Any tips on BF a newborn with a busy toddler to entertain?

[Tribblewithoutacause]

Hi,

Does anyone have any sage advice for me, dc2 is due any time now and I would like to BF again. But I have a very busy toddler to entertain as well, so am getting a tad worried about the logistics of it all.

Anyone any tips?

Thanks.

CBeebies
Colour Doodle -a magnetic drawing board thingy
Picnic packs for the toddler to unpack and enjoy whilst BFing baby

Good luck.
DC2 was quite a rapid feeder-possibly by necessity

Watching with interest! DS is 20 months old and DD almost 2 weeks so things are tricky. So far I am relying on books, jigsaws and my ipad (something I never thought I would do but of all of them it has been the best distraction). He also likes any "go and fetch" type games so has been making me pretend cups of tea etc or we put all his animals out on the floor and he has to bring the baby a zebra/giraffe etc etc. He's not a huge fan of TV but loves our wedding DVD (how mortifying!) as he can point out everyone he knows. 5 years and we never watched it and in the past week I think I have seen it about 100 times!

Colour doodle? Off to Google that one!

Try reading as well - sit toddler on sofa next to you with a favourite book - this tricked DD1 into thinking it was Reading With Mummy time and DD2 just happened to be on my lap/boob, rather than Baby Feeding Time. If DD1 got the idea that it was Baby Feeding Time, she was much more disruptive.

And I totally agree, Cbeebies is your friend

Snacks worked as well, raisins and the like.

I frequently look after my 1 year old niece and my DS is now 3 m o. I usually shut all of us in the lounge so that she can't toddle off unsupervised while I'm feeding DS. Lots of her favourite toys out on the floor to keep her amused and a bit of her favourite tv in the background usually does the trick. Sometimes she wants to get involved and comes to show us her toys or stroke DS head which is very sweet!! Desperate to play with her wee cousin!

I'm expecting no 2 shortly and have same worries, am going to buy a dolly with feeding bottle so she can 'feed' her baby too!

I was in this position many many many years ago, I had a shoe box that I would pack up each night with different things. So my Ds would bring it to me each feed & sit with us be mostly entertained. Would always have raisins/dried fruit in,mini cars, books,small figurines to make story up with etc. it didn't work everytime but mostly!! I appreciate it was a long time ago & CBbeebies would have been a Miricale . Good luck

Play-doh seems to be working quite well here. DD (23 months) can be strapped into her highchair and entertain herself for ages. With me sitting next to her, obviously-I don't just wander off and leave her strapped in! But I find using the highchair means she can't take herself off and tread play-doh into the carpet.

She also likes playing with her money box. Open up, empty out the money, post it back in, repeat until feed is finished. I sit there and encourage her to count how many coins she's posting, and getting her to find 2 the same etc, so I feel like I'm doing something vaguely stimulating with her.

Aquadraw/aquadoodle is good too. As is reading.

This morning, however, I'm doing none of this, and CBeebies is doing the parenting of DS1 and DD while I feed DS2. I'm 8 days into having three under four and I'm in need of a lazy day!

Congratulations and good luck with DC2.

Jigsaws, playdoh, cuddles, books and cbeebies were the order of the day on Monday when I first had 2 yo DS and 6wo DD all by myself for the first time!

Hundreds of packs of stickers got us through. They can be played with without too much going wrong even if you can't reach the toddler.
Downside is that we can't use stickers as a reward now as she's a bit meh about them. Also once she stuck spots all down her leg, and after washing them off there was a residue and nursery thought she had a rash!