When young kids ask about breastfeeding, what do you tell them?

[GoodGollyMissMolly]

DH and I had all of our families round on boxing day for a party. BIL and SIl brought their brood of kids round, 7 in total. We had a really good time.

BIL's youngest DD was asking me lots of questions while I was feeding DD (BIL's wife had not BF, so kids had never seen it before)

DN asked what DD was doing to my tummy (Awww) I said that DD was having her dinner as she was hungry, and that DD wasn't doing anything to my tummy. She then asked What is she doing, so I said that it's like when mummy gives her brother (Who's 5 months old) a bottle and that this is my DD's bottle.
DN poked my boob and continued to ask the same question, I don't think she was able to get her head round it IYSWIM. I didn't know how to explain it to her any better, DN is nearly 3 YO.
Her mum told her off for poking my boob, but I told her not to worry as DN was only curious.

How would you explain BF'ing to young kids, or any children that ask questions about it for that matter.

Do they understand about getting milk from cows yet?
Explain it like that.
Animals, whether it be cows or cats or dogs feed their babies by the special milk that mummy makes in her boobs. Sometimes babies need to have it from a bottle thoguh so you can buy it in a powder too, to make it go in the bottle.

VS, good idea, it never occured to me to explain it like that. I could hear DN asking her mumas she was getting in the car to go home, so no doubt her mum is sick of hearing it by now, lol.

exactly the same way you just explained it.
tbh, im quite surprised your dn hasnt seen bf before.

VictoriaSqualor - you have to be careful about the cow thing. I explained it thus to my nephews, only to have DN2 (5) say to his mummy on the way home:

Child "Aunty chocolate is a cow!"
Mum "Why's that then?|
Child "because she has the milk from her boobies"

Cue parents nearly crashing the car laughing.

my ds was about 2 when dd was bfing and he asked....he was fed until 12mths....and i just told him mummy's boobies make milk for her baby like a cow makes milk for its baby...he likes drinking cows milk and so he just took it as that, now when he see's a bottle fed baby he's asking why its not drinking from its mummy's boobies!!...a friend had to explain that her baby didn't like booby milk ad he wanted it out of a bottle the other day and he got very upset and was telling her son who was only 10wks then that he should like his mummy's booby milk as she makes it just for him!!

its just explaining it how the child will understand like relating it to the milk they know of!!

lol dd 18mo keeps asking i told her baby having dinner lol (my cousins bf dd 4weeks)

Had following conversation with cousin's 4-year-old DD who was wondering what I was doing when BFing at a family party.

child: what's she doing?
me: she's having her milk.
child: do boobies make milk then?
me: yup.
child: Wow. THAT is really clever.

I've posted this anecdote before.

Me bf ds1 (4mo at the time) on a bench in street of German spa town. Little boy, of about 5 or 6, comes and asks about baby and what I'm doing. I said I was giving him something to eat. Boy points in direction of my breast and says 'did you put sausage in there?'

(ps there are a couple of photos of me bf ds2 on my profile - limited time only )

Ahhh how sweet beroweeeeena

(ok, I think it's activated now)

Oh berowheeena, you just made me want my baby to hurry up and come out for a reason that isn't because I'm huge!!!

Tis true Pukka, she has never seen BF before her mum has never felt like she wanted to BF. (although she is second to youngest). I thought she was very sweet asking about it.

Lol at the sausage, bero

Thanks all for replying.

p.s, happy new year