Nursing a baby is one of a mother's greatest challenges. Few other responsibilities associated with motherhood can be as tiring and stressful as nursing a baby. But it is also about the greatest joys of motherhood. As every mother would agree, nursing a baby is a function that calls for maximum dedication, encouragement and support of family members. Although baby nursing, particularly the aspect of breastfeeding needs all these elements and calls for devotion and support on daily, sometimes even an hourly basis, the rewards of the labour are wonderful.

It is much more tiring and stressful when it involves nursing two siblings, much more so when both are nursed simultaneously. It is not unusual for a toddler to struggle for the mother's breast milk with the newborn junior during breastfeeding and want to suck the other breast. While many toddlers do so for emotional reassurance, others do so just because breastfeeding a newborn frequently reminds them of breast milk. In any case, it takes much understanding, patience and strength on the part of the mother to cope with such situations.

Notwithstanding the joy associated with baby nursing, breastfeeding inclusive, tandem nursing can often overwhelm a mother and can be one of the hardest things for a nursing mother. However, for most mothers, it can also be one of the most rewarding experiences in terms of emotional satisfaction and sense of fulfillment of motherhood, being seen as a tool and opportunity for the mother to fulfill or satisfy the needs of her own offspring.

Tandem nursing can be a deliberate design on the part of a mother or it can be an incidental occurrence, hence women engage in tandem nursing for different reasons. Some mothers undertake tandem nursing to preempt the sense of jealousy and insecurity often felt by toddlers when the mother is breastfeeding a newborn. The arrival of a new baby in a family brings about many changes in family circumstances and attitudes particularly for older siblings who often feel jealous or insecure as a result of the special and preferential attention given to the new born. Older siblings can find this situation threatening and will often compete for the mum's love and attention with the new born. By continuing to bread feed a toddler, some mothers believe this helps him or her feel close and loved as against a sense of abandonment which the presence of a new born often engenders in a toddler. By tandem nursing their new born and older sibling, some mothers feel connected to the two and preventing the older one from feeling pushed out of the nest. By maintaining the close nursing relationship, many mothers feel the toddler will feel more nurtured and comforted as he adapts to his new baby.

In addition to the above reasons, some mothers also adopt tandem nursing because they believe that it engenders a bond or closeness as well as a spirit of sharing between the new born and the toddler which is bound to grow into a greater family love and unity which in turn contributes to the joy a mother feels at baby nursing and motherhood.

Another reason mothers engage in tandem nursing is to avoid premature weaning of a child which could cause him or her psychological damages. It is generally believed that sudden end to an active nursing relationship just before the arrival of a new baby can stressful and upsetting to a child. So some mothers who feel that they have not given their children enough attention by the time the next baby arrives and that their toddler still needs more attention have recourse to tandem nursing as a way to make up. There are as many other reasons for tandem nursing as there are mothers.

There is no gainsaying the fact that tandem nursing is a challenging engagement with lots of stress and physical exhaustion. Ironically, in spite of its demanding nature, virtually every mother that engages in tandem nursing does so with great amount of joy and sense of satisfaction which comes from being able to provide her children with the care and attention they need at a time they rely on their mother for such care and when such care can mean life and death to the children. This is not to talk of the emotional satisfaction a mother enjoys from the closeness with her children which breastfeeding provides.

So then, what mothers need is a knowledge of some basic principles and practice of tandem nursing which can minimize the stress and exhaustion of breastfeeding, tandem nursing in particular and also maximize the joy and satisfaction mothers can derive from tandem nursing.

As a first step, mothers should never engage in tandem nursing without considering a good family co-sleeping bed arrangement to opportunity to rest and sleep among other benefits. You should also use pillows under the arms and behind the back for more comfort.
A very important principle of tandem principle is to give priority attention to the baby which should always be positioned first as comfortably as possible, making sure to let it have the chance to nurse on the fuller side of the breast first. The toddler will instinctively position himself or herself around the baby to feed on the other breast. They could swap positions and breasts as the breastfeeding progresses. The preference to the baby is naturally called for, given that the older child, although he or she requires this special time of closeness, is not solely dependent on breast milk for nutrition, unlike the baby.

First time tandem nursing mothers may consider contacting a relation or friend who has practiced tandem nursing for advice and encouragement, particularly at times of stress. You need to talk over the matter with your spouse and other adult members of the family and solicit their assistance and support.

Most importantly, you should get as much rest as possible which will help refresh your body and spirit just like a healthy diet is very important during tandem nursing to make adequate calorie provision for three.