Hi Mamas-
I need some support on this one... I have nursed my other two children and just don't remember this and I am trying to figure out what my little girl is doing! Her nursing pattern has recently changed and honestly, it is quite painful. Instead of a suck, suck, coo/breath, it has become more of a suck, suck, pull!! She is yanking on my nipple and stretching it as far as it can go as she turns her head back and away from me. I try to stop it, but I am not sure (1) what is causing it and (2) how to correct this.
When I had trouble with biting I said "no" sternly but even a loud "ouch" has not been effective.
Any ideas? I am not sure my nipples can stand much more.
Thanks.
~C.
She's teething.
Or she's trying to get the let down going.
Are you still producing ample milk?
my son did this and it was the worst. i think its when your let down is slower? sometimes he'd do it when he was distracted and looking around.
i released the latch and just stopped.
and try like 15 min later.
eventually they figure out you stop if they do it.
pavlov right?
; )
good luck
I did this. Usually it was the child just trying to play.
I would promptly stop nursing, wait about 15 seconds and try again ,holding his head so that he couldn't yank back. If my baby kept it up, I stopped nursing for that session.
I'm interested to see what the other moms out there have to say. I have a 4 month old that does this also at times and it drives me crazy! Eating is one thing, but like you said... I am not Gumbi. I usually take him off and give him his pacifier and assume that he's obviously not hungry because if he was he'd be getting down to business instead of playing around.
Good luck!
It may be teething, trying to hurry the let down or simple distraction. Once you figure out which it is... then you can take steps to minimize it. I'm betting on distraction. Once she does that, take her off the breast and not allow her back on for 30 minutes - no matter how much she may cry. As you are taking her off the nipple sternly say "Ouch, no pulling". She will get the gist quickly, and if she wants to nurse she will stop that behavior.
I think she is trying to get your milk to let down.....can you try massaging your breast so that it will let down? My daughter used to kind of kneed my breast when my let down slowed down.....much better than the pulling!
Sorry - I know it is painful!!
Anytime me or my brestfeeding friends had problems with biting pulling or anything non nursing. We would pop them off fast and set them down and walk away. You want them to know you and your boobs will be gone if they mess around. It might take a little while but she will get the message.
When my kids got old enough to do this I would just break their latch and pull them away for a while (just long enough for them to realize what they did.) It usually doesn't take long for them to understand. You might not have the supply that she needs. If she continues to do this just quit nursing her for a while and set her down.
My daughter did this when she was teething or wanting to look around at things. I would say "No pulling!" sternly enough to get her attention, put her down and walk away and that nursing session was over. This was on the advice of our pediatrician. She did it for about 3 - 4 weeks at least a couple of times a day, and it was the pits :-(
It's been a long time, but if I remember correctly, it was when they were getting distracted and trying to look around. They've grown past the stage of concentrating solely on the breast as nourishment, and now that nursing is easier, they are looking around, or playing.
As others have suggested, when that happens, break the latch, pull her back for a few minutes, and try again. Eventually she will get past it. You may also have to nurse under a light cover, so she isn't as distracted by the things happening in the room.
Try to hold her head in place as she nurses. Also, you may want to put a light blanket over her when she nurses to avoid distractions.
I agree that it could be any of the reasons mentioned below. But, I think sometimes it can also be an ear infection?
C.,
Contact La Leche League - via website or leader - they will HELP!
What I did when the biting occurred: press the baby's mouth into your nipple, don't pull it away. they have to open wider to breathe and then you help the baby latch better. Sometimes it takes a while, sometimes it only takes once or twice.
Good luck,
M.
Say, "No" in a loud stern voice and end the meal by breaking suction with your finger. Put her down and walk a short distance away. Do not talk or look at her for a few minutes. This child is not feeding when she looks around, stretches the nipple or bites you. She is playing. Once she knows she will not get away with it or be fed, she will stop.
I nursed two children. They can learn.
My daughter does this too only she also twists her body around...i call it extreme nursing! I will usually pull her away, give her a minute or two to look around them try again. It's no fun, how she settles down for you :-)
