how to make him stop rubbing me

[JBaxter]

Crazy complaint huh. DS4 is almost 18 months old. BY FAR the longest Ive nursed I have had low supply EVERY baby but was determined to stick it out with bfing this time.

anyway on to the issue. Jack has taken to rubbing my other breast/nipple when he nurses. He MUST have his hand on the "free" one and rolls at pinches squeezes rubs my breast and it HURTS I say no take his hand away stop nursing etc if I put him down he just cries I dont think he "gets" it that what he is doing is hurting me Ive tried holding his hand ( didnt work) its MUCH worse at nights ( like 5am when he wakes up) Its like did you ever watch a kitten nurse how they paw at their momma I feel like that

How can I make his stop. Its REALLY making me want to wean but I SO wanted to wait for him to stop on his own. Its my biggest regret with the other boys.

Any suggestions?

[pbjmama]

My dd does the same thing to my mole. Actually there is a very long and funny thread in the BBI forum about moles that would relate to your issue. I have more tolerance some days than others. I make sure her nails are always trimmed and if she doesn't stop when I ask her to I do put her down and tell her she can have more nursing/holding later. Sometimes she does cry. I comfort her and tell her more nursing later/distract.

[editornj]

Ouch! DS was pinching/rolling my skin, or rubbing my upper chest (and it was irritating, not painful). I started talking to him about his ouchies/boo-boos/hurting throughout the day. Then when I reacted in pain and said "ouchie!, that hurts mommy" while he was nursing, I think he did "get it." He was right around that age, maybe a tiny bit older. I would also hold his hands at his sides, or cover his arm with a blanket and keep his arm pinned at his side. He didn't love that (he would pull his arm out and go for the rubbing/pinching) but I would take his hand away and repeat and repeat. Good luck.

[ktgrok]

that is really common, it actually increases your supply. But, its SUPER annoying, my son did it and it about drove me through the roof. What worked for us was to let him touch but with a flat hand. I would lay his OPEN hand on my breast, palm against my skin or shirt, and lay my hand over it to keep it flat. As he tried to pinch/twiddle I would say firmly "Flat hand". It took a while, but it got to the point where I didn't have to keep my hand on his anymore, he got very gentle. Later, when we nightweaned, that was how he got back to sleep, by doing "flat hand" on my breast, but not nursing. It was really really sweet at that point. That was 7 years ago and I look back on that part fondly now, so it was worth working to get him to that point.