distracted while BFing

[sntm]

i know we've talked about this before, but am too busy/lazy/whatever to search for it. jack has for the past several days been super distracted when we try to BF. he seems hungry when we start and will nurse just long enough for me to let down and then wants to look around, sit up, etc. only BFs with focus when we are lying down together or before bed.

am trying the dark quiet room but despondent over the lack of portability this gives us. and of course, DH intoning "this is how he'll start weaning if you don't watch out" isn't helping. (he means well)

shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[houseof3boys]

Ryan is the same way Shannon. Even when we are lying down, if the dog walks in the room forget it he pops right off and wants to check him out. Some people say nursing necklaces help but I think Jack is like Ryan and would just want to yank it right off.

I don't have advice since nothing seems to work for us, but I have had to just be patient until he is ready again. When it goes on for more than a few minutes I will just strap the girls back in and we'll play again, read or whatever we were doing until he is ready to eat without the pop off game!

[flagger]

In the book, Denise talked about getting to know the back of her cars really well with both boys as she had to find the least most interesting place for her to nurse.

With Cocoa, when she wants to play, we stop feeding her. One other thing to try is to put away the taps when playtime begins and he might get the message to concentrate on the task at hand. Sort of the use it or lose it approach.

[mharling]

That's what we do too and it works most of the time. I figure the hungrier he is, the more likely he is to stay focused.

http://www.auction-pix.com/katasha/stuff/snowman.gif Mary & Lane 4/6/03

[bluej]

"In the book, Denise talked about getting to know the back of her cars really well with both boys as she had to find the least most interesting place for her to nurse"

LOL! Ryden finds this to be the MOST interesting place to eat! I thought we were never going to make it back from our trip home for the holidays. Ryden would give his hunger cry, we would stop, get him out of the carseat, get latched on and then the constant popping off and looking around would start. I'd give up, buckle him back in the carseat, travel 45 minutes and the crying would start all over again. And on and on it went!

As for everyday on and off again activity I just pack it all up until he's hungrier and more focused. Granted, this can be time consuming and probably not the answer you are looking for.

[sntm]

We did the car thing yesterday. Of course, now the cold weather is returning (brrr.)

I've been trying to just put them away and wait until he settles down to business but am leaking all over everything again and not thinking it is good for them to have the stimulation and then not be emptied (flashbacks to my bouts of mastitis).

How long does this phase last? Please tell me it's a phase????

BTW, Jack is amusingly "talking" in his sleep right now. Random noises strung together with occasional "baaaaahhhhs" and "gggrrrrrs". Very cute. Back to work (blasted grant).

shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[jmofarrill]

Shannon - I feel your pain! Anwyn often forgets to de-latch when she gets distracted. Add in her new tooth and more teething, and I feel like it's the first couple of weeks of bf'ing again. I had to pull out the Lansinoh the other day because of this.

She pops off when the cat jumps up on the chair, when the computer screensaver comes on, when dh talks, breathes, exists... *sigh* Anwyn is a watcher, an observer, so she feels compelled to put her attention on anything that moves. Meanwhile, I'm leaking all over the place... ugh. The dark, quiet room isn't doing it for us, either, for some reason. I'm heartened by seeing that many of us with this problem have babies around the same age range, so it must be the current phase.

I'll search the past threads to see what the recommendations are, but I have a sinking feeling that we're just going to have to wait it out.

[sntm]

Yup, that's Jack -- a definite watcher. They call him the little professor at daycare because he likes to study the other babies.

Let's hope they all grow out of it!
shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[COElizabeth]

James did the same thing. At every daytime feeding, he would suck until letdown and then look around and leave me to spray all over the place. This phase did go away, but it lasted some time, maybe a couple of months or so? To ease your concern, it was a little uncomfortable for me many times, but I never developed mastitis from this behavior!

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02