What I like best about nursing my toddler...

[Too Busy]

Sometimes it can be hard to remember when she is yelling to switch sides for the 1000th time or kicking me in the head doing nursing headstands :LOL

But, my favorite thing about nursing my DD, now that she is a toddler is that she can talk about it and let me know how much she likes it. She gives her "boob boob" hugs and kisses and shares with her favorite toys. It is also wonderful that I can ask if she wants to nurse and she clearly tells me yes or no. For awhile she wasn't so great at communicating her needs (she just cried from colic alot) so I really appreciate being able to talk to her and have her answer back!

Oh yeah, and I really love that when I nurse her she reaches up and caresses my hair between her fingers while I rub her back. She is always moving and nursing is the one time we have a real sense of intimacy and closeness.

I wasn't sure that I would be comfortable nursing once she was talking and asking for it verbally because of my personal hangups. Now I enjoy it more than anything! Even my DH, who initially wanted me to stop at 12 months thinks each nursing stage that comes is so cool!

Nursing a toddler really is FUN!

[mom2threenurslings]

Great thread!!!

I don't know if either of my nurslings qualifies as a toddler...my 2.5 year old maybe? Definitely not my 4.5 year old!

I love nursing toddlers because of the funny things they say and do while nursing...humming while nursing, nursing in strange positions (one of my favorites was head and arm on my leg, suspended in midair with one foot resting on a laundry basket ... while I was on MDC!), rubbing my pregnant belly while nursing, playing with their brother/sister's hair, feet, hand, etc. while nursing....so many things!

Another favorite is what my toddlers and preschoolers (and kindergarten age child!) have said about nursing, in response to other people's questions about nursing, in response to seeing moms formula feeding, and to each other about how wonderful nursing is.

[PrinceE&LsMom]

When he hums the theme song for Star Wars while nursing, when he stops for a few seconds to say, "you are my best friend Mommy", when he rubs my face or belly as he is drifting off to sleep, when my older DS tells nursling to hold the boob like a cup and nursling smiles and obliges him... I could go on and on.

[witchbaby]

i love that, when i pull up my shirt, she starts chortling and bouncing, looking all for the world like a 19 year old boy.
i love that she strokes me and points at my freckles and looks up questioningly and i have to explain them to her.
my favorite, though, is when i offer to her or when she's finished, she'll look at my uncovered boob and say "no!" and cover me up. it's too cute!

[Fiercemama]

What I love about nursing my Preschooler...

I love that she can talk about it too. Lately she has this gig where when she is finished on the first side, she tells me "it smells like.... cake/chicken/cheese/paper/rice/chocolate" you name it. I laugh out loud each time she adds something new to this list!

I also love that as we get up to a 3rd birthday, I think I can honestly say that I've never experienced a knock down, drag out temper tantrum, the kind where you just have to sit and ride it out, and wait for your child to come back down to planet earth? Perhaps its just her temperment, but I credit it more with the "magic bullet". "Mamie" has diverted a lot of difficult situations.

[HokieMum]

I love how excited Paige becomes when she sees her "nur-nurs" come out. She pants and claps her hands. While she nurses she moves around a lot, and lately has started feeding me graham crackers while she is sucking...I guess he knows that mama needs some feeding too! :LOL

[violafemme]

I love the smile of complete satisfaction and joy that she gives me when she finishes. It's the only time she ever smiles like that and her eyes look at me like we share the most wonderful secret.

[Rach]

the funnest part is play time. When I'm nursing her [and it's not a naptime nursing] we play. I tickle her, sing silly songs, cover the boob just as she's about to latch and say in a silly voice "*Gasp* No!" and then laugh, silly things like that, just to make her laugh. She loves it.
But the sweetest part, is when she pinches to get some milk on her fingers and offers it to me. She's so thoughtful!!!

[mamamoo]

I LOVE staring at him while he sleeps, and seeing his eyelashes laying on his cheeks, the smell of his breath, and the way he says my mummums when he wants to nurse. And I love that "mummums better" works for almost anything that can happen. LOL

[littleteapot]

Great thread!

I love the nubworship. When she just opens my shirt and stares at my breasts and gives them little loving touches, then hugs and kisses, like she's so thankful they even exist!

[scoutycat]

I love how when she asks & I say ok, she starts to laugh and dance before they're even out... then the love affair begins, 'I lub nurs! My favorite!' and how she wants to show anyone near by (thankfully almost always family lol) 'Look! Look! Wow! It's cute!' while pointing out my nipple - just her earnestnest and joy is beautiful. And heartbreaking, since I'm pg and it really kind of hurts. But no part of my body has ever experienced such reverence that I can remember; it's neat to be appreciated without any expectations

[Chelly2003]

I love it (although I don't tell anyone) when I walk around a store or other place holding Gillian, and she'll have her whole ARM down the front of my shirt...... she'll just hang out like that forever!
Also, while nursing her to sleep lying in bed, she'll "fiddle" with the other boobie, then decide she wants that one, and try PULL it/me closer - like a little hug....
Chelly

[KittyMommy]

Thank you wonderful MDC mommas...I needed this thread in the worst way. I love nursing, but have been going through a rough, sleep-deprived patch lately and my toddler is seriously threatening my sanity on most days. I desperately needed a reminder...

My favorites...when DS plays with his little sister's hair when they are both nursing and when DS's stuffed animals or toys need to get their Nummas before he gets his and when he announces "Done" and pulls my shirt down.

[ZanZansMommy]

Oh Scoutycat you described my DD. The look of absolute joy on her face when she asks for *yummies* & I say O.K.---well it's priceless She just giggles with anticipation & does this funny like walk/run as she goes to our chair.

I love how she says "mmmmmmmmm" "mmmmmmmmm" as she's nursing & then when she latches off she says "aaaaahhhhhhh" & smacks her lips.

Great thread.

[Calidris]

Well, I'm barely into toddler nursing, and dd is still mostly non verbal, but its already so different to the infant.
Its Carnival time here, bits of costume all about, dd was playing with a string of gold beads while nursing, then she stopped, popped off and put the beads around my nipple :LOL . So adorable
I'm looking forward to toddler nursing!

[PajamaMama]

I love it that now she can *tell* me when she wants to nurse. Today at the park she came running towards me saying "milk! milk! milk!" No more guessing what it is that she wants!

[Hollycrand]

I'm so glad to have found this thread as a reminder...
My 19 mo dd loves to talk to me while BFing. I can't help but giggle when she tries to tell me about the animals she sees or a picture of papa she has seen with a mouthful of boob.
I also love it when she wraps her arms around my body while BFing, and sighs very loudly. A contented sigh.

[MarineWife]

I love when we are sitting on the floor playing and he comes over out of the blue, climbs in my lap and lays back to assume the nursing position. Is there anything sweeter? Not that I can think of.

[rorysgirl1]

i'm nursing my fourth baby he's two years and change. i think i'm enjoying his sense of humor more than anything.

i was in a restaurant with the baby, my next oldest, and my mil after the baby's first day at waldorf mixed nursery. he really enjoyed himself (he has been wanting to go to his sister's school, so we finally broke down and are sending him two mornings a week) andw was in a great mood. he wanted to nurse in the very close, tight confines of a small local restaurant frequented by the business lunch crowd. as he was nursing, my dh called mil on her cell phone, and she passed it to me to talk with him. the baby reached up and grabbed the phone, and is now nursing while talking on the phone saying "hi dada" and apparently answering questions about school "yup, yup, yup". and still managing to nurse in between answering while listening. everyone around us knew exactly what was going on, and i think just about everyone thought it was hilarious. it certainly was a baby for the new millenium.

i love it when he does stuff like this, or makes up jokes about nursing. he calls it LaLa ( i have no idea why) and will ask questions when he wants to nurse like "apple lala?" "chocolate lala?" and then laugh at how funny he thinks he is.

i adore having a nursing toddler (acrobatic and all) and am going to be sorry when he decides he's done.

[mommyabroad]

So happy to see this thread. My 16-month-old DS is really in to playing with balls and decided today to get one ball after another and bring them over to my lap while he nursed. Before he was done, I had a football, basketball, stuffed puppy, and two other small balls in my lap along with my nursling. He thought it was fabulous! What a joy