Breastfeeding... squirrel!!

The distracted breastfeeding stage... I would say that I miss it, but I would be lying. It is a hard time to have a breastfeeding baby. And it typically starts around the age of 3 months and continues for some babies until they wean from breastfeeding.

A dog is talking to a man and getting distracted by a squirrel

Signs of distractedness:

• Baby whips their head around towards any sound or movement.

• They may latch and unlatch often during feedings.

• Distraction could lead to a baby needing to feed much more often due to smaller feedings, or even less weight gain in extreme cases.

• They may do "gymnurstics" and move around or wiggle a lot while staying latched.

• They may forget to unlatch before whipping their head around, causing what I like to call "Go-go gadget nipple."

Inspector Gadget cartoon using his spring legs to jump high

Unfortunately, these things can cause some nipple soreness and be quite annoying! Luckily, there are some things to try to keep your baby focused on eating and less on the things happening around them.

• Offer each breast twice, for 5-10 minutes each. This will increase the milk flow.

• Hold a large picture book where the baby can see the pictures while feeding. You can describe the images or read the book during the feeding.

• Do as many feedings as possible in a dark room with no distractions.

• A position like the koala hold can help your baby see around the room more while feeding.

  
  

• Have a couple of soft toys your baby can play with while feeding. Try only to give your baby these toys while feeding to keep them new and fun longer! Make sure they're soft so that your baby doesn't hit you with something hard!

• If someone needs to speak to you while breastfeeding, have them stand over your shoulder where your baby can see them.

• Wear long necklaces that your baby can play with while feeding. I love the silicone teething necklaces for this because they have a clasp that will open if your baby tugs on the necklace too hard. You can find examples in my blog post that have my Amazon favorites. They're in my "feeding rehab" list.

  
  

  

  Child waving at the sky

  Happy breastfeeding!