does anyone know why ds pinches my breast whilst feeding?

[stainesmassif]

it's fairly recent, but he has started pinching quite hard at his night time feed. he is 9 months old, has four teeth coming through, is this likely to have anything to do with it? i love bfing, but this taking some of the relaxation out of it! he can't be distracted - will keep removing my dressing gown until he can get some skin to pinch!

My DD went through a phase of pinching me about that age whilst feeding - I really sympathise, it was so annoying, not to say painful. I really really hated it and it actually made me quite angry at her. Hopefully it will reassure you that my DD just stopped of her own accord and I then kept feeding til she was 12 months. I was so relieved when she stopped!

I know a few other people who had the same problem and no one seems to know why. My DD only had a couple of teeth at that age and wasn't teething when she did the pinching so in her case I don't think teeth and pinching were related.

In the meantime, have you tried: a breastfeeding necklace? giving your DS a little toy to hold in the pinching hand? your DH pining DS's hand down (this just frustrated my DD but it might work for you if it's just the nighttime feed)?

Good luck and I hope that it stops soon!

thanks for the comprehensive answer Wigeon, i am aiming to continue to 12 months too, but the pinching is taking some of the fun out of it. i guess he's just practising his pincer movement????

a breastfeeding necklace?! how cool - will research immediately. i have tried distracting, holding his hands, giving him a toy, but nothing is quite as good as grabbing a handful of my boob and compressing it....

I did wonder about stopping because I was starting to resent feeding DD (having previously enjoyed it), which I really didn't want to - as you say, it takes some of the fun out of it.

My SIL got me a breastfeeding necklace for Christmas when DD was being so annoying - there are loads of designs but basically they are very sturdy (but pretty!) necklaces for the baby to hold on to / twiddle / pull etc instead of attacking you. I'm sure there would be loads of threads here about various good suppliers - can't remember where my SIL got mine from I'm afraid but there are lots of possibilities at every price range.

Hi there, I think this is quite common with older babies/toddler feeding (or so it seems from the extended bf thread I've been on here) and I don't think its related to teething but probably them getting older and having a more active brain needing something else to concentrate on while they are feeding.

My DS twiddles with my other nipple, which drives me MAD! I have tried everything to stop him and distract him but he is very very persistent. I've tried toys/other objects in his hand and also holding his arm down but nothing seems to work. I probably should have been firmer about this when he was younger and cracked the habit then!

My DDs both liked a good pinch while feeding..and DD2 is still very touchy feely..if I left her to it she would still twiddle and she's just turned 6 ..i don't think she ever got over losing the boob..she misses it

DS was always a fiddler, and not having been BF for 8 months now he will still try and shove his hand down my top if very tired. They don't mean anything by it.

i've been looking at these breast necklaces on line and i think i'm missing the point! i find one and then think 'oh no, i could never wear that, it's far too garish'......definitely missing the point!

I was thinking about the necklaces yesterday as well whilst DS was mid-twiddle. I don't think they would have worked for me because you can guarantee I would be upstairs with DS and the necklace would be downstairs and vice versa.....

I think what I should have done was be stricter when DS started the twiddling thing and unlatched him every time, consistently, when he started to twiddle. I think he would have got the message eventually. I've definitely been too soft with him and suffering for it now!