I am still breastfeeding my 16 month old (“STILL?! When are you going to stop?” Yes yes, join the line) and I started making a list of things she likes to do while nursing, that she never, ever did as a baby. Here are some of my difficult interesting moments:
1. Reach for the thing that is furthest away from her, whether it be a toy, a box or an envelope. Just how far do you think I stretch?
2. When she has a runny nose, nursing provides comfort, nutrition and a great place to wipe her nose. Lovely.
3. Lie back, relax and read/play while nursing and insist I press the toy’s buttons/turn the pages of the book. You want a bucket of popcorn with that?
4. Stick her finger up my nose/ in my eye/ into my mouth almost at the back of my throat. If you grow up to be a dentist or doctor, it was worth it. If not, stop hurting me!
5. Insist, insist, INSIST she has to nurse and as I’m getting positioned, she hears Daddy/Grandma/Grandpa/her toy puppy bark and it’s “Bye! See you later!!” Um, okay then….
6. Pull off and say “Hi!” to whoever is in the room/on the plane (on an 11 hour flight back from London, this happened a lot) and then relatch, and then pull off again and say “Hi!” and then… you get the idea. This isn’t a restaurant my dear, and I am not a waitress patiently waiting for you to finish!
7. Demand the breast she wants to nurse on. And then pull off and switch. And then switch again. Remember the days when we chose the breast they’d nurse on? Yep, it’s a distant memory for me too. I remember it fondly.
8. Try to eat a snack while nursing. This one actually makes me laugh out loud. As the snack gets closer and closer, she almost seems unsure if she should let go, or just try to eat and nurse. She then starts eating and wants to relatch but realizes it’s just not going to happen. It has to be one thing at a time. Bless.
Has your little one ever done any of these? What would you add to the list?
Cassie
Saturday 11th of February 2012
My 16mo old plays with my other nipple. If I have on a bra, he wants to put his hand in it. Makes nursing discreetly impossible.
Catherine
Saturday 11th of February 2012
lol, my 22 month does all of the above, and then some (play with the other side, then switch back and forth, all whilst playing with the one that he's not nursing from). When he's sick, he's back to newborn days, won't take any food, only nurses every two hours. My daughter nursed until 2 years and 3 months. At the end of her nursing (self weaned), she used act like she wanted to nurse, then she'd blow raspberries on the breast, then laugh, and walk away. I love nursing my toddlers, it's good for them, good for me, and makes for a good laugh.
Yehudis
Wednesday 8th of February 2012
My 18 month old, now 3 used to play with my belly button. Totally did the nose picking thing too! Oh, and he used to hum different songs to himself while he nursed. Have no idea how he managed that!
Emily
Wednesday 8th of February 2012
My 16-mo old can't decide if she'd rather nurse or suck her thumb. She goes back and forth, back and forth - just a few seconds on each. Then tries to do both at the same time and makes a weird smacking noise!
Jessica
Wednesday 8th of February 2012
I love this! And, the accompanying graphic? Golden! Great job, Ladan. I love reading about your adventures in breastfeeding a toddler.