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Help! DD is 6 months & keeps pinching my boobs really really hard when she's feeding!
I've cut her nails down, which has helped the scratches but it flipping hurts!!!!!
Tried - giving her something to hold, holding her hand, pulling her off when she does it but she just seems to love the sensation of touching my breasts.
Suggestions welcome or just some reassurance that this will pass :/
Mine did this too. And by memory they didn't stop :( They are definitely into grabbing things at the 6months age so its probably an exploring thing for her to do plus comfort.
If you put Mittens on would this help?
Ouch yep went though this with ds. I think he was a few months older though so I tried taking him off and saying no to teach him. From memory he didn't really understand. It did pass though! I bought some of pinky McKays boobie beads too which I had marginal success with.
It hurts doesn't it! Ouch!
It did pass. I made a game out of it - like 'gotcha' with my hand or catching her hand under my chin and she would smile at me.
I think part of the reason they do this is stimulating letdown and your supply.
Sometimes gentle persistence works, but sometimes mums will find there little ones are even more determined than they are. Have you tried something else with a similar texture/feel to the breast? Maybe it's partly a sensory thing and something a bit squishy that she can pinch would be more effective as an alternative?
It will most likely pass and at the outside, as they get older it gets easier to enforce boundaries in your relationship.
Ooh, I'm going through this myself right now. I'm trying to rustle up all the onesies we have with built-in mittens.
Hold onto her hand. Gave you tried a breastfeeding necklace?
It does pass. I generally just keep redirecting their hands, taking their hand off but not making a fuss about it.
Pop a sock on her hand. DH did it to my DD after we'd been wrestling and crying for 20 minutes. She fell asleep almost instantly.
It gets very uncomfortable & annoying. I have found persistence pays, I just keep moving DS hand away. Holding his hand or distracting him with a song.