4 month old scratching

[MamaFranklin]

My 4 month old is scratching the snot out of me! The top of each breast looks like a wild animal attack or cheese grater. She doesn't like to sleep and when she starts to get sleepy she pushes and pulls until she can get to my skin and scratch. She is too young to understand what is going on. I have tried firmly squeezing her hand and saying "no" but that isn't working. I have to keep my shirt and hand under hers for protection. But several times she has gotten her thumb under my shirt and cut near the nipple. I am now missing a freckle as well... It is better when we are in dark quiet places but if I start to doze off... my defences go down. My let down is starting to be delayed because of my fear of pain. Any ideas? I have a nursing necklace... she is just a little young.

[Cathlin]

ugh, interested to hear the recommendations! Mine started this at 3 months - she's 4 months now and we've "solved" it. I may have just replaced one bad habit with another, but I hold her hand (the top one is the problem). 

[purplerose]

use the little baby mits. i found them useless until we started having this problem. i've never found anyone who solved it without holding the baby's hand down, and i like my hands free so i use the mits until she is asleep. keeping her nails trimmed frequently helps with the pain lol

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by purplerose 

use the little baby mits. i found them useless until we started having this problem. i've never found anyone who solved it without holding the baby's hand down, and i like my hands free so i use the mits until she is asleep. keeping her nails trimmed frequently helps with the pain lol

My ds wore mittens for a long time. There is a period of time when all his baby pictures he has mittens on. (he also used to scratch himself LOTS - so we used them all the time for several months so that he wouldn't have a bloody face constantly - for some reason we couldn't keep his nails quite short enough and he always succeeded in drawing blood)

[Cathlin]

Originally Posted by Super~Single~Mama 

for some reason we couldn't keep his nails quite short enough and he always succeeded in drawing blood)

B/c baby nails grow faster than giant kelp? Seriously, trimming my daughter's constantly.

[MamaFranklin]

So far we haven't had much luck with the mitts. Her wrists are fatter than her hands and socks bind and make her hands sour. Trimming seems like a daily thing and she needs to be double teamed. Thinking about swaddleing during nursing.

[Super~Single~Mama]

Awww...she sounds so chubby and cute!! Swaddling sounds like a good plan, certainly no harm, and it might get her to focus on nursing better (4mo is notorious for being super distractable)

[Cathlin]

Originally Posted by Super~Single~Mama 

Awww...she sounds so chubby and cute!! Swaddling sounds like a good plan, certainly no harm, and it might get her to focus on nursing better (4mo is notorious for being super distractable)

Thanks for mentioning that - my 4 month old seems like she doesn't get a good meal unless we're in a quiet room by ourselves!

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by Cathlin 

Thanks for mentioning that - my 4 month old seems like she doesn't get a good meal unless we're in a quiet room by ourselves!

My son was that way when he was 4mo - we would turn off lights and lay down together for him to get a good meal a few times/per day

[Cathlin]

Originally Posted by Super~Single~Mama 

My son was that way when he was 4mo - we would turn off lights and lay down together for him to get a good meal a few times/per day

Totally! Part of me loves it, I don't want to give up that intense baby-mama time yet :) 

[MamaFranklin]

I remembered some "combat training" from when I worked at the nursing home... if a patient had you by your hair or was bitting you, you actually step toward them and hold their hand or head close to you... it is the pulling away that is the most damaging... so this afternoon when it was too hot to swaddle, I just pressed her hand down flat and she couldn't grab and tear. So far so good.

Super~Single~Mama, why is it that we forget this season of the distractable baby? She is #5... you would think I would remember this part!
 

I edited my Profile pic to show her... you can kinda see those chubby wrists. She is such a sweet personality in EVERY other way...