Talk

My 16 week old has started to scratch but it seems mainly unintentional.

My BF book says that anything you think is intentional, a firm no and removal of the hand will teach baby. Not tried it yet but it might work for you.

It's a shame the necklace thing isn't working. I managed to get my DD to fiddle with my earlobe, could you try that?

Can you put a sock on his hand? Or give him something else to squeeze on

Mine went through a phase of doing this, soon stopped!

It's natural and it increases your supply. Try filing the nails. I do it regularly and do it vertically as well if that makes sense so they're not sharp. If not, interesting necklaces are good. Or put your bra up on the other side and let baby fiddle with the clasp.

PS a firm no won't work. It's a baby without the brain development necessary for that kind of impulse control.

If you figure it out let me know. I don't have scabs as I keep his nails very short (because of the pinching!) but I have lots of small bruises where he pinches and sort of rolls the skin.

I went through this. And the punching, slapping, twiddling, scratching and I'm afraid, biting. It's all a phase. They move on to something else. I never found a way to stop it. Sorry it's probably not what you wanted to hear!

Mine used to play with my hair, not sure if yours is long enough?

I've bought a new fiddle necklace

So far it's working - but the toddler keeps trying to claim it; I've also filed his nails which has helped, thanks.

I'm curious though - what was the deleted post about?

I remember the wee bruises from that stage. Distracting with a cuddly to squish while feeding worked for one child... Sophie the giraffe for another. Holding a wee hand helped another... but it passed.

Dd1 used to roll the skin and twiddle the other nipple. Drove me nuts but I just let her (pfb)
Dd2 would just fight with dd1 (tandem fed) and if she was ever on alone I think she just went for the bra strap.
DS is a tenacious little thing!

(The deleted post was spam from a baby-equipment seller)

Oh <disappointed>
Not some personal attack on how I could be so cruel to my child as to stop his natural urges then?

Socks on hands. Became part of our routine, ds1 would hold his hands out when I said 'socks on!'

(Nope! She popped up in a thread earlier posting long Amazon links that I really hoped were for the discontinued bm storage bottles the thread was about… but it was for car seat mirrors )

My 8MO does the same. Covered in scratches.
I do keep moving or holding his hand every time but he's staring to fight me off now.

He also likes to grab my face whilst feeding, usually resulting in his fingers up my nose.

Can someone recommend a good fiddle necklace? I didn't even know that as a thing!

www.babipur.co.uk/grimms-nursing-necklace-small-beads.html

I got this one