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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to expect that, in return for 6 months patient, sometimes painful and frequently exhausting breastfeeding

19 replies

DorothyMantooth · 01/10/2013 03:10

DD will at the very least NOT shred my nipples to an unrecognisable bloody pulp?

I've read that this delightful habit is known as 'twiddling' but am fairly certain that GBH is a more appropriate term.

DD seems to have taken this up as a comfort thing in the last couple of weeks and she now refuses to sleep if she's not allowed to do it. In my sleep deprived haze I've been letting her get away with it but this morning I found an oozing leprous sore where my nipple used to be.

I have been helpfully advised that I need to discourage her from doing this but exclamations and stern words only result in giggling (on her part, I am quite far from giggling). WIBU to sellotape oven mitts to her hands?

OP posts:
koalacube · 01/10/2013 03:19

YANBU Grin

DS2 would do this if he could get away with it. My nipples are to sensitive and uncomfortable though do I grab his hands. He did actually pick a mole off me over the course of a few weeks when I foolishly let him twiddle with it Shock

Can you wear a sleep bra or vest or something to try and fend her off? Then go for the oven mitt of course.

I'm just lying awake as DS1 its up with a high temp. On the rare occasion where his little brother is sleeping peacefully.Hmm

ipswichwitch · 01/10/2013 03:34

Oh god DS used to do this. It was like he was tuning the bloody radio or something. I used to make silent screamy faces and stuff my fist in my gob to stop fr

ipswichwitch · 01/10/2013 03:35

Stop from shrieking at him.

In my sleep deprived fog I pressed post too soon!

miniandfloss · 01/10/2013 06:27

My 10 mo ds is obsessed with nipples at the moment. Unfortunately not just mine but anyone who puts their nipple within reach. He is like a ninja in getting his hands down clothes. I'm constantly telling him my nipples are not buttons or drums or volume knobs I never knew nipples could stretch that much

I had a nasty sore a few weeks ago and the pain! He enjoys it if I scream so now just remove hands and give him his flashing bath light to hold which he is highly obsessed with. It looks like we have some crazy disco going on at 3am but stops the pain. We did get to a new low last night of blowing raspberries between the boobs as I refused to let him twiddle!

So YADNBU Grin

Melonbreath · 01/10/2013 06:46

I feel all of your pain. Dd won't take a dummy but she will twiddle one so I have found a bit of relief. Except I can't stop her biting me during feeds. It mega hurts. Sad

CrohnicallyLurking · 01/10/2013 06:52

Have you tried a nursing necklace? You wear them and whenever baby tries to twiddle your nipple, substitute the necklace instead.

Luckily DD doesn't twiddle, but she has developed the charming habit of slapping the boob as she's feeding. She also goes through phases with biting, when she's got a tooth coming. I've been ending the feed if she bites.

olgaga · 01/10/2013 06:57

I understood that all babies do this instinctively! Apparently it stimulates milk production.

It did get very wearing Sad.

Crowler · 01/10/2013 07:00

Poor you, OP. I remember this. And when they come distracted while feeding, they like to move their heads 180 degrees without service interruption.

thesnowmanrocks · 01/10/2013 07:22

My dd 10 months likes to knead my breast while feeding! So i have little fingernail like sores at the top of breast. They start to heal then she kneads the scabs off again! You would think she was thankfull for getting gold top but no just looks like my breasts have been in a fight!

TiredyCustards · 01/10/2013 07:26

Do you nbt leak like a tap from the other one while feeding?

Ds likes to try and pick my moles off Hmm

thesnowmanrocks · 01/10/2013 07:29

Hehe, no she kneads the one shes feeding on. Cant gain access to other as well and truly covered!!

Doingakatereddy · 01/10/2013 07:45

Crowler that's called Nipple lash in our house!

DD's latest trick is to flick scratch my arm as she feeds. DH is curious about why after 16 hours a day of feeding, biting, nipple lash, scratching & been simultaneously beaten up by a toddler I don't fancy a cuddle Sad

rosieposey78 · 01/10/2013 09:49

Ynbu. My dd does it occasionally. Along with slapping, biting and bf acrobatics. Also the head yank whilst attached.
So ungrateful!

Famzilla · 01/10/2013 09:53

DD pinches with her nails. No amount of cutting or filing stops the pain when she grabs a bit of loose skin. Gives me the rage.

TokenGirl1 · 01/10/2013 22:35

God, I'm lucky as I think I escaped that one!

Do you have long hair? If so, could you hand that to her instead? My ds used to play with my hair when feeding. He still does it now when he's tired, it's a lovely reminder of that bond and it's very relaxing!

georgettemagritte · 01/10/2013 22:50

My DD also pinches - hard enough to leave bruises :( And when feeding lying down has recently started to roll onto her front and get up whilst still feeding - owwww!

Choos123 · 01/10/2013 23:27

Gawk I didn't know there was a circle of hell worse than the exploratory bites! Something to dread for the next one. I'd be tempted to treat it like biting, straight off the boob for 10 mins per offence :)

Original poster
DorothyMantooth · 01/10/2013 23:30

Oh koala, poor you! Both for the poorly DS and the mole. I am covered in them and you've now given me a creeping paranoia, so thanks for that. Unfortunately sleep bra or the like won't work as she attacks the nipple she's feeding from - she switches at lightning speed between feeding and thumb-sucking/twiddling and back again. I need to be firmer in moving her hand and telling her no, but the last time I did that she ended up awake for 3 hours in the middle of the night ... until I let her do it again, that is!

crohnically, a friend has suggested one of those necklace thingies, will definitely look into it.

tiredy, I rarely leak from the other side, especially at the moment when she has decided that hourly wakings (and feedings) are really the thing. Another thing I need to fix, but I am so exhausted I don't have the energy to try. DD does quite often milk me like a cow from the nipple she's feeding on, and ends up just squirting herself in the face, which I find particularly vexing - I worked too bloody hard to produce that milk for it to be used as moisturiser, ta muchly!

token, I do have long hair and will try that tip - it's generally tied back in fear that it will be collateral damage in an attack of baby rage, but I'm willing to try anything!

Thanks for all your sympathy!

OP posts:
SettingFireToOurInsides · 01/10/2013 23:33

We have a comfort blanket with attached small animal that gets round this, introduced around 6 months I think.

Trouble is it works too well, he won't feed without it now! He likes to chuck it around for me to pass back... Interrupting my mn time grr

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