How did you explain breastfeeding to your toddler?
ByMy son just turned three and we are expecting again in 6 weeks and he has been asking me what his baby sister will eat? I told him that she will drink milk for the first few months and he asked me what kind of milk? So I told him it a special kind of milk that mommy will make and ended the conversation then and he was okay with that for now. I am nervous about when he actually sees me breastfeeding what he is going to think and how to explain it to him.
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4 Comments
April 23rd, 2010 at 8:12 am
Be honest, explain how the breast makes milk. Go to the web and get a video or images of the inside of how the breast is constructed.
It’s nothing to be ashamed of, it’s natural and amazing. Present it as such and he’ll see it as it is. It’s only adults who are freaked out by breasts, kids haven’t been around long enough to form such judgments.
Also, don’t be surprised if he wants to taste it. Don’t get weird about this, just express some into a glass for him to taste. If you don’t he will feel the baby is getting preferential treatment and thereby setting the stage for unnecessary rivalry.
April 23rd, 2010 at 8:16 am
be open and comfortable about it with him. My four year old sees me breast feeding mt 4 month old and says, shes drinking her milk mommy? I say yes and then he goes on about his business. They are curious and protective, let them know shes ok and then they are fine with it.
April 23rd, 2010 at 8:42 am
Take him to the zoo and allow him to observe other mammals feeding their young and use that as a way to explain how babies get nourished from their mommies special milk.
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:10 am
Well, my son wasnt’ quite three years old when we had our second baby
I just told him mommies have special body parts that let them feed babies.
The milk that your sister is going to get is going to come from mommies ninnies. (what we’ve always called them, you of course can say breasts or nipples or whatever you want)
And then when she came, I made sure I let him watch me feed her.
And answered any questions he had.
I didn’t make him feel uncomfortable or anything.
Which I have heard many new moms tell the older sibling, oh don’t watch me feed or don’t look at mommy.
I don’t think that’s right