How to get DD to let go of my nipple

[maptome]

DD is 1.5 years old.  We cosleep up against each other.  We breastfeed.  She gets up every couple of hours.  I pick her up, nurse her, and put her down.  She doesn't do side-lying, and she doesn't fall asleep nursing. She likes to use a pacifier while sleeping. I'm fine with all of that.  The problem is, she will only fall asleep if holding on to my nipple with her hand.  Once she's asleep, she lets go.

I've tried introducing a lovey slowly.  She had a bear that she liked, and she would cuddle him while nursing and sleep with him.  After a month of trying to get her attached to the bear, I started trying to move her hand off my nipple to the bear.  When I do this, she takes her beloved bear and throws him across the room.

I've tried not letting her and she just didn't go to sleep, like for 5 hours at a time.

Sometimes it doesn't bother me, but sometimes I feel like it's just too much.  Too, I hate to use the word, clingy.  I need a little space.

What should I do?

[LyndsayMW]

OMG, I don't have any answers, but came here this morning to ask about a similar problem... mine likes to hold my nipple in his mouth though (even while sleeping). And shove his little fingernails into my skin. And our standoffs last just about as long as yours. So: I feel your pain, sister.

I am noticing that my "I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE" nights coincide with the beginning of my (as yet mostly invisible) period and ovulating. So every two weeks-ish. Yay for that.

[maptome]

Originally Posted by LyndsayMW 

And shove his little fingernails into my skin.

Yes, the fingernails are the worst!  Imagine them on the nipple.  She'll pick and pick and pinch and pinch, which I failed to mention in my original post.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LyndsayMW 

I am noticing that my "I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE" nights coincide with the beginning of my (as yet mostly invisible) period and ovulating. So every two weeks-ish. Yay for that.

Yeah, I noticed this also.  I guess it's the nipple sensitivity combined with my crabbiness.

[beebalmmama]

OP, What about giving her an extra pacifier to hold in her hand? Not sure what else to tell you except gently removing her hand over time....kind of like a weaning method I guess.

Lyndsay - Does your ds use a pacifier?  I would gently removed my nipple and QUICKLY pop in my ds's pacifier and sometimes this would work. Otherwise we would try again. I used the Pantley pull out method for awhile with ds1....not initially for weaning just to get him to sleep without my nipple in his mouth.