Joanna Fortune: My toddler gets upset when I breastfeed the baby

There is no ideal way to navigate this transition — remember that good enough really is good enough

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My third child was born six weeks ago. We’re exhausted but elated to have a healthy baby. My issue is with our two-year-old middle child. He gets upset nearly every time I breastfeed the baby, saying he wants me to play with him or he tries to climb into my lap. I’ve tried to explain that the baby needs to be fed first before I give him attention, but it makes no difference. I know he’s struggling to adjust, and in time, he’ll probably accept the new arrival, but is there anything I can do in the meantime to help him?

This stage with a newborn is so all-consuming and intense that it often leaves us with little emotional bandwidth for anything else. In this state of overwhelm and exhaustion, trying to reason with a toddler (a difficult task at the best of times) becomes near impossible.