Discouraging DS from demanding to nurse in public

[goldenpig]

Thank you for the helpful advice! I will have to work on teaching DS some nursing manners, sounds like you and other PPs were able to and it looks like this should make our nursing experience much better. I will try what you did, work on teaching restriction at home in controlled env. first to show DS that he cannot nurse just whenever he wants, but still will get his fair share when the time is appropriate. I often feel overwhelmed in public or in the car when DS is unmanageable. He is stubborn and I mean STUBBORN an will demand to get his way clinging to me and crying. I think easier to deal with this at home, but not so much at a public place and especially in a car with him stuck in a car seat trying to wiggle his way out. the problem is that he would not take alternatives pushing everything away. I'll just avoid any car trips until he is used to it.

Realistically though, will the sign language for milk and talking to a 14 month old be effective or would this only work when DS is older? He is not really talking much, has some words, but I don't understand 80% he is saying.

Oh yes, signing totally would help! My 15 month old has about 30 signs and 30 spoken words (with some overlap). I totally believe his early/large vocab is due to teaching him signs (I started signing with them around 6 months and they started signing back around 7-8 months). Most of my DS's spoken words aren't pronounced correctly (like "ee" instead of "key" or "boo" instead of "spoon") so if you don't understand what he's saying, signs help because he can either use them to reinforce what he is saying or just sign if he can't say the word. It definitely helps with cutting down on tantrums. One of the most helpful signs is "all done"--DS signs this when he's full so I know to take him out of his chair--he only cries if I don't. Or he signs "eat" when he's hungry, or "milk" when he wants to nurse. Oh, another great one--"wait". You can sign it and say it at the same time when you don't want him to nurse right now or whatever.

The Baby Signing Time videos are great, and the online dictionary that daisymommy mentioned. Also I used some books like this one:
Baby Talk by Monica Beyer
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Talk-Guid...8877538&sr=8-1
Whatever one you use, you should try to use one that is based on ASL like the Signing Time etc. (I think there is one called Baby Signs that is not ASL-based). You can start small and just try a couple signs at a time and gradually introduce new ones when he learns those. Try it--I signing with babies!

[DrSally]

ITA with pp about "nursing manners". Take what I have to say with a grain of salt, b/c I really never had demands for nursing in public past about 18 months, which was a good time for me to stop NIP (DS continued to 3 yo and DD to 2 yo). I guess we pretty much had specific times of day we nursed (although very flexible if needed), and tried to make sure the kids weren't hungry/thirsty during other times. Also, I've heard it's just like setting limits w/any other behavior, KWIM? There are boundaries you'll want to define and establish for yourself and your specific situation. In my case, DS had gotten into the habit of playing with the other nipple while nursing. When I got pregnant, I had to set very firm limits on him doing that b/c I was so sensitive. I basically told him that he needed to stop that b/c it was ouchie for me, and that if he did it, the nursing session would stop immediately. He stopped the nipple twisting immediately (but he was 2 yo, so he could full well understand what I was saying). I think it's ok to say no nursies at a specific time or with a specific behavior that you find bothersome (pulling shirt, etc.). IMO, not nursing is the strongest incentive for the child to change their behavior.