Encouragement needed!?

Question

How on earth do you continue to nurse an older baby? I've never made it past 9 months (and trying sooo hard to this time). Even though my baby is showing no signs of weaning any time soon, it's very frustrating to sit and nurse him. He is so busy twisting and turning. Biting and pulling. Trying to nurse in such odd positions...A little encouragement from the veterans of breastfeeding would be great!!

Thanks for all the great answers so far...
To all of you that suggested I nurse in a quiet setting with no distractions, This is the only way I nurse him...otherwise FORGET IT! lol
And as far as using a swing goes, he already weighs 29 pounds, so I'm thinking that won't work! :)

uh sling, not swing!

Answer 1

It's hilarious, isn't it? But also frustrating :)

Babies get to that distractable age and it's like an amusement park trying to nurse them!

Here's the deal: YOU are the boss. You make the rules, you decide what you are and are not comfortable with. There is such a thing as nursing manners and you can enforce them.

Decide what you are and are not willing to put up with. If he's biting and turning, stop the feed. Tell him he can try again in a few minutes. You can tell him the "Nurse nicely or you can stop nursing." After a certain age, I found that I HAD to hand baby a toy or something to play with while nursing.

Sometimes you need to compromise and limit the distractions: go into a quiet room, or lower the lights and the sound level.

As KellyMom says in the link below:
Be firm
Be patient
Be consistent
Wait it out!

This is just a phase, like the other phases before. It's actually a mark of trust! Your baby knows that you'll always be there for him, he can push his boundaries and try things because you're there! Now is the time to gently encourage nursing manners. The good news is that it just gets easier once you make it past this phase.

Answer 2

Have you pumped recently to find if your milk supply has decreased? He may just be frustrated that he isn't getting enough. If you find your supply is low an herb called Fenugreek helps with production, it was recommended to me by a lactation consultant at the local hospital, there is also an herbal tea, called Mother's Milk, which my friend says helps her keep up milk supply for her 10 pound newborns. When my babies get "animated" in their nursing it is usually a sign that my supply isn't keeping up with demand, or they are teething and their mouths just hurt. Oh, and sometimes about that age they decide that other stuff is more interesting, so I try to limit social nursing, and take him to his room to nurse, or somewhere else quiet, with few distractions. GOOD LUCK, and remember, he can sense your frustration, so as always, try to relax.
As for support, you are not alone. I've almost lost my milk with my two younger children. It's so hard and frustrating, I felt like I was failing as a mother because I couldn't feed my baby. I would have to just stop everything else for a few days, and just relax, focus on nursing my baby non stop, resting, drinking lots of water, and taking the Fenugreek. My milk came back both times, which I am gratefull for because I love nursing my babies. Many moms struggle with nursing in one form or another, but it is worth it as long as both mom and baby enjoy it. So keep up the good work!

Answer 3

My daughter never had those problems, she was always happy to be nursed, we'd just go sit in an out of the way, quiet place and go to it. My son, on the other had....very distractable. The only advice I have is to just reduce the distractions as much as possible. Even if you have to take yourself to a seperate room where nobody else is and lay down. He'll outgrow it soon and then it will be easier again.

Answer 4

That's awesome that you're still nursing a 9 month old. I could never make it past 4 months. Once I went back to work, my supply just dropped to nothing. That's about all the encouragement I have to offer. Good luck!

Answer 5

It did get to be difficult once she reached the restless stage, but I found the most productive moments were those where she was a bit tired but not overly, lying in the dark with no noises to interrupt us. That worked the best. I made it to 13mths with her but it was a bit of a struggle at the end to contain her wiggles. It was impossible if there was anyone else in the room, that is for sure! Good luck, and try to continue! The first year is SOOOO important for them to be breastfed.

Answer 6

Yep, that's a fun stage - not! They do eventually learn to settle down and nurse nicely. Nursing in a sling can sometimes help, as it limits the wiggling somewhat. If there is a La Leche League group in your area, they are a great source of help, support, and encouragement. Hang in there!