Lactation Consultant

At some point in your newborn’s life, they will become distracted by the world around them, making it harder to concentrate on breastfeeding.  They may root and suckle at the breast, and then be distracted by a sound or other people in the room.  This happened when my daughter was around 5 months old, and I remember thinking it was really cute at first!  It was a wonderful sign that my baby was noticing and interacting with the world around her.  Though nursing sessions did take longer, I really enjoyed seeing my daughter unlatch and smile up at me with her big blue eyes.  It made me feel like I was bonding with my little one, and sharing something special.  My daughter teethed pretty early, and there were a few painful biting moments, but I tried to remain calm and not cry out, in hopes that she would not be surprised and then go on a nursing strike.  To combat breastfeeding distractions, I tried to nurse her in a quiet room, or cover her with a blanket.  That seemed to help sometimes.  I found that even singing to her sometimes caused her to unlatch and look up at me as if to say, “Mom, can’t you see I am busy?!”  

Ways to help distracted babies with breastfeeding:

1) Nurse in a quiet room, away from loud sounds and distractions

2) Cover baby with a light blanket or your shirt, making a warm cocoon

3) Wear a nursing necklace, designed to give the baby something to hold on to and play with (In my case, it was whatever necklace I was wearing or buttons from my shirt)