A mum who was struggling to tandem breastfeed her toddler and newborn baby, turned to the Internet for advice.
The mother posted her query on the Breastfeeding Mama Talk Facebook page explaining that she felt overwhelmed when feeding both of her children.
“I’ve always taken a very casual approach to how long my eldest would nurse but it’s very hard,” she wrote on Thursday 6 July.
“Hearing her cries of protest and pleas for me and I can’t go to her because our son needs to nurse. She is used to me nursing her to sleep. It breaks my heart.”
The mum continued: “Anyway the point is could you point me in the right direction to find advice for tandem nursing?
“Please note that advice to wean my toddler isn’t at all what I’m looking for. I still want her to decide when it is time to wean.”
Her post had hundreds of comments from mothers who have experienced the same struggle in the past.
“It took about a week for me to figure out the best way to tandem,” one mum wrote. “My favourite - because I’m completely hands-free and comfortable - is for me to lay in bed on my side towards the baby and have my toddler on her knees, leaning over my side.
“If we’re on the couch, I cradle the baby like normal and the toddler either lays on her back, with her head on my stomach, face up towards my boob, or just sits next to me and holds it up to her mouth.”
Another mum wrote: “Have been tandem nursing for over a year. I would like to tell you it gets easier. The first two months were the hardest.
“My son was 16 months when my daughter was born. I just tried to explain to him that baby needs to eat first. And if that didn’t work I had my husband entertain him while I took my daughter in the room to nurse. Hang in there mumma, you got this.”
To see all the responses and advice from parents, view the full post here.