Middle-of-the-night nipple tweaking... with fingernails... rant

[fireHC11]

I think my nipples wrinkle in fear when they see DS (10mo).

I've become a really good sleeper. Usually, I can sort of half-sleep through nursing at night.

Last night? DS went to bed at 9pm; I nursed DS at 11 and then when I went to bed at 1am (I am a full-time student, and gotta get some work hours in somehow!).

At 3am DS woke up to nurse. And he nursed, and nursed, and nursed, switching sides, crawling all over me, sitting up, babbling, until about 5:30am. (Developmental milestone? New tooth?)

But that's not all. The whole time, his little sharp talon fingernails were digging into my nipple. He figured out that, if it's covered, he can slide his little slimy hand up my shirt and grab it, and squeeze, fingernails embedded into it.

If not the nipple, he uses his nails to try to peel off the birth marks on my chest.

I can kind of deal with this during the day (distracting toy, or just holding his hands down).... but at night, when I'm half-asleep, there's no way.

What can I do? Please tell me you've survived this torture, nipples intact.

[Maluhia]

We had a similar thing in that DD wanted to pinch my arm OVER and OVER and OVER again. We softly moved her hand back to her own arm but it took MONTHS of calm redirection. She now lightly pinches her armpits when she's tired, so for her it's a sign of being really tired and wanting to fall asleep - just like some people twirl their hair.

It must have been awful to have him scratch at you - I'm so sorry Mama! Just clip those little tallons so they are not long and gently re-direct his hand to his own body....there is a light at the end of this tunnel!

[MujerMamaMismo]

THis was exactly us last night...shocking sleep, nursed all night long and when not nursing was tweaking with finger nails. I also have my first post partum period and my nipples are super sensitive. It was hell.

No advice, just solidarity!

[fireHC11]

Oh! Poor mama, MujerMamaMismo.

Last night was better -- less tweaking. I wore a tighter t-shirt to bed, which helped. What's up with the vigorous nursing? Ugh.

[RedPony]

I've been enduring many of these nights as well as my 7 month old madly teethes, growth spurts, and hits all her developmental milestones at once (heavy sarcasm). I HATE the tweaking, or attempted tweaking, because I just can't stand it. So I hold or redirect her hand the entire time she's nursing. Two nights ago it was FOUR hours in a row! Ugh. She'll stroke, poke, grab, or twist whatever she can reach. I have to jam the sheet between us to even begin to be comfortable because it all drives me insane.

iloveco-sleepig iloveco-sleeping iloveco-sleeping iloveco-sleepign iloveco-sleeping!

[nemawei]

DD is 21 months and the same way. It drives me crazy. When I don't let her have access to my other nipple, she finds my belly button and sticks her talons as far in as she can. Or, she pinches me. I tried redirecting but it doesn't work for very long... as soon as I drift off to sleep, she has her hands on me again. I think it's some sort of weird comfort for her.

My solution is to wear a nursing gown under a long sleeved tshirt. That way, I just lift my shirt up and expose only the breast she is drinking out of. I tuck the extra shirt in around the other breast and she can't get in. Oh, and I keep her nails cut as short as possible. Even the tiniest little length of nail, and she'll scratch scratch scratch ALL NIGHT.