting about 30% of the attention, as well all know newborns need alot of time)

Maybe you could try reading the older one a book while you are feeding the baby, to help him/her feel included.

Make sure you take our some "special time" to spend with the older one, to minamise the impact.

What about getting him/her to help you with the baby??

Dont you have a place where your child is safe to play in by herself while you're feeding??

As a last resort, you could put the TV on Just while you are feeding?

Good Luck... I will be facing this one soon, although my kids are 6 and 3 so will be easier!

Answer 9

I've had a 3 yr old, been responsible for watching a friend's 3-month old all day, and my own newborn girl. I breast fed both my own and my friend's baby since the friend didn't use formula either. I know it sounds weird but we were roommates and it just worked.

There's nothing easy about all this. You get exhausted till you want to sit down and cry. Try and get any sort of help you can for babysitting the older child.

The only thing I could really do was to put the toddler in her room, which was baby proofed of course, and basically lock her in for the time I had to feed the others, this is of course only if she was acting out and not playing nicely on her own. She learned that it was better to play quietly while mommy was feeding the babies than being given that "time out" in her room.

Good luck and keep reminding yourself, they'll outgrow this stage and you'll get your life back.

Answer 10

Get a wrap or sling and learn to feed in that.

Get a chair that you can nurse comfortably in, and a table that you can reach, and a chair for that table for your child. Find some games, books, etc that you can play one handed while nursing. ONLY use these while nursing.

Also it is VERY common with your toddler wanting to nurse again, it is up to you, but there is nothing really wrong with letting him/her. Remember in most of the world babies nurse until age 4 or older and the WHO says you should nurse until at least age two.