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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

wandering hands

15 replies

LadyBee · 20/10/2008 17:30

My 6 mo DS always seems to have his top arm waving around while I'm BFing him. His hand sort of waves around searching for something to explore, pat, pull on, squeeze, scrape, claw, etc etc. (My chest, hair, chin, necklace, arm, other breast, clothes, even occassionally his leg). I sometimes wonder whether he doesn't feel secure enough while I'm feeding him (sometime just rest him on a pillow so my hands are a free), so try pulling him in to me more, but I don't think it makes much difference. It didn't occur to me that this might not be normal until I watched a couple of friends feeding and their babies (both girls...is it a boy thing?) just lay there calmly feeding with their arms all tucked in.
Does this happen to anyone else? Honestly, it feels like an all out assault sometimes.

OP posts:
WhereWolfTheWildThingsWere · 20/10/2008 17:33

I posted about this earlier.

I am thinking about getting one of these, before my dd (8m) claws me to death.

hecAteTheirBrains · 20/10/2008 17:34

swaddle him while feeding?

filz · 20/10/2008 17:36

you can buy baby straight jackets

BloodshotEyeballsintheScarySky · 20/10/2008 17:36

Not bf but DD (9m) does this all the time. She plays with her foot, grabs my chin, hair, clothes and anything else in grabbing distance. She's very independent usually so I don't know if it's insecurity.

FloriaTosca · 20/10/2008 17:45

My Ds is the same at 12mths. To some extent he has done it from the start (he pummeled my breast like a kitten at about 1 month old)and I often swaddled him to stop him scratching but it has actually become worse as he has grown...as well as clutching, patting and pulling at anything and everything in reach he usually kicks out with one leg now too,(usually against my free arm)and sometimes he writhes around to the point of almost falling off my knee (but never breaking the latch!).It depends on how active he is at the time...night feeds are quietest.If it gets too rough or I have had enough, I usually slip a finger in to break his latch and start again asking him quietly to calm down...seems to be working as he hasnt driven me to thinking about when to stop yet....just wanted you to know you are not alone

scorpio1 · 20/10/2008 17:47

Millie does this too; i think it can be a distraction thing, or that she want to get feeind over with to play with something or see the boys.

At other quieter times she keeps still.

JustKeepSwimming · 20/10/2008 17:49

My ds2 (9mo) pinches, scratches, waves, wriggles, thumps my chest etc. everything you describe really
the pinching is new and hurst so i have to stop that but mostly i just let him get on with it!
At bedtime he tries to scratch his head so i stroke his head so my hand is in the way as he has drawn blood .

Don't remember ds1 doing this as much.

kayzisexpecting · 20/10/2008 17:49

My son has done this since he was born. He still does it now. He likes to have hold of something 99% of the time.

Shooflypie · 20/10/2008 18:01

Yup - clawing, patting, clutching, batting, my DS is the same. I thought they all did this too! If I give him my finger to clutch, this seems to keep him occupied enough to avoid major mishaps.

sunnygirl1412 · 20/10/2008 18:20

When he was 18 months - 3+ years old, my youngest used to put his hand down my cleavage when he had a cuddle and needed a bit of extra comfort - he called this 'holding my shoulder' - as in "I holding your shoulder, mummy." He didn't look for something to hold down there, just popped his hand in as if putting it in his pocket!!

Almost invariably this would lull him off to sleep, and I thought it was cute - but it was a bit shocking when his hands were cold!

VeryHungryKatypillar · 20/10/2008 18:20

Def not a boy thing, my DD (6 mo too) not only randomly waves her hands around, but also her legs. She is not a dainty eater!

hedgehog1979 · 20/10/2008 19:18

You could all be talking about DS and he is only 17 weeks, I get clawed, he does play with my beaded necklaces to the point where when I am looking for a new one/someone says they will buy me jewellry I ask them to check it is really strong. I do like the look of that website though

kayzisexpecting · 20/10/2008 19:47

That website looks great. Those necklaces are lovely.

LadyBee · 20/10/2008 20:50

I did buy a BFing necklace, but from here when they were having a sale. It entertains him for about ooohhh, 2 seconds.

Good to know I'm not the only one.
Might try offering a finger or muslin or something for him to hold on to next time.

OP posts:
madmouse · 20/10/2008 21:23

ds is 8.5 months and likes to squeeze, massage, pull, pinch....

the latest: he is discovering that he has a right hand (cerebral palsy, it hs taken him a while) so now he wants to touch his hands together while bf, which really gets in the way.

guess bf gets boring when you get bigger

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