Once you have more than one child, you will find yourself in situations where you will have to nurse your baby in front of his/her sibling(s). When that time comes, your child(ren) may have questions concerning breastfeeding and if you’ve never dealt with these before, they may make you feel a little uncomfortable or nervous.
I’ve now had four children and answered innocent questions for each of my three oldest when a new baby joined our family. From having my oldest daughter at the age of two declare to a room full of people, “Brover eats boobers!” to dealing with my current three year old exclaiming that our newest son got his nursies by “biting Mommy’s nipples!,” I’ve had some experience in this area.
Here are my tips for handling older siblings while breastfeeeding:
Breastfeeding and Older Siblings: How to Answer Their Questions
- Be honest
I believe the best approach to answering these questions is to be truthful and answer factually with as little information as is age-appropriate. Young children, in particular, do not care about the science and technicalities behind how breastfeeding works. They just want to know what’s happening. In our home, I simply state that this is the way that God designed for babies to eat. That has worked with all three of my older children. - Be relaxed
Breastfeeding is natural. Don’t get uptight and uncomfortable when your children become curious or when they are nearby while you are nursing. Normalize it by being matter of fact and unfazed. If you are more on the modest side, you can still utilize a nursing cover while explaining what is going on underneath it. - Be inclusive
There’s no need to shoo your children out of the room while you nurse the baby. Let them crawl in bed beside you and chat. Read them a story while you are nursing. Cuddle them. Make them a special basket that you only bring out for them to use with you during feeding sessions. - Be patient
Questions may oft be repeated. You might have to explain things several times or in different ways in order to fulfill the persistent curiosity of a child. Don’t become frustrated. Just calmly answer the questions as best you can and eventually they will cease.
It’s really not complicated. Breastfeeding is a beautiful, healthy, and normal act. If you are confident and relaxed about it, your children will follow your example. It will be as natural to them as Mommy tucking them in at night.
Questions are natural and normal. The more nursing is normalised at home the better prepared children will be when seeing it in public as well, and know it’s the way babies were intended to be fed when they have children of their own.
I totally agree!