Comments on: How to Teach Your Baby Nursing Manners

By: Toddler Nursing Antics : Breastfeeding 1-2-3 - Breastfeeding 1-2-3: A Blog for Breastfeeding Tips and Support

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:57:07 +0000

[...] I discussed How to Teach Your Baby Nursing Manners, I gave a rather tongue-in-cheek list of categories for “misbehaving” nurslings: [...]

By: Jessica Barnes

Jessica Barnes — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:09:15 +0000

My baby is 11 months old and is a biter for sure. I am 4 months pregnant and my nipples are too tender to deal with the pain. Everytime she bites i smack her hand and say no biting mommy, she just laughs at me and bites again. She has never taken a bottle or cup and i am so frustrated and dont know what to do!!!

By: Lauren @ HoboMama

Lauren @ HoboMama — Wed, 06 May 2009 04:34:28 +0000

Oh, my, I think my son’s run through the list. That was too funny.

My problem is that I can’t.stand.twiddling, but if I even touch his hand to move it away, he immediately insists on switching to the breast I’ve moved his hand away from. So we switch sides A LOT. Sometimes every few seconds. And he’s heavy, so when he’s lying on my lap, it’s a haul to swirl him around to the other side over and over. So if I’m trying to get him to sleep, I have to make the tough choice: ignore the twiddling, or have him jolt himself back awake by wanting to switch sides. Decisions, decisions.

Anyway, thanks for naming them all, and I’ve appreciated the hilarious comments as well!

By: Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:38:41 +0000

Katrina, happy birthday to your nursling! That’s great that you have worked on the nursing manners with him and that that has allowed you to continue happily to three and beyond!

By: Katrina

Katrina — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:39:35 +0000

My little guy will turn three tomorrow and is still going strong on the nursing. He has gone through many of the types you mentioned – he is still a twiddler in the morning (I keep an arm clamped over the unused breast) and a pretty good gymnast. He used to scratch or pinch or even try to pull my fingernails up, but thank goodness all that has stopped! He is a big touch person though and usually is pushing my clothes away so he can gently run his hand over my skin or worm his hand up through my bra. This is fine with me at home, but for nursing out in public (which I generally discourage now that he’s older), he knows that he only gets to nurse if he doesn’t push my shirt up so the world can see everything. I just have to remind him now and again and he’s very good about it.

By: Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:12:12 +0000

I’ve enjoyed everyone’s stories and suggestions! Love the Olympic Freestyle Nursing and the Safe Cracker LOL! Keep them coming!

By: Kristina

Kristina — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:55:12 +0000

Thank you for such an amusing and understanding article. I have experienced most of these and it does help to know that other babies and toddlers do these things too! My brother in law referred to his son twiddling as “the safe cracker” and that image always makes me laugh. LOL

By: Shawnna

Shawnna — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:10:57 +0000

“Olympic Freestyle Nursing” That’s hailarious!!

By: Jennifer Clark

Jennifer Clark — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:54:44 +0000

Oh my gosh – my almost-16-month-old daughter is EVERY one of those except a twiddler. Seriously. I am a die-hard advocate of breastfeeding, but even I have been getting tired lately of her antics. I have little scabs all over my breasts and rib cage from her scratches (and she did not care for the nursing necklace idea, unfortunately). I often have teeth impressions in my nipple – not from actual biting, but just b/c every time she gets a new tooth, her latch seems to change. But if I let her nurse too long, she will occasionally chomp down. She practically does gymnastics on my lap while nursing – I swear she would nurse upside down if she could. She has bad reflux, triggered by food allergies, which contributes to her “sipping.” I never knew how far my nipple could stretch, but she tries to take it with her every time anything catches her eye. And since she has a twin…well, there’s always something catching her eye. Oh yes, and her fingers…when they’re not digging into my skin, they’re poking into my mouth. She really does have bad manners!!

Love the article!!! Gave me a great laugh and now I don’t feel so alone!

By: Jake Aryeh Marcus

Jake Aryeh Marcus — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:13:02 +0000

I was so nervous when I read your title! I was afraid it was going to be about what others see when you are breastfeeding. I’ve never thought of these as “manners” before but that is a much nicer way of looking at it than I did – “the things that make you scream.”

My nursing years were over before there were nursing necklaces. Nipple twiddling was very difficult for me (and I had literally years of it). My solution was to wear nursing tops that allowed me to secure the clothing over one breast. There was often a bit of “paddy-cake” keeping the little hand from working past the covering. Other times I put a cloth diaper over the breast or layered a closed nursing bra and other covering. Glad to hear nursing necklaces work for people.

My name for the Gymnast was “Olympic Freestyle Nursing.” Seeing toddlers do it still makes me laugh.