Argghhh, the twiddling!

[Latte Mama]

Make it stop! DS was never a twiddler until recently (he's almost 16 months). But now, when he's nursing, the other hand is wandering all over. Many times he is reaching for my other breast and his little nails are scratchy . I don't like this.

I remove his hand, hold it, kiss his fingers, ANYTHING to distract. Has anyone had any success trying something else? And why do they do this, I'm curious.

[D_McG]

there are tons of threads about this (meaning - it's a common thing).

People seem to either
suck it up
succeed with the whole distraction thing
just don't allow it. If you twiddle you're done nursing for that time period.

I'm in the 3rd camp. I have never, ever allowed it and my little girl will STILL try in her sleep. It's so ingrained in them. Cute but totally annoying!

[gbutterflykissesm]

Wow, I didn't realize this was a "thing". My EBF 7 month old is SUCH a twiddler! He is such a distracted nurser that unless he is super hungry, he won't nurse unless he's alone in a room with only me. If someone so much as walks through the door he will sense it and stop nursing. And his free arm is constantly moving... touching my face, his face, grabbing his ear, or his new one of late--whacking himself in the head!

[kalamos23]

DD started REALLY twiddling around that age - she was obsessed with my other nipple (and it drove me up the walls stimulation wise). I tried to always only show the boob she was nursing on, and keep the other one covered, and she is getting slightly better. She doesn't scratch anymore, I just kept reiterating that that gives mama owies. Now she just puts her hand on the other boob, and it's usually only at night. Oh, and she will be 18mo on teh 3rd. Hope your LO slows down too!

[asoulunbound]

If my dd (14mths) wants to nurse she cannot touch my other boob. I've tried showing her how to be gentle, tried trimming her nails short enough... I didn't know this was a thing either. I have held her hand sometimes or I hand her a little toy that she can manipulate one handedly. I think whatever you do you have to be gentle but firm- just like everything!

[farmidwife]

i've always figured that the whole "nipples/areolas are darker to attract babies' attention" thing sort of applied to this, although not all kids lose interest when the other breast is covered and sometimes they do it without looking (but maybe by then it's just a manual habit...)

other thing i thought of, though, is that the nipple stimulation might increase milk flow enough to make a habit of it, especially the INTENSE older twiddlers (and their little razor nails!)

yeah, i would focus on limiting how much it bugs you, as in trimming/filing nails (maybe when asleep for a kiddo that age?) ending the nursing session early if twiddling happens, as pp suggested, and keeping up with the distracting stuff. it's hard, though, to keep the hands busy all the time!

[Gentle~Mommy :)]

Both my boys were/are obsessive twiddlers, the only time I am free of it is when I am nursing them both at the same time (usually first thing in the morning)

but individually it didn't really get better and they are 3.5 and almost 5 now and still do it.

[Latte Mama]

Thanks mamas for commiserating. I think I'll try wearing my sleep bra in the house again. I used to wear it all the time when I leaked but stopped when the leaking stopped. If I have the bra on, then the other boob is covered and it's not so bad.

And yes, I have to file those nails. I always trim but can't quite get them short enough.

[KayTeeJay]

Oh lord, the twiddling is awful! My DS is 11 months and tries SO hard to do it, especially when he's tired. It's not just while nursing, though. If I have just gotten out of the shower and pick him up, his hand is like a nipple-seeking missile. I have to keep the other one covered up. It's the only way I've found that really works.

[Baby_Cakes]

Mine reaches her hand down my bra to find the other nip! And she just started this too, this month (she's 15 mo next week). I just keep pulling her hand away, telling her it isn't nice, please don't bother the other nursie. Or, I hand her a toy, or give her something to hold in that other hand. If I'm trying to nurse her to sleep, I won't give her something too stimulating -- just her lovey or maybe wad up my shirt a bit. Ugh, it's so annoying, I agree!!!

[finnegansmom]

My son twiddles and also is fascinated with my belly button. Fighting a nursing toddler to sleep in our bed, while he gropes my belly button is enough to make me scream. it's so awful....we fight and fight until he falls asleep. he seems to do it more at night, like it's his nighttime ritual. Not a fan.

[kalamos23]

Michelle - DD does the bellybutton now! I was wondering why she wasn't going after the boob as much when I realized that she had just swapped the bellybutton/rubbing my stomach for the other boob... this should be fun. She also does it more at night as well.

[Sheryl1678]

I wear a nursing necklace or teething necklace every single day. I put it on as soon as I wake up and put it away when I go to bed. It is always around my neck and ready to place in her hand when she twiddles. If she wont accept it, it usually means that something else is bothering her and she isn't that hungry. She has had it since birth though and might be impossible to introduce to a twiddling toddler.