What is a Nursing Necklace and How Can It Help Me and My Child?
Picture this, you sit down to nurse your child. You are in a comfortable chair, you are relaxed, and 100% of your focus is on the little one in your arms...but what is your growing baby doing? Any nursing mother will tell you that as babies age they are less idle. Their little arms will twitch and their hands will look for something to grasp on to, play with, pinch or pull. For this reason, many nursing moms choose not to wear jewelry. First of all, jewelry may be hazardous to delicate little hands and features, second of all, a little one tugging on a necklace or earrings can be painful, and third of all, you do not want your favorite pieces destroyed while you are trying to feed your child.
So does this mean that nursing mothers have to forgo jewelry as a style element the entire time their child is nursing? And does that also mean that those tiny little grasping hands will find nothing to reach for? Fortunately, to both of those questions, the answer is no.
Nursing necklaces are fashionable pieces of safety jewelry that were designed with your child in mind. They are made of materials that are safe for tiny hands to grasp on to and some gentle tugging won’t harm mom either. They can provide focus for your child but are designed to fit mom's style.
How Can Nursing Necklaces Help My Child?
Nursing necklaces give your nursing baby something to play with while they are nursing. This subtle stimulation can actually help to create new neuron connections. Neuropsychology researchers recommend that babies should be encouraged to use their entire body and all of their senses to explore the world around them in order to boost brain activity (source). When your child combines the experience of eating with the tactile sensation of playing with a nursing necklace, they are beginning to form new neural pathways.
As babies grow, they become more interested in the world around them, which means they can become more easily distracted when nursing. A nursing necklace provides something for baby to play with while keeping their attention towards Mom. This can help make nursing sessions much smoother (and quicker!).
How Can Nursing Necklaces Help Me?
Most new mothers will tell you two things: 1) they are exhausted, and 2) they sometimes struggle to reclaim their identity outside of “mom”. Nursing necklaces help on both counts.
First, nursing is a great time for a mother to sit back for a moment. When you are constantly trying to steer your baby’s attention back towards you, it can get frustrating. With a nursing necklace, you can plop it right into your child’s hand and try to soak in the baby love for a few glorious minutes.
Second, it can be tough to transition to being a woman with a diaper bag and burp cloth. Adding a stylish yet safe necklace that doesn’t immediately scream “this is for baby!” can help a new mother to feel more like a woman and less like a jungle gym.
Considering all of this, why not try a nursing necklace? It will boost your child’s brain activity while making things easier for you. It’s a win-win.