Boob Obsessed...

[mommy2e]

My son is 2.5 and still nurses to sleep. We co-sleep and some nights, not often, he will wake up I will nurse him back to sleep. But lately he has been "boob obsessed"! When he want to nurse, he asks for "booby", not a problem. But lately sometimes he wants to hold them, he will squeeze and give them a hug, he says he loves booby, then gives them a kiss (all this while I have a shirt on). I notice he does this mostly when he is tired, sad, upset, etc. Soemtimes while we are at the supermarket and he is in the cart, he will lean over and give them a hug and say "I love booby". It is cute, but sometimes I feel like it is a little too much, YKWIM?

Do I ignore it, is it normal, should I wean him before he becomes even more obsessed? I don't think he is going to be an easy kid to wean b/c nursing is the only way he will fall asleep! Have I ruined him, I feel kinda guilty thinking this.

Thanks

[Brianna]

I don't know if it is normal, but my son (22 months) is starting to do some of the same things. After he nurses, he kisses my boob and says "love nursie". If he gets tired or scared he runs his hand down my shirt. It doesn't really bother me. I think my breast are his comfort item.

I enjoyed reading your post. It made me laugh. I can just see my ds saying that in a few months.

[mommy2e]

I always figured they were his comfort item as well, just lately it seems to be alot more. But the more I think about it, lately he has also been acting out, something he has never done. It's like all of a sudden he realized he was 2.5! Running away in the stores, not listening, he got a time out yesterday for spitting when I asked him not to over and over again, that broke my heart!

Sorry to vent, but maybe he is going through some sort of phase, trying to figure things out, and when things get overwhelming, he reaches for what comforts him, booby! So maybe it isn't such a bad thing.

That is cute that your son kisses your breast when done, like saying "Thanks, see you later!" Oh, they sure do cute things, don't they!?!?

[RedheadbyChoice]

I think it's perfectly normal, and I also DON'T think that he's 'boob obsessed.' Your breasts are comfort and love to him. Could you elaborate WHY it makes your uncomfortable? Do you think he's too big to nurse? Are you afraid fo comments from people when he does that in public?

I wanted to add, too, that at 2.5, you can certainly instill nursing manners in him. If you're tiring of him touching them, when not nursing, it's okay to say, 'sugar, that's only for when we nurse.'

[Stephanie]

I agree with pp, it is normal. You have to decide what is best for your family, whether that is weaning or continuing to nurse.

Nursing manners is a lather, rinse, repeat lesson at our house. Dd just turned 2 and exhibits nursing behaviors we are working on. I have her ask before she nurses with "Milk please." She still tugs at my shirt, but I know this will improve over time.

My biggest issue right now, is that she is constantly touching my other nipple when she nurses. When she does, we stop the nursing session, and I tell her not to touch the other side. For the most part, she does a good job avoiding the other side, but it took a few weeks to get there.

[mommy2e]

Well I feel so much better that it is normal. Red, it doesn't really bother me when he hugs them in public, but sometimes if I am holding him on my hip and walking, he will start to rub my breast on the outside of my shirt, and it is a little uncomfortable. And he usually will stop when I ask him to or move his hand.

Stephanie, my son too will sometimes touch the other nipple while nursing and honestly, it annoys me. After I move his hand away once or twice and tell him not to, he will stop.

I just start to freak out sometimes that I am doing this wrong, that am I nursing too long, YKWIM? He has over time weaned himself where he only nurses to sleep, I guess I still worry that he will never get to sleep by himself, but I know that it will come one day.

I feel much better that other children do this as well. I knew it, but it is comforting to hear other stories as well, thanks ladies!

[RedheadbyChoice]

You're doing just fine, sugar. :hug:

[DecemberBaby]

My son is almost 5 months old so I cannot tell you from experience... but it seems normal to me because they are like his blankie. Just only let him have his blankie at certain times. Just like some people only let their kids have their pacifiers at night. They know the rules with their pacifiers so why not with their meal time. But like I said I have no experience with this................YET!!!!:p

[Jacksmommy]

Jack is still very fond of my breasts, but he's not quite as obsessed as he once was. I think he's growing up. I wouldn't worry about what your little one is doing. It sounds perfectly normal to me.

[EJglamMOM]

It sounds perfectly normal to me. My kids were all kinda the same way at some point, the obsession goes away, only to return again around puberty..;)

My little brother nursed somewhere between 9-12 months. He always tried to stick his hand down anyone's shirt after that, man or woman, when he was extra sleepy..like he just had to rest his hand in a boobcrack, or hold onto the collar of people's shirts.

He went through a phase where he was boob obsessed around 2 or 3, long after he'd weaned, so I don't think it was because he was breastfed. It was kinda funny, he would dig bra tags,ones with pictures, out of the trash can and we'd find them hidden in his back pocket. He would point to women's breasts and ask 'Are those your boobies' Eventually he stopped seeming so obsessed with breasts...He's 15 now and not some kind of boob obsessed weirdo, or not any more than any other 15yo boy anyway.

[FirstTimeMommy]

I agree that it's normal. Someone recently commented that my little girl was obsessed because she will stick her hand down my shirt was she is tired. But I compared it to a child with a bottle or pacifier.