I have a pincher!

[mamacassafrass]

and a grabber.  My 9 month DD has been really hurting me while nursing.  I teach full time so we co-sleep and reverse cycle.  It has worked well for me sleep wise until the past month.  Now she is like a kitten kneading and it.hurts.all.night.  I have tried giving her a small soft stuffed animal to hold but she usually slaps it on the bed until she gets mad, then goes back to pinching.  My breasts are covered with little red marks and occasionally bruises.  Thank heavans she doesn't have teeth yet.  I was planning on bf more two years and beyond but don't know how much more I can take.   I am exhausted at work all the time.  Good thing is, only one more month until summer break, then I will be home with her and hopefully stop the ngihttime madness!  Anyone else have a pincher? 

[D_McG]

Both of mine went through that. If they pinched, they were done. I just immediately stopped nursing them. (I mean I would move their hand but WHEN they put it back lol I would just stop nursing).

It didn't take very long for them to stop.

[Tattooed Hand]

That is good advice to stop nursing when the pinching begins. I usually take my DD's hand away and tell her to stroke mama gently. If she keeps pinching, then I stop the nursing. These episodes come and go, for my DD they are usually when she is experiencing teething pain.

[Viola]

In addition to the suggestions offered here, you might want to try breast compressions and massage yourself to stimulate letdown, since I think these behaviors can be linked to stimulating flow and then possibly become a habit.  Both of my daughters went through a phase where they did this, though, and then they lightened up.  My older one would just lightly pinch even when she was older, but it was so light it didn't bother me as it had when she clawed.  As a young infant she would grab her own ear and start manipulating that, so when I was having problems with her clawing me later on, I'd move her hand to her ear and sometimes she'd go for that.