Does your nursing 3 year old switch sides CONSTANTLY?

[indigosky]

My 3 year old DD is still an enthusiastic nurser, nursing 3-4 times most days. During her nursing sessions, she switches from one breast to the other every 10-60 seconds. It feels like such a crazy way to nurse! Do other kids do this?

I'm also very, very early newly pregnant (4 weeks!), and I think this is one reason there's no way I could tandem nurse with her -- the baby (who of course would not switch so frequently) would forever have whatever "side" she wanted. I suspect this is her methodology for getting more milk out.

[D_McG]

I had weaned by then but I never allowed that! One switch and that was it. Drove me nuts!

[Katie T]

I notice that my almost 3yo does that after she has nursed both sides and they are "empty" and she is trying to get more milk. 

[Katielady]

Originally Posted by Katie T 

I notice that my almost 3yo does that after she has nursed both sides and they are "empty" and she is trying to get more milk. 

Yes, I think this is what's going on with my 2.5 yo too. I started imposing a "two sides" rule, esp. at bedtime which is when she gets the most switchy. It starts to hurt and I hate the sensation of her latching on over and over. I figure part of having a nursing toddler is introducing some boundaries. She's a little mad about it sometimes but more and more she has been accepting that nursing is done after 2 sides, and snuggles her bunny instead. :)

I was so upset about this that I started thinking about weaning, actually. So my new guideline for myself is that whenever a nursing behavior makes me start thinking about weaning, I take a look at how to change the behavior or adjust things around. This way the nursing relationship can be preserved without there being resentment on my part.

[treegardner]

DS does the same thing.

 

[wildflower18]

DS does the same thing.  At night when actually going to bed, he nurses longer on one side.  When it starts to drive me crazy, I tell him this is the last one and he's usually okay with it.  I am also newly pregnant about 5 weeks and I think if he continues to nurse and I end up tandem nursing that he would be happy with getting one side at a time.  Not sure how sharing will go though. 

[Kikelet]

My 15 month old DD does this in the bath tub. She is actually self weaning and we haven't nursed in 3 (!!!!!) days.. :( The constant re-latching makes me cringe and it hurts my nipples so much. I *hate* feeling anything negative about nursing but the less frequently she nurses, the more traumatized my nipples get after just one nursing session. I'm still struggling to figure out whether or not I should start pumping again to increase my supply a bit (I think she switches to get more milk, like many of you have suggested). Even though DD isn't 3, the back and forth is still very unpleasant and I understand, mama!

[dakover]

Yes, my 3-yr-old does this too.  He says "other milk" back and forth.  Usually I eventually tell him "This is the last flip" and he's done.

[Bena]

Yup, DD (19months) started doing that a couple of weeks ago.  I thought it was just an annoying habit, like she wasn't sure if she wanted to nurse or not and was trying to make up her mind (she also lets go, gets up to go play, and comes back 2 minutes later, and can do that several times). 

But now I'm wondering if maybe my supply  has lowered and she's trying to get more milk....