ouch - 8 month old pinching me whilst feeding!

[princessglitter]

My 8 month old dd is breastfeeding really well, but often when I feed her she likes to pinch and pull the skin on my arm. My arm is covered in little red marks and it is really sore. She also likes to pinch the breast she is feeding on and roll the skin between her fingers as well as scratching it.

I can't take much more of this punishment! She pinches surprisingly hard.

Has anyone else experienced this, or know how I can discourage it, please?

my 5 month old has just started doing this. Dont know how to stop it but wanted to let you know that you're not alone. I feel your pain!!

Sympathise, DD2 (7 mths) does this, I tuck her little arm under mine which was to stop her grabbing at the bottle & anything else but she pinches my bingo wings , it is v sore.

You need to teach the word 'GENTLE'. When she does it say 'No! GENTLE' and take her off the breast.

I have taught DD that if I say gentle and she ignores it, the boobie goes away. She will still poke but doesn't pinch anymore.

However she's 19 months and it's taken me three months for her to make the association so hopefully someone else will have an idea.

Nursing beads can help younger babies by giving them something to fiddle with though. But DD has stolen and hidden mine!

My ds did this for ages! Someone told me they do it to make the milk come quicker - like a kitten kneading - but I don't know if that's true or not.

To be honest, I didn't find anything to stop it. He's 17 months now and still does it now, but is old enough to put down and be told No and understand.

The only thing that helped us was putting a muslin or comforter over the breast so he fidgeted with that instead. Some mothers I know have had success with nursing necklaces! We just rode it out and he stopped doing it at about 9-10 months!

I put something (anything!) in ds's hand to prevent him pinching my breast. That could be my finger, a muslin, my top, a toy. But it's a constant game to keep his hand on that object rather than my skin.

have you tried wearing a long necklace or scarf ? Both mine did this and I also ended up with little pinch marks over my arm and breast! I think they get a bit casual/bored with the whole thing. I just let mine fiddle with a long necklace with one hand and she forgot to pinch me with the other. Mind you it might not work with yours but worth a try. She will grow out of it tho.

I bf'd Baby GoodBits until he was 21 months and had this more or less constantly from when he was about 6mo.

I found nothing helped and had little red scratches on my breasts......which did eventually disappear - a few days after stopping bfing.

Sorry not to be more help

yep ds (9mo) does this too - although more often than not he pulls on the other nipple and them tweaks it like a radio knob...owww

luvaduck - that's also to stimulate faster milk flow! my ds would do it if i allowed him, i just hold his hand. if he won't let me hold his hand i put him down on the floor and walk away as i find it intensely irritating! the only time he gets away with it is when we're in bed and i'm too sleepy to stop him!

It drives me mad sometimes, ds2 pummels and scratches. I try to hold his hand or put a bit of clothing between but it can be really sore. The pincer movement is like he's trying to get more milk out.

My dd (14 months) has done this for a while now. I try and hold her hand or pretend to nibble her fingers, just keeping the hand occupied it the only thing that works for us. I tried big necklaces but just ended up getting half strangled. The really annoying thing is the hand thats underneath her sometimes ends up pinching my waist which hurts and tickles at the same time.

Good to know I'm not alone, anyway! Have tried tucking dds arm underneath, but she won't have it. I think I'm feeling it more because it's summer and I am wearing sleeveless tops. All that exposed flesh gives her more opportunity to pinch it.

DS (4.5 months) bought me some "babybeads" for my birthday today

Not sure how well they'll distract while feeding, but he loves them. His eyes lit up when I opened them, and he's walked off with SIL to take his cousin to school (while I dye my hair). In the sling with one arm on SIL's shoulder and the other hand grabbing those beads :-D

He scratches when feeding and also when in the sling, so I'm hoping these will help!

my ds went through a phase of doing this and still does sometimes - agree that it is painful, he seemed to do it almost like he was doodling or something! I'd try grabbing his hand and holding it but he'd usually sqiurm away