7 month old DD hitting herself while nursing

[caiesmommy]

My poor dd is BEYOND strong...I'm guessing it's the exclusive b/f with little solids that's done that But she doesn't realize how strong she is and she's punching herself while nursing. I know that babies will hit the breast to help the milk come down, but that's not it. She's punching herself in the face/head/leg and my arm. She does it even when the milk is flowing, and she's having no issues...

Any advice, it's getting really scary/hard to deal with. She's bruised her face up and she can't go under a cover in public b/c of her hitting herself

[100%mom]

My son hit himself but hasn't ever bruised. Could you give her something soft to hold in her hand while she's nursing?

[pbjmama]

Is this only when breastfeeding?

My guess is that she is seeking sensory input and it is unrelated to breastfeeding. Does she have other sensory seeking behaviors? Like moving as much as possible all the time, kicking all the time, always wanting to be held (as in you can't put her down), not bothered by injuries?

Have you tried stroking her or giving her a firm massage while nursing to give her the input she needs?

[caiesmommy]

Originally Posted by pbjmama

Is this only when breastfeeding?

My guess is that she is seeking sensory input and it is unrelated to breastfeeding. Does she have other sensory seeking behaviors? Like moving as much as possible all the time, kicking all the time, always wanting to be held (as in you can't put her down), not bothered by injuries?

Have you tried stroking her or giving her a firm massage while nursing to give her the input she needs?

SHE'S EXACTLY LIKE THAT! I'm always afraid my ds is hurting her and she doesn't bat an eye. She constantly needs something to hold/do and gets distracted while nursing. I can't really do anything to help her while nursing. She seems to need me to hold my breast with my free hand. Maybe with the hand I use to support her I can rub her back. I tried to buy some boobie beads today but babies r us didn't even know what I was talking about and since she's so strong I want something that I know won't break with her pulling at it

[pbjmama]

I asked those questions because what you described sounded similar to my son and I found out that he has some sensory issues. As he got older it became bothersome - he was always running into things, crashing, jumping, etc. Had a million bruises. I couldn't always tell if it was on purpose but it was an abnormal. We did about 9 months of occupational therapy starting when he was 22 months old and it has made a world of difference in our lives. My ds doesn't have a diagnosis or anything, just a high need for sensory input so he can function at his optimal level. This isn't something that is obvious to the passerby but as his mom, well something was telling me this was odd.

Anyway, I don't want to write a novel here that is all about me but I want you to be aware that this sensory seeking behavior may be a signal that your dd has high sensory needs or a sensory disorder and in the future you may want to have an evaluation with an OT (you can get one for free through your school district) to help you determine if treatment would help. A regular ped is probably not going to be helpful in this area. A regular ped is not trained in this area. I hope this doesn't upset you and obviously I am not a professional nor can anything like this be diagnosed over the internet.

This checklist is a good tool to help you determine signs and symptoms of sensory problems -
http://www.sensory-processing-disord...checklist.html

Not sure what else to say here...if this is totally off to you please disregard. But if it rings so bells keep it in mind, do some research, keep observing your dd. I wish someone had told me!