Okay ladies, so far you’ve been happily nursing your arm-sized, semi-manageable baby, but recently you’ve noticed some changes. For one, the chair you once used to feed is getting a little cramped, second, feedings are getting shorter, and lastly, your milk no longer gives your baby that morphine smile after each feeding.

Well moms, you are entering the post-newborn breastfeeding phase and things are about to change even more quickly… but fear not, as a nursing mother of an almost 10-month-old baby, I’m here to soothe your worries…

Here are my tips and tricks to get you through the new breastfeeding journey, or should I say storm, as safely as possible.

tip one

Remove all colorful and shiny objects from your person; this includes jewelry, headscarves, or particular items of clothing that may present a high risk of pulling, biting, swallowing, etc.

A funny thing happens to babies after 6 months…they start to realize they can touch things, but not just touch them, destroy them, or destroy the person they are attached to. Now, I learned this the hard way, when my little one nearly ripped off one of my earrings…thank God it was actually in my ear and not anywhere else…imagine this happening with an earring in the nose or worse. tongue piercing! However, women should protect themselves and dress in the simplest, safest, and most baby-friendly clothing when breastfeeding.

tip two

Beware of the biting face.

It’s now a fact that when babies get those new pearly whites, they want to try them on everything… including our nipples.

But don’t be too scared, biting usually comes with a warning sign, it’s usually a very cheeky grimace your baby will make when he’s about to squeeze that nipple. Now the most important thing to remember when this happens is to have the perfect reaction, this is crucial. You will see that the first reaction of the first bite of the nipple will dictate the entire interaction between the teeth and the nipple. If the reaction is large, the baby will think that you are playing and she will do it for attention, but if it is too small, the baby will not fully understand what the reaction is and will try to bite a second time. The safest bet, after six months, protect those nipples with a plastic shield or do what I do, grin like a bear and repeat the “it’s all part of being a mother” statement.

tip three

Nurse in an open area that gives your baby plenty of leg room.

You already know those annoying Chihuahua puppies, those that as soon as you sit down they jump and lick you all over. Okay, now imagine nursing one of those dogs. Yes, there you have it, this is what breastfeeding looks like after 6 months. Your little baby will not only constantly move, but in the mad frenzy of sucking as much milk as possible he will climb on top of you, sometimes eating on his stomach or, like my little one, while trying to stand on his head. Here’s my advice, lie down, pop those nipples out, keep your arm wide open, and let the precious bundle of joy do its thing. I find it best to give in to the feeding frenzy, it usually only lasts 10-20 minutes and if you’re lucky you’ll end up with the baby somehow lying on top of you in a milk coma.

Yes, breastfeeding after six months is no walk in the park, but hey, what a part of motherhood it is. The only way to get by is to laugh, embrace the chaos, and accept the fact that for the next year or so your body will be a fully stocked, all-inclusive, unlimited smorgasbord!

Until next time moms, happy nursing!