Kneading and pinching... 3.5 mo

[annaconda]

My Lo is constantly pinching and kneading with his top ARM when in cross cradle or side lying. I can tell it is good for his motor development... and I try to keep his nails short (or I pay the price.)

I know he can't understand that it is annoying and downright painful. I'm just concerned about when he gets bigger and stronger... for now I'm just making sure he only has access to one breast at a time because I could not stand having the other nipple tweaked. Or even actually touched. I think I have pretty sensitive breasts.

Any experience with this?

[tincia]

My little guy does something similsr and it drives me NUTS! He often pulls my boob out of his mouth accidentally which of course really hurts and then frustrates him. What I have been doing when he starts is give him my finger to hold then take it and kiss it, rub it and talk to him. So in otherwords, distract him in whatever way i can think of lol, cause it is soo annoying! It doesn't always work, but it often helps, even if i just do it midway through to distract him.

[motherhendoula]

My LO does the same thing - he is 1 so he is very adept at it, and can do it with both hands!  sometimes i will feel him down on my rib cage pinching me...i cant even reach him there!  Mostly, he kneads and twists the skin on the breast he is on - i always keep the other well hidden!  I try to hold his hand, i let him pinch my thumb all he wants - i play with his fingers ...to try to keep him amused ...no avail, at some point....even if hes asleep - he will pull his hand away from mine and find my breast and pinch me.  I try to keep my t-shirt pulled over or a blanket pulled over to cover me - he snakes his little hand right underneath.  Lately, i have been trying to force a soft end of a fuzzy blanket into his hand so he can play with that.  Once, after several minutes of playing defense like this - he opened his eyes, reached up, and pinched my face! 

I cant remember when he started with this but it has been going on a looooong time.  Thanks for starting teh thread - ive always wanted to ask if other babies are doing this - and does anyone have some tricks on how to STOP it????   But i never felt like i could explain it well enough!

OK whose got some solutions???

[annaconda]

I searched old threads last night and found a suggestion to put a sock on that hand!  I tried it this morning and the kneading and pinching turned into a massage!  I'm hoping that if I start this early he won't totally buck it later.  That's the best suggestion I found...  

[motherhendoula]

At that age a sock sounds perfect!  (and really simple!)  hope that works for you!

[ewe+lamb]

The kneading and pinching are instinctive behaviours that babies have to augment and stimulate the milk supply, annoying as it is, I swear after the first 6 or so months of nursing our ds I have to nurse with a hand over my free breast to stop the twiddling!!  It'll eventually get better, but certainly at the moment it really is for stimulation.

[Erin77]

My one year old does this, I swear it's like a tic! He has to pinch or poke or wave his arm around trying to grab my face as long as it's not the middle of the night. I try to hold his hand and rub it or let him pinch my fingers to get it out but it only helps a bout half the time. Argh.

[AnkaJones]

It's really common!  DS does it too.  Have you tried a nursing necklace?   Some of them are really pretty: http://www.etsy.com/listing/77220781/lapis-loop-nursing-necklace-limited.  Or you can DIY; I thought this one was cute:  http://offbeatmama.com/2010/05/diy-nursing-necklace-tutorial.