How to Explain breastfeeding

[StillPraying]

I have a 3 year old little girl....she loves babies and is very excited to be a big sister. Today we were talking about how she could help mommy take care of baby sister and she said "don't forget bottles to feed her!" It hadn't dawned on me before that all of the babies she's been around are bottle fed....not to mention her baby dolls as well. Any ideas/suggestions on how to explain breastfeeding?

 

[Munchkin30]

Hey you xx we spend lots of time talking about how the baby will drink milk and I just explained that babies drink milk sometimes out of bottles and sometimes out of boobs! If I ask her where the baby is she now points to my tummy and if I ask what my boobs are for she says 'hot milk for baby'. It's led to embarrassing conversations in changing rooms about whether daddy's have hot milk in their boobies. Why they have nipples etc!! You can get bresstfeeding dolls but inevitably once she sees you Breastfeeding she'll start Breastfeeding them anyway. I always find total honesty works well. My dd has watched episodes of call the midwife and knows exactly where baby's come out of. They just accept it all!!!

 

[rosegarden620]

Honestly? I just say it pretty blunt and factually.
1. Mommys breastfeeding
2. The babies getting food from mommys boobs.
3. You did it too! For a year and a half.
4. It's what your breasts (or boobies) are supposed to be for.

My six year old asked me yesterday, "how do your boobies make the food"

That one threw me off lol ! And all I could think to answer was "your brain knows to make it. Your body is an incredible thing!"

I'm very frank, yet humorous with my children. I know a lot
about the body and think it's very important to answer anatomy and physiology questions factually and break it down to a kid science.

And that's my MO 😅😅 hope that helps!

My nine year old is just very aware and takes it as the norm. When SHE was three and her little sister was born, I broke it down the same way.

 

[northern_me]

My 6 year old seems to have the general understanding that breastfeeding is the only way to feed a baby, but she didn't get that from me. I ended up bottle feeding her she to medical issues after she was born, so it's not like she remembers it. She told OH the other day that he couldn't have a baby because he didn't have boobs, haha! Nevemind a uterus! So she's pretty prepared to witness it, I think.

Just be straight up and tell her that mommies feed their babies just like cats or puppies or other animals do, that's what breasts are for and she will probably just take it as gospel because it comes from your mouth.

 

[misspriss]

DS still nurses, so he knows what breasts are for. He also had bottles when I was away so he may remember that as well. I'd just explain it that mommies make milk to feed their babies, and it comes from their breasts. There are good books that have pictures of other animals feeding their young and mommies breastfeeding.

 

[SarahBear]

Just matter-of-factly. "Oh, our baby won't need bottles; bottles are for babies who don't nurse. A mommy's body makes milk for the baby, so our baby will drink milk from my breast." I'd then show videos of nursing on youtube. My daughter is 2, nurses still, and has never used a pacifier, yet she also has similar ideas about babies. I've talked to her about how both pacifiers and bottles are used instead of nursing and that we won't need them because our baby will nurse. It's a little easier for her to get since she still nurses, but you can use similar conversations and also explain that your body will make milk, and show her videos so she has an idea of what to expect.

 

[Mrsmitch80]

Aww I have 2 girls already, the eldest was almost 3 when my second was born and remembers me breast feeding, expressing etc so when I recently dug my pump and bottles out she didn't bat an eyelid. She's nearly 6 now and thinks it's very funny how my boobs have got much bigger and happily tells everyone that it's because they're making milk for our new baby. My youngest is almost 3 now and she 'feeds' her dolls with bottles but knows that mummy will use her boobies to feed our baby.

I'm very careful not to teach them to be judgemental about bottles as my eldest was fed breast milk for a short period before moving to special formula as she was very poorly at birth and I know how bad other breast feeding mothers made me feel with things that they said. I would be devastated if she unwittingly said something that made someone feel like that. They both know that there are a few ways to feed a baby in the same way that some babies have dummies, some don't and some come out of a cut in your tummy and some come out of your front bum!

Just be open about it xx

 

[mummytobe_93]

I would just say your baby sister/brother will be feeding from mummy's boobies that's where mummy's milk comes from.

If she's ever seen cows feeding from their mum or kittens etc yiu could explain through that?

You could also just say some mummy's choose to feed milk from a bottle instead or something like that x

 

[LovemyBubx]

My DD is almost 5 & right now doesn't know what breasts are for, she has seen mine when im in the bath etc & has commented that mine are big & her & daddy don't have them.

I think I will just say some mummy's put milk in a bottle & some mummy's feed them with milk that they make (like animals) that's why mummy & other ladies have bigger ones then daddy/men

 

[kajastarlight]

To be honest - I was really worried about this when DS2 came along sence DS1 was only 20 months old. I worried he would want to breastfeed too or wouldn't understand what was going on! (I was not able to breastfeed him at all) I explained to him before DS2 was born that some Mommy's fed babies from bottles and some fed them from breasts and he didn't seem interested in the conversation at all. He actually just nodded and said "oooh is that right?" Kinda like some people do when a toddler babbles something at them that they can't understand lol.
What would I do if he asked "why" I fed baby that way and then I told him that it was the best food for baby and then he asked if he could and then I would.... IDK!! (No offence what so ever to long term breastfeeders! I am not saying 20 months is too old to breastfeed - I am saying it would be weird for ME to start breasfeeding a kid at 20 months when he hadn't ate that way sence he was 1 week old) Would I telll him that he couldn't and he would be hurt that I said "oh ya, its best but you can't have the best...." Would I tell him he could but then he wouldn't be able to do it right and it would just be strange for me? Or would he bite me not knowing he shouldn't?? Heck, would I even be able to breastfeed DS2 or would it be like it was with DS1? I was very troubled for months!!!
Then DS2 came around - and I was albe to breastfeed him just fine. And DS1 saw me doing it and asked why and I said because it was the best food and he said "huh, OK" and off playing he went!! After I started pumping in preperation for DS2 to go have visitation with his dad DS1 asked me what it tasted like and I pored him a little cup and he drank it and said it was good and never mentioned it again. All that stress for nothing! LOL

 

[StillPraying]

Thank you ladies for your responses. I really felt honesty is best, just unsure of how not to confuse her. I nursed her for 14 months., but I don't think she remembers lol. I work full time so during the day baby will have bottles with the sitter which is nice because then she will be able to feed her too. she is very clever so I'm curious to see what questions she comes up with. ...but I agree with how the majority of the ladies who responded did they were just frank with them. Thank you

 

[Hopefulk]

Our lg is 2y3m and stopped bf at 20months - at the time I told her there was no more milk and that there would be no more milk unless mummy made another baby. At 24 months, we told her we were expecting and she said "more mummy milk?"! So slightly different to your situation but I do think they take it in their stride.

Did you bf her? Can you show her photos? Or watch online? We have a great book called 'my new baby' and it shows new baby being bf. it doesn't have many words but that is great because what is written is often a question and the pictures spark discussion.

Our lo (now 27 months) tells anyone who will listen "mummy baby in tummy. Mummy make milk baby. My nipples no milk. Daddy nipples no milk - no baby in tummy. Me drink cow's milk. Me big girl" She has seen other babies drinking from a bottle and I tell her some babies have special baby milk in a bottle and she's also fine with that so I'm sure your lo will be fine with an alternative, too x

 

[Feronia]

I agree with being honest and factual. Kids are able to pick up and understand so much more than we give them credit for. This wasn't an issue for my 2-year-old daughter as she's still breastfeeding, but we prepared her for labour and birth since we planned for her to be there (and she was -- it was brilliant)! We showed her birth videos, talked about what would happen, what sounds I would make, what it would be like when the baby came out, etc. She understood it all -- even the function of the placenta and cutting the cord, and she did so well.