Nursing a Distractible Baby

Around the age of 3-4 months and beyond, it’s very common for babies to become distracted by the world around them. They may pop on and off the breast, nurse for very short periods of time, and every little noise and sight draws their attention.

1. Avoid schedules, if possible — offer unrestricted access to the breast, even if it feels like your baby just fed a minute ago. Keep in mind babies this age may nurse for just a few minutes…but fairly frequently. Short, frequent feeds can become the norm so feeding on cue and even sometimes offering the breast BEFORE your baby shows feeding cues, can ensure they get all the milk they need.

2. Use a teething necklace or other small toy your baby can play with while nursing.

3. Nurse in a dark room, away from distractions and other people.

4. Focus directly on your baby during some feedings. Sing songs, play finger and toe games, and provide entertainment while your baby nurses.

5. Try breastfeeding while gently bouncing on an exercise ball.

6. Try different positions, especially nursing while lying down.

7. Avoid bottles when you and your baby are together. It’s tempting to offer a bottle because you just want your baby to eat. However, this can further discourage breastfeeding and even lead to early weaning. When you are apart from your baby, have your caregiver use baby-led bottle feeding techniques and a slow-flow nipple that encourages better feeding habits. 

8. Continue to nurse to sleep, at nap time and bedtime, and overnight.

The baby who is experiencing FOMO is much more likely to want to nurse for longer periods when they’re drowsy or asleep. Overnight and early morning feeds are also when babies typically receive their largest volume feeds.

Babies unwilling to latch are often more relaxed when they’re skin-to-skin with you in a warm bath and may latch while in the tub co-bathing. Babies who also have a lot of stress or trauma around breastfeeding can benefit from a co-bathing experience. Just soaking for a few minutes skin-to-skin can help bring down stress levels for both of you. And in the relaxed, low pressure environment, sometimes a baby who has been struggling will finally latch. Have someone help you with this activity. Once you’re comfortable in the warm bath, have your support person hand you your baby, letting them float supported by you in the warm tub. Place your baby against your body facing you with their head on your chest. You may find they begin to root and latch.

You and your baby will spend all day only skin to skin in bed or lounging. Enjoy spending time with your baby that is stress free. Offer the breast, but never force it. Feeding is not always the goal here. Creating a calm environment for your little one where the breast is accessible and is a safe place to be is what we want to achieve.

Skin-to-skin contact releases oxytocin, known as the love hormone, increasing the bonding experience between you and your baby. As oxytocin increases, cortisol, the stress hormone, decreases. Oxytocin is the hormone responsible for milk release. Even past the newborn stage, when skin-to-skin with your baby, you and your baby can better relax and encourage milk let down.

Movement is crucial for babies. When they are skin-to-skin, it stimulates the specific part of their brain to move toward the chest and find your breast. Using their reflexes, they continue to wiggle and crawl until they reach the nipple, latch on, and begin to feed. During the latching process, they will gaze up towards your eyes and start the social interactions that teach them they are safe and emotionally supported. 

• Baby cries less and can calm down faster. 

• Raises oxytocin level responsible for the milk ejection reflex.

• Increases bonding between mom and baby. 

• Allows your baby to use their sense of touch and smell more easily during latching.

• It helps older babies who have had latching difficulties have latching success. 

• Touch input to the brain drives movement and makes neural connections.

• Repetition of skin-to-skin further strengthens muscles working together and their patterns for latching.

Babies of all ages like movement. Wearing your baby in a carrier facilitates an upright position for latching and allows you to have your hands more free to help your baby latch deeply. In a sling, you can walk around letting your baby be soothed by your movement which is a great time to offer the breast for feeding.

Older babies love the new point of view from being closer to your eye level. Slings are not a one size fits all situation. If your baby or you aren’t comfortable with a carrier you have, your IBCLC or local babywearing expert can help match the right sling to you and your baby.

It’s normal that your supply may begin to decrease as your baby begins to eat more solid foods. It’s a transition, so it’s usually gradual and not a sudden shift. It also matters what you want your continued breastfeeding journey to look like. After the first year (or so) your breastmilk shifts from being the primary source of calories and nutrition to complementary to other foods. This can take away some of the stress for some moms. Older babies often get more nursing time during the middle of the night compared to during the day. They’re busy exploring and may nurse for just short times during the day but make up for time during the night. This may also boost or maintain your supply.

You may also benefit from addressing any dietary weaknesses and/or endocrine issues. One mom with an older baby reported that she was developing some level of insulin resistance, so a lower carb (not no carb!) nutrient dense diet was helpful in restoring her milk supply. For others, it may be the need for MORE calories or MORE carbs. It's just so individual. Herbal galactagogues like Liquid Gold may be helpful during this time.

Know that no matter what you do, you’ve got our support. Some days may be better than others, but your baby is going through many changes right now. In just the first year, the brain doubles in size! Your baby’s brain is wired to pay attention to every little thing, and it’s hard to screen out stimulation. Lots of patience, loving support, and following your baby’s lead are keys to promote brain development and make sure your baby gets plenty of yummy breastmilk.