Breastfeeding around older sibs

[LittleIzumi]

Treat it as normal and they will to. They take their lead from you. This is your chance to imprint on them how to support their wives one day!

 

Good for you, and seriously, don't worry about it. If they think it is "gross" than this is a great chance to educate them that it certainly is NOT gross, and is how mammals feed their children/how God designed babies to eat. Your friend would have done better by using it as an educational opportunity, or at least on in manners (don't look women in the chest, look them in the eye), rather than covering up and confirming to them that it is gross.

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree: No covers here (I'd be much less discreet if I tried a cover--my kids overheat fast and scream at them, lol). My kids grow up just knowing that's how babies eat. Baby is hungry, you feed the baby. Tada! :tongue_smilie: It's not like we're half nekkid or anything. Just nursing. (This technique of just feeding the baby whenever hungry & not drawing attention to it one way or the other--because it's normal--also works on nice adults, I've found. ;) My brother who lives with us over the summers, our game night group, etc. Baby is hungry. Feed the baby. No worries. :001_smile:)

[Spock]

My newborn will be here in January and I plan on nursing. My two boys will be 7 and 8 when the baby comes. Does anyone have any experience nursing around school age boys? It just dawned on me today that they may want me to cover up at home after a neighbor friend mentioned her boys thought it was "gross". I never had to do that before!

How can I make it the most comfortable for them as well as me the baby?

 

My older boys were 6.5 & 7.5 when my daughter was born (and 7.5 & barely 9 when my youngest was born 16mo later). They never thought anything at all about seeing babies breastfeed or get their diapers changed. (One of my husband's sisters hurried her 3.5yo son away so he wouldn't see my daughter getting her diaper changed. She didn't want him to notice that girl parts look different than boy parts.)

 

I don't cover the baby with a blanket while feeding, because every single one of mine shoved the blanket away. I just chose shirts that could be easily lifted up for feeding, covering nearly everything that the baby's head and body didn't cover.

Edited July 6, 2012 by Spock

[Tammyla]

:iagree: And you dh's reaction will play a lot into their behavior.

 

Just do it as you normally would. If you treat it as the normal way to feed babies, that's how your kids will view it. If you treat it as something that should be covered up and hidden, that's how your boys will see it.

 

My boys were 10, 9, and 6 when we had our little girl. It was never even an issue. I did try to be modest about it, but I never actually covered her head or anything!

[Joanne]

I'm glad that the content of this thread is what it is.

 

I'm sad the thread "has" to exist.

[*********]

When I had Zee, dss was 6. I didn't worry about covering up at home then.

 

But dss was 9 when I had Moose. Dh mentioned it might be a good idea to cover up when dss was around, so I did.

 

Not because breastfeeding is unnatural, or gross, or anything else. But for modesty's sake.

 

When it was just me, dh, and Zee (who was 2 1/2) at home, I didn't worry about covering up. With anyone else, including my stepkids, I covered up.

 

See for me, it's not about being embarrased/ashamed etc; it's about modesty. And yes, I think breastfeeing is completely natural, and my boys know that's how the Lord designed mommy's body to feed baby. None of that makes showing my bre@st any lest immodest.

 

Just my $0.02.

[jennsmile]

All boys, 10, 7, &4. They are all fine with me feeding baby brother 4 months around them. No covering.

 

They aren't comfortable if they walk in and I am just out of the shower getting dressed, but nursing doesn't bother them at all.

 

The 4 year thinks it is the best time to hug and kiss his baby brother.

[Carrie12345]

I've never covered at home (and rarely in public... but I was much more exposed at home!)

Ds was almost 4, 5, almost 9 and 12 when the babies were born. It was never an issue.

[happypamama]

Ds was 6 when I had little dd. I did distract him for a moment when she was latching on but didn't cover up or anything after that. It was so normal to him that when I mentioned feeding dd rice cereal, he looked closely at my bOOks and said, "Oh! They can make that too?" :lol:

 

When I was at the hospital and getting ready to come home, the lactation consultant stopped by for a visit. She went on about how glad she was I was breast feeding and how great it was that I had nursed my other 2. Then she said, "And it's wonderful that you are teaching your son that breasts are for more than selling cars and chicken wings." :lol:

 

That is great! And your son's comment about the rice cereal is adorable!

 

I've been nursing pretty much continually for a decade, and my older children nursed until they were old enough to remember nursing. None of them has ever questioned a baby nursing, and it's all they know. They're somewhat of small lactivists. :) I never cover up at home or away, though generally, my shirt covers my breast so that nothing shows; if we're out in public, I'm more careful that the baby doesn't pull my shirt up, as he likes to do, but really, if there's a slight flash at home, eh, no big deal. I am pretty modest, but I do tend to treat normal things as normal, including breastfeeding. None of my older children has ever said that they thought it was gross; they just see that their baby is getting fed, and they're happy because he's happy. They think little facts about breastfeeding are really cool -- like, they think it's really cool that the flavor will change slightly, depending on what I eat, and they'll tell the baby stuff like, "you will get to taste that later when Mommy nurses you."

 

I hope my future DILs appreciate my sons' attitudes about nursing. My MIL nursed both of her children, so it was what DH knew, and I have certainly always appreciated his support and acceptance for nursing.

[swellmomma]

When I had Zee, dss was 6. I didn't worry about covering up at home then.

 

But dss was 9 when I had Moose. Dh mentioned it might be a good idea to cover up when dss was around, so I did.

 

Not because breastfeeding is unnatural, or gross, or anything else. But for modesty's sake.

 

When it was just me, dh, and Zee (who was 2 1/2) at home, I didn't worry about covering up. With anyone else, including my stepkids, I covered up.

 

See for me, it's not about being embarrased/ashamed etc; it's about modesty. And yes, I think breastfeeing is completely natural, and my boys know that's how the Lord designed mommy's body to feed baby. None of that makes showing my bre@st any lest immodest.

 

Just my $0.02.

 

I think you can be discreet and not expose your breast without fully covering up. I never covered up with dd4, would nurse her where ever she needed, and until she was over a year never had a problem with anything being exposed. Then came the age of her wanting to play with and lift my shirt as she nursed and that on rare occasions flashed the side still in the bra. Other than the first couple days working on the latch my breast was never showing to everyone. baby covered nipple, shirt would be pulled back down to baby's face.

[*********]

I think you can be discreet and not expose your breast without fully covering up. I never covered up with dd4, would nurse her where ever she needed, and until she was over a year never had a problem with anything being exposed. Then came the age of her wanting to play with and lift my shirt as she nursed and that on rare occasions flashed the side still in the bra. Other than the first couple days working on the latch my breast was never showing to everyone. baby covered nipple, shirt would be pulled back down to baby's face.

 

I think 'covering up' means different things to different people. Plus, we all know every mommy/baby combo is unique in how they nurse.

 

I didn't mean to imply that if one did not 'cover up' the same way I did, they were being immodest. The way you describe sounds perfectly fine for being at home to me. :)

[Wren5]

I think you can be discreet and not expose your breast without fully covering up. I never covered up with dd4, would nurse her where ever she needed, and until she was over a year never had a problem with anything being exposed. Then came the age of her wanting to play with and lift my shirt as she nursed and that on rare occasions flashed the side still in the bra. Other than the first couple days working on the latch my breast was never showing to everyone. baby covered nipple, shirt would be pulled back down to baby's face.

 

 

Now, see I think that depends on the person. I nursed all of mine and always had to use a cover of some sort except when alone, or with dh. I've got unabridged dictionary b00ks, and even with using my shirt and dc head as cover, you could still see at least a hand full of pages :blush: and they all wanted to "play" and look while they ate, if they could see me, so we were all better off if they ate "under cover" Always jealous of my friends who could just pop and feed anywhere without needing one of those blurry censor lines :lol:

 

On the other hand, I had a friend who was spastic about her boys seeing anything and she just about would have a heart attack if they even knocked on the nursery door (at church where some of us where nursing or changing diapers of baby girls) That totally freaked me out, as if teenage boys are gonna go gaga over some middle age woman and her baby or a dirty baby bottom!:blink:

 

All my guys thought it was perfectly normal, even if I did cover up, and sadly, I think they have all finally outgrown carrying their "babies" under their shirts :)

[PrairieSong]

My kids were 15, 13, 10, 8, 6, and 4 when our youngest was born. I nursed all of mine, so yes, LOTS of nursing with older kids around. I never wore a cover except in public, but not too much showed even at home. I wore shirts and pants mostly, and my nursing bras and baby covered up everything pretty well. I didn't worry about it. As the others said, it's just the natural way to feed a baby.

[higginszoo]

My boys were 4 and almost 7 when my youngest was born. I'm definitely in the 'that's what they're for' camp. A close friend's ds was about 5 when she was born, and always wanted an up close view when she was eating. (His mom is a LLL leader/LC, so no problem there, we all found it kind of funny really.) I always had to bottle supplement, so being right there also gave him a first spot in line when it was time to switch over, as the moms and kids in the group liked to pay pass the baby to finish her feeding.

[redsquirrel]

My friend had many children (boys) over a wide range of ages. She was very matter of fact about breastfeeding and never covered herself. Well, she also had acrobatic babies who kicked off any covering. One practically hung upside down over her shoulder. :lol:

 

Anyway, her boys have seen lots of breastfeeding, and they have all changed a lot of diapers, and walked a lot of babies.

 

Her boys are now some of the most respectful young men I have ever had the pleasure to meet.

[Mom-ninja.]

You make it comfortable for them by treating it as the most normal thing to do. They'll never bat an eye.

 

My older boys are now 11 and 8 and see breastfeeding moms all the time. They just don't even notice because it's so normal for them.

 

Btw, I never cover up at home. Ever. My sons see me topless a lot. Doesn't faze them at all. Then again, I come from a family in which topless women is the norm. If we still lived in Europe they would see topless women even more at the pool, lakes, beaches, etc. It's not a big deal to me. I don't care if my boys see breasts.

Edited July 6, 2012 by Kleine Hexe

[phathui5]

My older children don't mind me nursing the baby at all.

[Catherine]

It is not gross!! Don't listen to her. My eldest ds was 8 when my youngest was born and even though I nursed him for more than 3 years, eldest doesn't have any clear memories of this. It will be ordinary to them.

[Amy in NH]

Just do it as you normally would. If you treat it as the normal way to feed babies, that's how your kids will view it. If you treat it as something that should be covered up and hidden, that's how your boys will see it.

 

My boys were 10, 9, and 6 when we had our little girl. It was never even an issue. I did try to be modest about it, but I never actually covered her head or anything!

 

:iagree: Mine were 10, 8, and 3 when I had our daughter. It was never an issue.

[JoLuRu]

DS was 3 when my first DD was born. He still took baths with me, so there was no hiding nursing. He sat on the sofa next to me and pretended to nurse his stuffed dog!

 

He was 6 when babyDD was born this year and he hasn't thought twice about it. I'm not nursing topless or anything, but I don't cover up while at home. He will snuggle me while I nurse, kisses the top of her head, and is generally unfazed. If you don't make it a big deal, they won't make it a big deal. (I no longer let him bathe with me, though!)