Normal for 4 month old while nursing?

[mra]

My LO just turned 4 months. She is very distracted while nursing (even at home), popping off constantly or pulling away while still attached (not very comfortable!). When she pulls away while attached I can see her tongue and she is still eating, but she is stretching my poor nipple. When she does this it's because she wants to look around or up at me while nursing.

It also doesn't seem like she is eating as much as she used to. Is this an age where they stop nursing as much as before? She still nurses about every 2-3 hours, but she doesn't stay on as long and sometimes she will only nurse from one boob instead of both, like she used to.

[LittleBirdy]

Sounds exactly like my DS.  Prior to that age he had never voluntarily taken himself off the breast - he either fell asleep or I eventually unlatched him.  He got more efficient at nursing (so quicker) around that age as well as super distractable.  I could only nurse him lying down in a quiet room until very recently (he's almost 9 months now).  Totally normal!  (Also effectively ended any attempts to nurse him in public... at around 4.5 months we were out to dinner and about 65 people got a nice full view of my left nipple when DS left me hanging in the breeze!)

[neonalee]

Yep. Nipple stretching here too. Ouch, I hated that!


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[MadTown16]

My 4 month old does that too.  I can't talk anymore while he nurses.  If DH walks around on the other side of the room he'll stop to see what he's doing.  He's even started getting distracted by the striped pillows on the couch where I sit when I nurse him at home.  Who knew stripes could be so fascinating!  DS has always been an incredibly fast eater, but now he's popping off all the time unless I completely minimize distractions.  He's still eating every 2-3 hours around the clock (and spitting up/peeing/pooping as always), so I figure he's getting as much as he needs.  I don't have any real answers for you, but I know what you mean!

[FarrenSquare]

This was totally me around 3.5-4 months! Baby D became SO AWAKE and SO CURIOUS it was impossible to nurse, especially in public. The worst is when they start to fuss and cry and you know they are hungry... but too distracted to eat! I have become a master at ninja nursing, I swear. Bouncing on the exercise ball, nursing in the ergo, putting him to near-sleep and then feeding him in that mid-way state... At the last LLL meeting I went to nearly ALL the ladies there said it was 100% normal and happened to them too. They love to keep us on our toes!

[anjsmama]

DD is only 11 weeks, but that's what she's up to this week! Like you said, she's not pulling off uncomfortable, she's just looking around. She looks at me, looks at the ceiling fan (which she LOVES, even if it's off and the lights are too!), eats for a few, looks around, etc. She also eats much shorter periods of time .. I swear nursing sessions are like 10 minutes or less! But I feel even emptier (and sometimes a little dehydrated!) than I ever have before after feedings, so I think she's just gotten really efficient. 

Also agree with the PP, this very curious stage is making it very difficult to feed her in public. She will cry because she's hungry, but really wants to look around and see what's up. Then she'll eat for a second and realize she can't see, and then cry again. I have actually twice used those "family lounge" bathrooms that I swore I never would simply because it's the only way to keep her focused!

[luckiest]

Yep, sounds exactly like my 4.5 month old.  He actually nurses almost every hour while we're at home (longer when we're out and it isn't as available) - he likes to nurse for a couple of minutes right when he wakes up, and he nurses to sleep, and never more than like 5 minutes at a time, tops.  His latest thing, other than trying to look around, is pushing my breast away with both hands while throwing his head back.  Not fun!  I never knew nipples were so stretchy!

[Calliope84]

Yep! I'm not afraid to NIP with my 4.5 month old, though.  Yesterday I just would place my hand over my nipple when she kept pulling off. Then I would give her a few more chances and if she didn't seem serious about it,I would stop and try again later.

[LHcj2008]

My baby is 4 months next week and has been doing this for a few weeks now (though I think it is getting worse!) He nurses pretty much every hour when we are home, too, like Luckiest said, and when we're out he can go longer b/c he is distracted and I'm a bit less available to give him the boob on demand. But lately it is pop on, pop off, etc., even if he is hungry (though if he is really hungry he doesn't do it as much). I think part of it is that he gets impatient for the let-down b/c since he nurses so much it is not a full-blast let-down like it was in the beginning. But part of it is also the distraction thing. It is so frustrating, especially when I try to NIP- usually at restaurants. Yes, my nipple was out there in the breeze the other day b/c my LO got fussy and actually pulled the scarf I was using as a cover down away from me. Nice.

Though, I must admit, despite my frustration from the above, it is the cutest when my baby pops off while nursing, looks up at me, and gives me a big smile before latching back on :)

[mra]

Though, I must admit, despite my frustration from the above, it is the cutest when my baby pops off while nursing, looks up at me, and gives me a big smile before latching back on :)

I agree! I keep meaning for my husband to catch this moment on camera for me. 

[hhmomma72]

Yeah, I'm finally experiencing the milky grins that I've read about! She's definitely more easily distracted. But today was also her first roll over on her own! I sit her up in a big chair, she topples over and winds up on her tummy and now can roll over! Good thing I was standing right in front of the chair so she didn't fall on the floor!