Dealing with Distraction and Breastfeeding

Gone are the days when I was able to do whatever I wanted while breastfeeding my son.  He used to just take in his milk while he enjoyed cozy snuggles with closed little eyelids, without distraction.  I used to be able to have a meal, read, watch something on the television.  It was great.  I am pretty sure that is the only way that I was able to binge watch Anne of Green Gables on Netflix.  Not that I did this all the time, because I certainly wanted to soak in all this sweet bonding and closeness as much as possible.  But we have logged a lot of hours breastfeeding.

Now, at 6 months old things are different.  He is so much more alert to all of the happenings going on around him.  He is interested in everything!  Which is so wonderful and amazing to see.  The progression in a baby’s development in such a short time is mind blowing.  However, this comes at some minor irritations when Daddy walks in the room and my son whips his head around to look at him, taking my nipple with, ouch!

I’m always learning on our breastfeeding journey.  That is a process that will continue to evolve as he grows and changes.  I’ve had to adapt and change to prevent as much distraction as possible. Some things that I’ve done so far to hold his attention have helped.

My baby boy just can’t seem to keep his hands still! They want to adventure all over the place.  As he explores he pokes and pinches and wrings my skin while breastfeeding.  In an effort to pacify his need for tactile stimulation I’ve become accustomed to either the 2 shirt style of nursing so that I have some clothing above him that he can play with, or I wear my silicone teething necklace. He loves to play with the fabric or the beads, so that helps. It doesn’t have to be silicone either, any necklace will do. 

Distraction is inevitable, the dog barks, daddy coughs, the doorbell rings…  Sometimes I am quick enough to un-latch him before he is able to pull too far away.  By heading him off at the pass I can save myself some discomfort.

Rubbing his back or stroking his head can help to calm his restless body.  My son is very active, he crawls around, climbs up on things, and loves being supported so that he can stand (he isn’t quite doing that on his own yet).  Sometimes just giving him the space and time to find calm is helpful.  By staying calm myself I am able to make sure that he doesn’t ramp up his activity level even more.

Other times, I know he is still hungry but he just can’t seem to commit to the effort.  He pops on and off, on and off, and on and off again.  It can become very frustrating, and my poor husband just watches me with sympathetic eyes.  When this happens we just take a break.  I’ll cuddle him in my lap, or let him sit and look out at the room.  We talk to the dog or he marvels at my water bottle while I stop to take a drink.  Within a few minutes his energy usually settles down and we are back to breastfeeding peacefully.

I am sure that as he grows and becomes more aware these challenges will only increase. But for now, one day at a time, one feeding at a time.

Disclaimer, this post contains affiliate links. No cost to you, no worries!