Read pregnancy articles and expert pregnancy advice. Discuss your pregnancy symptoms in our pregnancy community.

my iParenting

quick clicks: pregnancy today articles; pregnancy today q&a; message boards; research baby names; prepare a birth plan; content channels; ip channel rss feeds; read birth stories; read parenting stories; recommended books; e-newsletters; safety recalls; ip diaries; ip store; mom of the month; dad of the month; editor's letter; letters to the editor

From Our Sponsors

Get Pregnancy Information

Dinner Theatre

Breastfeeding the Distracted Baby

By Shel Franco

Pages: 1 2 3

At one time or another, every nursing mom has visited the "dinner theater." You know the place: when your infant won't breastfeed without pausing every other minute to take in "the show" around him. While the babies certainly seem to enjoy this leisurely method of dining, for most moms, it grows old very fast. And on occasion, the habit grows into a real problem, with baby struggling to latch on and even refusing to nurse.

Fortunately, experienced breastfeeding mothers have developed tips and tricks that you can use to help hasten final curtain calls for the "dinner theater."

As babies grow, some can't resist the urge to peek at everything new and exciting. They latch on for a few moments, then rip off when Dad walks by or when a sound on the television catches their ears. Not only can it take hours to get in a full feeding, but breastfeeding this way can really irritate Mom's nipples.

Kirsten Phillippe, of Seattle, Wash., started having trouble breastfeeding when her daughter was 4 months old. After several bouts of latching on and pulling off, Phillippe realized that walking sometimes helped. "I usually am successful [at getting her to eat] by walking around with her, usually in a sling, and latching her on that way."

Why does the sling work so well? Veteran parents know that babies like security. One of the first things new parents learn is how to swaddle their newborns. Just like swaddling, the form-fitting sling helps contain flailing arms and jerking legs, which can sometimes be a distraction.

Once the baby is distressed by repeated attempts to latch on, the issue becomes more about calming the child down long enough to get the feeding started. The security of a sling can help the baby relax and even become sleepy enough to latch on and stay on.

Pages: 1 2 3

Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to

Post As:

Enter your comment below:

Title

Comment Text

CAPTCHA

Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.

daily pregnancy info find out more

Enter your due date for daily updates about your body and your baby. To determine your due date, click here.

due date:

Prepare a Birth Plan

during delivery you have a lot going on

Use a birth plan to list your birthing preferences and choices up front. Share this easy to read plan with your doctors and nurses so they understand exactly what you want. Create, save and edit you plan as you see fit.
Start A Birth Plan Now >>

who are you?

we have specific content just for you!

SAH Mom Working Mom

SAH Dad Working Dad

Adoptive Parent Grandparent

Parent of Twins Special Needs Parent

what's in a baby name?

research baby names and find out! click here

iParenting has a comprehensive collections of baby names complete with their origin, meaning and what celebrities and other notable people have shared that name.

Advertisement