Bf'ing a toddler - unchartered territory

[FrozenNorthPole]

I have not bf a toddler before - DD1 was (still is) drinking expressed breastmilk from a cup by then. DD2 (15 months) however is an absolute milk monster - when I collect her from nursery she starts pawing me and by the time we are all home she is trying to undress me / bite through my top and bra. She's REALLY into her milk.

When she sleep-feeds she's an absolute dream - latches beautifully and stays put. However when she's awake and alert feeding seems to involve her wanting to keep my nipple in her mouth whilst she crawls around the room. She likes to sit on my lap and pop her head from one breast to the other every thirty seconds or so, talking to the breasts and fiddling with them as she goes ... she likes sitting next to me to feed and even tries to do it from behind me at times. I'm a 30G so at least there is some, um, flexibility about the angle and extension of my breast but DEAR GOD my nipples feel like they are going to be permanently stretched if this carries on. It's making feeding in public pretty hard (I'm a completely uninhibited feeder but even I draw the line at sitting in a cafe with both breasts fully exposed whilst she has a play - for a start I get cold). Is there any way I can try and gently put in place some nursing rules for my own sake? I feel selfish saying this because I've always fed her on demand, whenever she wants, no matter what, but maybe it's time for me to be able to say 'no' if she starts playing?

Any ideas appreciated - I can't get to a LLL meeting as I'm working full time and finishing my thesis so I know no-one still feeding their toddler.

And so the wriggling begins There are a few things you could try like asking her to keep still and then unlatching her if she keeps wriggling, or you could go down the distraction route and read a book or give her something to play with while you BF her. Loads more ideas here.

Don't feel bad about wanting to teach her to sit still and stop fiddling, it won't do her any harm at all and there's nothing wrong with asking her to wait either. That's one of the best things about BF a toddler, you can reason with them and say 'in a minute' or 'wait until I've finished MNing eating'.

Some LLL groups have weekend meetings or evening meetings for mums with toddlers, it might be worth having a look at your local one.

Nothing wrong with teaching nursing manners - just because she is a breastfeeding toddler doesn't mean you mean you have to let her do what ever she wants whilst she does it

It was a moment of revelation for me when I realised that I could tell my DDs 'no Mummy doesn't like that' and still carry on bfing but without the annoying bits!

Agree totally with EauRouge - there is lots of plus points to nursing a toddler - instant quiet being one of them

Thank you both - I agree there's lots of plus points to nursing a toddler (keeping them happy and hydrated when ill is the big one I've noticed so far) and i also love re-affirming our bond after I've been at work all day. She's currently asleep on my lap (I'll have to move her upstairs into my bed in a minute) and it's lovely.

About to read the link about nursing manners now . Come to think of it, our local LLL meeting (the last one I went to anyhow) IS on a Saturday morning. It tends to be so full that people are standing outside in the corridor though, so perhaps I should look for one further afield - I figure that the mums with the littlest babies probably need the help in that meeting more than I do