Helping Your Nursling Learn Breastfeeding Manners

Most breastfeeding children will, at one point or another, develop some nursing habits which are less than appealing. Perhaps your child pulls your hair or tries to kick your glasses off your face. Perhaps he insists on pinching your other breast as he nurses, or is extremely fidgety and takes forever to finish a nursing session. Whatever the behavior, it is possible (and perhaps even necessary) to begin teaching breastfeeding manners from an early age. Teaching breastfeeding manners will not only help make breastfeeding more enjoyable for both of you, but can open the door to teaching other manners later on.

Be realistic

Babies and toddlers go through stages in which they are easily distracted. For some, this stage may last for months. While it would be nice if your child could understand that there is a time for nursing and a time for playing, most babies and toddlers simply are not capable of filtering out distractions in their environment. As a result, the child may consistently break the latch, look around, kick and fidget, hum, or any number of things that disturb the breastfeeding session, which can result in a very frustrated Mommy. Instead of demanding that your nursling simply ignore all the interesting things around him, eliminate distractions by breastfeeding in a darkened, quiet room with few visual distractions.

It is also important to remember that babies and toddlers will need to be gently reminded of their breastfeeding manners quite often before they "get it." At this age, short-term memory is not a baby's strong suit, and he may forget a rule just minutes after he has been told. It is unrealistic to expect a baby to remember that he is not allowed to pull on Mommy's lip from one day to the next - he may need to be reminded every nursing session, or even every 5 minutes, for months before he can finally remember. This is normal, and simply requires some consistency on your part.

Be consistent

Babies and young children cannot understand "sometimes." If it is not ok to pull Mommy's hair, then this rule needs to be enforced every time. Do not allow your child to engage in unacceptable breastfeeding behavior "once in a while." Doing so will confuse your child, and he will be less likely to follow the rule in future situations. Good breastfeeding manners must be enforced every time, not just once in a while.

Be patient

As with any kind of learning, breastfeeding manners will take time to sink in. While it can be frustrating to tell your toddler "No pinching" for the third time in ten minutes, it is important to remain calm and patient in your reminders. A baby can sense your stress, and will be stressed in return, which can hinder the learning process. Take a deep breath, remind yourself that babies just need repetition and patience, and keep reminding your child of his breastfeeding manners. It will take more than a day or two for your child to consistently follow the rules without being reminded - it may take months, and even then the occasional reminder may be necessary. Do not allow yourself to get overly upset when enforcing breastfeeding manners. You will find that keeping your cool will make the entire process go much more smoothly for both you and your nursling.