Yesterday, as I sat nursing Alex, Owen grabbed his Teddy (named Moo-gee), pulled up his shirt and started nursing him too. Moo-gee finished before Alex did. Owen explained that he has a strong suck and gets all he needs very quickly. It is amazing what Owen now knows about breastfeeding.
There are many times when Alex is fussy when Owen will ask "is she hungry?". Or when she is struggling to fall asleep, he will suggest "why don't you feed her Mama, and she can fall asleep at your breast."
At first I felt a bit strange having Owen watch me so closely while nursing. Now it seems entirely normal. He has seen more of my breasts in the past few months than I ever thought he would.
He has also watched me expressing breast milk and has commented on how the milk squirts out. He knows that only Mothers have milk and Fathers don't. He doesn't think that is terribly fair. He knows that I am concerned that she gets enough milk. He knows that it can be hard at times.
I think it is good that he has been exposed to all of this. The only sad thing is that he'll probably forget it all before he can use this knowledge as a wonderfully supportive father.
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My toddler has also been seen nursing her dolls. And she thinks that when I nurse on one side, it is the baby's meal, and the other side is his dessert. Kids are funny :)
ReplyDeleteTake videos, Tara, of Owen talking about all this. Somehow videos become part of their memory (Caitlin sees some videos over and over and I don't think she'll ever forget). And then, he will never forget too :)
ReplyDeleteI agree - videos are a great idea.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, this post made me teary (hormones...) Perhaps it is the thought of what is to come, and the idea of these wonderfully sensitive boys being such great big brothers and future dads. Nicely written.