How do I explain breastfeeding my newborn to my older child?

i think it will definitely depend on your older child's age, but i feel you should be truthful about what you are doing and how important it is. i had my second baby when my elder one was 6, so she was able to understand some things when i explained. i told her that as newborn babies don't have teeth, they can only have liquids. and while mothers care for their babies, they also produce milk in their body which is only for newborns. this is the healthiest food that a baby can have, and mummy has to feed baby only this. i explained and my older one was able to understand most of it.

I didn't explain it to my toddler, whom I bottle-fed my breastmilk to so she didn't know the concept of breastfeeding. So when her baby sister arrived, I just started doing it in front of her, and then I said, "I'm giving your sister her milk!" And she understood the word milk, and that whenever her sister cried, she normally was asking for milk. My toddler became my "milk nazi," in fact. Whenever her sister cried, she'd go, "Naomi needs milk, Mommy!!!!"

i would breastfeed in a very natural way, and let my older one watch whenever she came in the room or wanted to be around me. i told her that when baby cries, the food is inside mamma's body and only mamma can give baby the food. so, almost by instinct, each time the baby cried, my older one would come running and tell me mamma it is time for baby's milk, give her food :)

Let your older child watch you breastfeed. He will understand that that's where his younger sibling is getting nourishment from. Answer all his questions so he will acknowledge and be open to breastfeeding as a natural thing to do.

Yes, I will explain why does baby needs to drink milk from breasts and talk about benefits of it. I also showed her pictures of latching while she was young so she understand about the breastfeeding.

thanks

Why do you need to explain it?