Playing with breasts

[naturallia]

***** will play with my nipples as he eats. I usually enjoy this time together, but when I'm in a rush (say, during church) it really annoys me. He will squeeze my breast between his arms to make it letdown and he'll open his mouth and let it squirt in his mouth and then he'll look at me and smile this huge grin that makes me both go awww and ugh, stop playing with your food.

Does anybody else's young infant also turn breastfeeding into a game of their own? How do you deal with the feeling of frustration when you just want them to eat already?

If we're at home, I don't mind him taking his time and it's a special time together, but it's not so fun giving a peep show in public.

[mochimama]

I just started experiencing this with my 4 month old. She will suck, detach, rotate her whole body away to face me (including arm splayed out), smile, then reattach. Repeat...
I haven't talked to anyone about this as it has just started happening. Not sure what I'm going to do about it (it hasn't happened in public yet, so it isn't anything but cute right now), but wanted to let you know that I am here with you mama...

[naturallia]

Thanks. It really helps to know it happens with other mamas too.

[aweynsayl]

oooh, soooo cute. ds sometimes does it.... but ikwym.... in public, not so fun. no advice, sorry!

[mhr1406]

My ds plays with his food a lot. He likes to take breaks to babble at me and play with my hair and clothes too. I have found that if I wear a long necklace and let him play with it he is less wiggly. I have also found that he adores his soft bristle hair brush. If I left him hold that while nursing he will brush his hair and wave it around. When we are in public the necklace is the most helpful thing I have found that does not attract on-lookers.

[naturallia]

But I'm allergic to most metals and I worry that a string necklace with beads would snap- choking hazard. Any ideas of what kind of necklace to try?

[hellyaellen]

try googling "nursing necklace"

or check e-bay, i've seen some nice ones on there

[mhr1406]

http://lorisnursingnecklaces.com/

Here is a link to some I have seen.

[Pepper44]

My three month old is starting to play with the boob too. She tries to stretch the nipple as far as it will go so she can look around, and when she can latch on and see what she wants she just gets frustrated and starts screaming! She's also discovered that she can squeeze my breasts to make milk come out faster. In public she pops off and looks around all the time. The world has seen my nipples! I'm sure it will only get worse as she gets older and more mobile.

[SamsMuffin]

My 2 month old dd has been doing this too.... Now I scared it's only going to get worse : She gets very distracted, pulls off, looks around, then screeches at me like it's my fault that she decided to have a look around and can't eat at the same time! And after eating for awhile, she has this habit of giving me a big smile (it's so cute!) while the nipple is still in her mouth and then she just kind of chews on it - she's not even really eating anymore. She also likes to pull off and move her head from side to side so that milk gets all over her face - I really don't like it when she does that in public. She really enjoys her food I guess....

[thenaturefreak]

Yep I agree with giving you ds something to pay attention to when nursing. Like a nursing necklace or lovey. It works wonders

[kaPOW!]

my 16 month old has some boob games too, surprisingly not much different than his dad's booby games. he likes to shake his head back and forth real fast while letting my nipple brush his lips, he puts his face on my chest in between my boobs and then squeezes them around his face, and he most recently discovered that he can reach the non-nursing nipple with his knee, so he's been rubbing his knee on my nipple and giggling. I'm glad he's not getting bored, but these are things that are for sure not for public. The only solution that I have had is to stop nursing as much in public. Not usually that difficult, though, since he gets so distracted and excited when we're out on the town. When he gets really hungry I sling him and walk around while he nurses; it's harder for spying eyes to spot a moving mama target.

[jennifercp8]

My 3mo DS has been doing the same thing (well, not exactly what you described) but has also been doing a lot of thrashing. I have been tucking my arm under his head, and then using that same hand to hold his top arm still (the bottom is tucked underneath us already), or I swaddle him to nurse if I can't get him to focus enough. It means that I can't do anything else while nursing, but at least he is not pulling at my nipples (which hurts!).