hi everybody, well I'm almost 34weeks pregnant, and Evie is 2 1/2.

I plan to breastfeed my son when he's born. Evie's never been exposed to BF before simply because we don't have any friends/family with LO's or who have bf.

It's possibly really stupid that I'm concerned about this, so sorry if I sound rediculous. I'm going to at some point have to mention that new baby will feed from me, just so she's not shocked when theres a newborn suckling on me! and am dreading this. I know I will feel awkward even despite how young she is.

Obviously kids at this age are very accepting of everything so I know she will just take it in, but I also worry she'll be over curious/fascinated by this. I can totaly imagine her telling people on the bus "my little brother is going to have milk from mammys boobies" I mean, how mortified would I be! lol. As well as this I'm a bit nervous about once DS is here and actually feeding, I imagine Evie will be forever prodding and poking at me and being generally overly curious about my boobs.

Does anybody have any tips or stories to share to make me feel less weird about it all?

xx

Hi,

How about looking at some books/magazines with pictures of babies breastfeeding? Then you could casually talk about how the babies are having their milk from their mummy. My dd has a book called 'baby's catalogue' by Jsnet & Allen Ahlberg http://www.amazon.co.uk/Babys-Catalogue-Picture-Puffin/dp/0140503854 which has at least one picture of a mother breastfeeding in it.

hi there - this had me chuckling a little bit dunno why! Me and Max have had ridiculous numbers of conversations about this already would you believe mainly cos he is a bit into body parts at the moment and so when we change for swimming he is always asking me what my boobs are and what they are for! :roll: BOYS! so I have said they are for making milk for the baby and we have talked about how the baby will only have milk to start with - he finds this very odd concept! But i have no idea how he will take to it when I am actually feeding! Sorry that probably doesn't help as our conversation has just come up naturally which has been a fluke I wouldn't worry too much about needing to tell her about it before her brother is born as I am sure she will justa ccept it when it happens!

I have no idea lol. My dd is a lot younger (21 months on the 30th) and is obsessed with my boobs! When ever i get changed she prods them and stares... im not sure how she will react when she sees baby feeding as she only relates babys feeding to a "bot bot" (bottle) as that's all shes ever seen people do. Hmmmm.

I don't have much hope of bf though i didn't have much ,ilk last time! xx

Pepi only stopped breastfeeding when she was 26 months old,so now at 28 months she still remembers it clearly.She hugs me sometimes and says how much she used to love milk and is all smiles if she sees someone else breastfeeding their baby.
I explained to her that she drunk all her milk and the new one will be ready when the baby arrives in November,and that it will be for the baby only.She seems to be Ok with this,although once she suggested giving the baby Smarties and keeping the milk for herself.I do worry about jelousy or that she will feel rejected but tough a it may seem in her eyes she will just have to get used to it.But to be honest as the time passes,Im more and more relaxed,in the end she is not the first or the last toddler to go through this so Im sure it will be fine.
As for the comments,to be honest I dont think we will be able to escape them.I remember vividly my next door neighbours nine year old describing with fascination how her baby brother drinks from mums boobie...mind u we just moved in and it was our first conversation!Sorry not much help,but it is something I can relate to.

Hi there Linzi

I worried about this too, but needlessly as it turned out. My two girls were 3 and 5 when baby number 3 was born (she is now 9 months) and I was worried about how to explain it etc....

As it turns out, I didn't really say much to them beforehand and just started feeding. They were both interested in what i was doing and asked lots of questions for the first day or so, but after that lost interest as it became very natural for them to see me doing it. I just said that small baby's have milk from their mummies boobies rather than out of a cup/beaker like they do and they were more than happy with that.

I also had lots of their friends over at various times (of all ages) and also found that they weren't at all bothered either. Some didn't even realise I was breastfeeding at all, others asked a few questions, some just watched for a little bit and then got bored but because I was so 'matter of fact' about it, it wasn't awkward and they weren't phased at all. In fact, one little girl said that she wished her mummy was feeding her little sister with her boobs instead of a bottle!

I stopped feeding a month ago (at 8 months) and my 2 didn't even notice until the eldest asked me yesterday why I was giving lo a bottle - I had been doing so for the last few weeks. She was shocked that I stopped breastfeeding and she hadn't even noticed! Once it becomes part of a regular routine, no one will bat an eyelid. Good luck!
xxxx

None of my toddlers have been that affected by it to be honest. When i had my second my first was only 20 months old and i'd only stopped breastfeeding her 6 months before, she was interrested and facinated but just seemed to know what and why i was doing it. When i had my third my second was 21months and my first was 3 1/2 , My eldest wasn't bothered in the slightest after being exposed to it with her younger brother, but blimey 21 month son was transfixed the first few times he saw and wanted a turn which i casually allowed, he tried it once then wasn't bothered lol, Now expecting number 4 and still breastfeeding number 3 who will only be 15 months old when this little one arrives in november. I'm sure they will all be great. A good book i and other friends have found is "We like to Nurse" http://www.amazon.co.uk/We-Like-Nurse-Chia-Martin/dp/0934252459/ref=pd_cp_b_2.
Good Luck
Jo xxx

I didn't really prep Freya (3) for me breastfeeding DS. I fed DS, she said "What is he doing?". I said "He's drinking his milk from Mummy's boob. Mummy's boobs make milk for him". She just went, "Oh, ok!" and that was it.

We live rurally and were driving over the mountain a while later and there was a calf feeding from it's mum at the side of the road, and DD piped up "He's having milk from his mummy's boobies like Eefun* has milk from your boobie" and that seemed to be all she needed to know on the matter - maybe find images of baby animals feeding and explain that all babies can have milk from their mummies?

* This isn't my son's actual name, just how she says it!

when i have been doing night feeds i have thought about writing a boo for toddlers on just this and wondered if there would be call for it! the title was "what does my baby brother eat?" and would show pictures of animals feeding their babies etc. my friend has just stopped bfing her daughter at 24 months and told her that she gave all her milk to me to feed my dd!!!