14month old obsessed with boob

[motherlylove]

help my 14 month old dd is obsessed with the boob she wants to be fed constantly wont take emb or formula or cows milk, puts her hand down my top constantly to play with imy boobs and trys to play with them to go to sleep.

HELP I really want to return to work and can't at the moment cause Alirah is to predicatable how do i deal with this situatuion and get her to cut down on feeds and lose the obsession she has with them:banghead:

[Pinky McKay]

Hi ellyshay,

You have done a great job!!!

Instead of thinking in terms of other foods, you will also need to think in terms of 'othermothering'. Breastfeeding isn’t just about milk but also is a form of comfort, security and tactile experience.

It can help to consider how you can meet these needs for your baby through alternatives to nursing. It is also worth thinking about your baby’s stage of development as well as what is going on for you - your own emotions will be reflected by your baby - if you are desperate to wean, your baby will pick this up and cling harder especially as this is an age where separation anxiety is quite strong.

Other-mothering requires close observation of your baby ( initially there will be a greater mothering effort) and creating distractions BEFORE she wants to breastfeed so she isn’t in a refusal (rejection) situation re breastfeeding - eg can you be ready to take her outside/go to the park/ play a game/ have special playthings ready to pull out say, musical instruments; bubbles; a ‘touchy feely’ box or old handbag filled with tactile objects that she can rummage in such as a thick makeup brush, a sponge. Silk scarves; pieces of fabric eg fleecy/ leather/ woven cotton; a pinecone, a metal teaspoon ( so many toys are plastic so they all feel, look and smell the same) – be creative.

Do you allow her to feed herself with finger foods? This is another tactile experience that may encourage her to eat other foods.

Try to see things from your baby’s perspective and meet her needs at each level, not just with food –this is not a speedy process but you have done such a wonderful job so far that it would be sad to have a pressured ending to your breastfeeding relationship.

Pinky