Question to Post Breastfeeding Moms - Child's Comfort with Breasts

My son did the same thing, only he did it with others too (mostly ladies he was close to like his babysitter and grandmother - thankfully they were patient with him). I would take his hand out and tell him "no, we don't do that" and kiss his hand, which I would then hold or put someplace more acceptable. Over time, he would just put it on my shoulder or ask me to give his hand a kiss - I think it was less about attachment to my chest as it was about the skin to skin contact and warmth. Over time, it will stop - but if you let him do it at home he will want to do it everywhere...

Hello Angela, My son would put his hand down my bra!! I nursed him until he was 15 months due to his severe allergy to cow, soy and goats milk. Don't cut him off completely. Ween him off of this also. I allowed my son to only do this as he was unwinding for nap and bedtime. At 18 mo I started transfering him at nap time. He wouldn't take a blanket etc. so we compromised on him rubbing my arm. 2 months later bedtime was tackled. Can you believe he rubbed my arm off and on until he was 6? I could live with that one though. LOL. P.S. He is 23 and married now. Good luck.

Now's a good time to make a transfer and I my advice is "DO IT!" I started to do it but never followed through and my daughter is now 7 and she STILL wants to fondle my breast for comfort. It can drive me nuts! I worry that she will never grow out of this. It's great that you are thinking about it and whatever it is, put a lot of thought into it and stick with it. Make it something that will not get lost easily (like your breast..hee hee) A pillow? Something that is available even in a few years.

I can only offer some suggestions, my daughter transitioned really well at 17 months with just some rocking and singing her songs. I would suggest taking his hand out of your shirt and maybe holding his hand snuggled in to the chest area. I need to clarify that (it just sounds sort of wrong) kind of like when slow dancing, the hands are held and end up held close to the body. Then try distracting him with singing or something like that. I hope this helps.

angela like you said he just a month past brestfeading it might take him a few month but he will find something eles my youngest is now 4 and when she was on the brest she would rub the inside of my arm while eating and to this day if she real upset and i hold her to calm her down she still rub my arm like that

My son self-weaned at 13 months old. Although he was done nursing, I found that he would climb on my lap every couple of hours, pull my shirt up, and lay his head on my belly. Everytime he was tired he would try to rub my belly. I didn't mind when we were at home but it wasn't ideal when we were in public!

He did this for months and months and then he discovered my arm. He's 2 1/2 now and he still has to "love mumma's arm" when he gets tired (this consists of rubbing and hugging my upper arm). It amazes me that he still needs that skin-to-skin contact!

My son never accepted a lovey or stuffed animal so I am his main comfort object. You could try to introduce some sort of comfort object or another piece of your skin, like your arm! :)

(As a side note: When I sat down and thought about it, I realized that everytime I nursed my son he had one hand on my tummy and his other hand on my upper arm. Hence, his obsession with those two areas after he weaned himself!)

i have no advice, i just wanted to say that is adorable.

I just want to say that your post warms my heart and brings back such good memories for me. Thank you. The only thing I would suggest at this point is maybe taking his hand out from under your shirt and putting it over your shirt, which would be more acceptable in public. This might not work for him though, becasue the skin-to-skin contact with breastfeeding is so important for their security. If it doesn't work, just let it go, and as his world opens up, he will find another-skin-to-skin substitute, such as hand holding, neck cuddling, cradling, etc. Sounds like you have a cuddler, lucky you! Enjoy!

I happen to have a small mole on the inside of my left arm just above where my elbow bends, and that is what my almost 3 year old son still uses as his comfort spot. I nursed him until he was 22 months, and almost immediately he discovered this mole on my arm.

Given the chance I would remove every mole on my body, except for this one. It's really sweet.

Wiht my son I would hold his hand (over my shirt). It didn't take long for the comfort to transfer to holding my hand and sitting in my lap. He is now 5 and will hold mine or my husbands hands when scared. That's what worked for us. Hope it helps. Good luck!

I think it has little to do with breasts and breastfeeding. Lots of young children find comfort in their mother's chests. It's soft, warm, and where you bring them for hugs, carrying, etc. I wouldn't worry about it too much at this stage. As he grows up, he will start to learn about privacy and bodies and won't need that type of comforting anymore.

The other poster that said to hold his hand at your chest has a good idea, if you want to give him another option for comfort. But I don't think that it's necessary, and I don't think that it will last past the toddler years.

This is quite common, even a couple of years later. You can try to distract him but it may not work. It actually is kind of sweet if you think about it.

It is wonderful that so many moms are so tolerant of it. My now 9 year old daughter is a tummy rubber from nursing she used to rub my tummy while she nursed. It always bugged me reminding me how chubby my tummy was. Problem is I could never ween her from it...even now she will rub my tummy if we are sitting some where or she sees my skin. It bugs me a more as she gets older (and my belly gets bigger!), but I never wanted to make a big deal about it because I know it is all meant well. I guess I share it might never go away and we should use it as a sign of how much we are loved!!!!