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Home › Articles › Issues for Mom › Breastfeeding More Than One

Breastfeeding More Than One

Make Nursing Time Special for Everyone

By Lisa A. Goldstein

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Expect Delays
Experiencing difficulty with the older sibling is only natural. "The older child may just want to see if her needs are met, so the sibling may test her mother and see if her mother will get her whatever she needs," Aken says.

This is what happened to Shane Grant of Buffalo, N.Y. "When Oliver was first born, Andrew turned into a little devil the minute I would sit down to nurse, throwing my makeup all over, anything to get my attention and stop nursing to chase him," she says. "What I had to do was nurse in an enclosed, safe area like our play room – as opposed to my bedroom – where Andrew's toys are." Andrew still tried to get his mother's attention sometimes, but because he was in his play area, there was nothing he could damage – just toys. When Mom stopped reacting to his behavior, it stopped; Andrew was no longer getting a response from Mom.

Aken recommends explaining to the older child that you will do something together once the infant is on the breast and eating. Planning a special activity at breastfeeding times will help prevent resentment. "I find that older children really feel left out and want to know that they are important," she says. "Once the older child feels they are not being ignored or abandoned, they will usually behave OK."

If you're unable to set up an activity before breastfeeding or need both hands with the infant, explain to the child that when you're done nursing, you'll do something together, says Aken. "Now in that case, it is very important to make sure that you follow through with the activity or else when feeding time for the infant rolls around again, you can rest assured the sibling is going to give you grief," she says.


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