Ds and I have got ourselves into a bfing pickle - help needed before I get on that plane, please!

[phdlifeneedsanewlife]

Ds went through a long nursing strike that we only just cleared as he entered the distractable stage. For a while the only way I could feed him was to sneak up as he was going to sleep/waking up and jam a boob in his mouth - otherwise he was going 6, 7hrs or more between daytime feeds. (And making it up during the night!)

Unfortunately, since I don't get out much, we've stuck in this habit and I've recently discovered he won't have it any other way!

At 7m now he is a seriously stubborn little sod. When I've tried to feed him sitting up, or in our front room, he shouts at me - the hungrier he gets the more frantic the shouting and the less sense I can get out of him.

But we're going to Australia for christmas and I've suddenly realised that I really, really need to get him feeding sitting up and in public.

Please does anyone have any clues how I might teach him this? Please?

oh lordy
blimey that is A level breastfeeding...
OK what about expressing? would he take a bottle? bm lasts a while and you could ask it to be stored maaybe?
how about - trying when he is a bit aawke?
letting him watch tv

How do you (successfully) feed him? I'm thinking that if you normally feed him lying down, perhaps as a first stage you could feed him lying down in the same room as usual - but when he's wide awake. Maybe that would get him used to feeding awake, and you could move on from there.

oh okay, oops, we can do awake now - it's the lying down that's stuck. sorry, not clear there.

and yes I've got him taking a bottle (just), but the fecking airlines have this fecking "100ml" rule, don't they? (as in, no liquids in containers of more than 100mls)

will do that if we have to but really rather think of a way to train him to feed sitting up and in public. when he was little it was great we did it everywhere, but now, he just yells.

The airlines allow formula, but don't know whether they can cope with ebm, LOL.

I don't think it's as bad as you think, but you'll have to be very consistent to sort this one out. I've had to do similar things when bfing my little monsters.

Start by gettig him used to having your arm around him while he feeds. A few feeds later slide your arm under him, so that he is cradled on it while he feeds. Then start wedging yourself up on the bed. Gradually increase the height of the wedge until you're nearly sitting up. Do all feeds the same, even night ones if you can. In my case I worked through the earlier stages about 3 days for each stage. Eventually - hopefully - you'll be feeding sitting up in bed. Once you've got there start feeding in another room in the house.

Don't challenge him too much by feeding elsewhere until he is comfortable with this change. You could also work in using a small blanket to lie/lean on, or drape over the two of you while feeding, so thaat that is always present whereever and however you feed.

You can take expressed BM but one of you will have to be prepared to taste it, we took a bottle with no problems when we flew to the states.

thank you so much prettycandles, that sounds like something I can just about do - just didn't have a clue how to get there!

umm sorry if I'm being thick, what's the purpose of the blanket?

thanks also for tip, denny - we stop in the US on the way...

ok this is a long shot but maybe you could ask the airline if you could have somewhere private to bf? I know they couldn't guarantee it but could you lie down a the back if seats were free or in the staff part or in first class

The idea of the blanket is to create some kind of "familiar surroundings" that he can focus on as a bf cue instead of the position, and that has the advantage of being portable. I think.

not got much to offer but just phoned my airline to see if i could change to an earlier date to fly home to Australia and they said all flights are now full until christmas!!

be prepared.

and yes you can take ebm on with you.