Eye rubbing while breastfeeding?

[smallbob]

Hello, I'm new to Mumsnet but have been reading and learning from here for a little while.

My 5 month old daughter has taken to rubbing her eye while breastfeeding. I lie her on a feeding pillow on her side to feed and she rubs whichever eye is on the 'bottom' - changing over when she changes sides.

She does this regardless of when she last slept or is due to sleep and it stops as soon as she stops feeding. Her eyes don't look weepy, sticky or red but she does go at it some - I've taken to holding onto her hand to stop her doing it as I'm worried she will make her eye sore.

I'm just curious to know if anyone else's baby does this and whether I should get it checked out?

thanks very much

it might just be a distracted sort of tic, if it is unconnected to sleep. my dd grabs while she feeds (if i let her!). she will grab my breast, my face, whatever is in reach and then sort of squeeze while she is feeding.

i hold her hand while feeding or let her grab my finger - it satisfies her urge to squeeze without urting me. perhaps your baby is doing something similar - hand holding may help.

fwiw, my dd started the grabbing at about 5 mo too.

hurting not urting!

My five-month old DD does exactly the same thing! I try to put my finger or a bit of my top in her grasp to stop her poking herself in the eye. She also sometimes grabs at her ears. I'm starting to get tempted by the idea of a nursing necklace.

Hi Smallbob,

I don't know about the eye rubbing (barring sleepiness which it isn't in your dd's case) but lots of babies like twiddling and rubbing and kneading things when they are bfing; my ds twiddles on my other nipple (ouch) or pulls my hair.

Have you thought about using a breastfeeding necklace? I have just bought one for ds (9.5 months) and wish I'd bought it donkey's years ago - he plays with that instead of other parts of my anatomy!!

Here is where I bought my bf necklace.

Xposts naturelover it hasn't made ds less distractable admittedly, but it has stopped the twiddling quite a bit!!

Naturelover - I've ordered two nursing necklaces this week - I'll let you know if they work.

I'm glad she's not the only one though!

ooh arr xpost Reversethepolarity too!

my ds grabs all sorts of things when he's nursing. he's started to do a sort of fish hook onto my bottom lip which is really irritating!!

he would twiddle my other nipple if i let him, but i don't allow it as i find it far too annoying!

i use a nursing necklace and my dd's both loved them..

Thanks all. I will see how we get on with the nursing necklaces. Ooh nipple twisting whilst feeding does sound too much theUrbanDryad,