How can I make her stop hitting me?!

kjsmith9

DD has become a violent nurser since about 5 months old. Unles she's completely exhausted and ready to pass out, her free arm is flailing around the entire time she's eating, and she hits me in the chest and face over and over and over again... And it hurts! I've tried holding her arm down, letting her hold my finger so I can rub the back of her hand, etc... But she won't stop. How do I fix this?

Angela814

Does she have a lovey yet? My girls always held onto their blankies while they were nursing.

kjsmith9

Angela814:

Does she have a lovey yet? My girls always held onto their blankies while they were nursing.

No she doesn't... She hasn't really seemed to attach herself to anything yet, and I wasn't sure about trying to force a blanket or stuffed animal or something.  Oddly enough, she doesn't like the soothies pacifiers, but loves playing with the duck wubbanub.  I tried to give her a blanket to hold before I put her to bed tonight, and she kept unlatching and trying to suck on the blanket half the time... Go figure!

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pb_bride

I don't have an answer for you, except that DS does the same.  His free arm is either hitting me on my chin or clawing my chest.  Lately, he likes to have both his little hands right next to his mouth - thereby basically kneading/squeezing my breast.  And as soon as his mouth comes off, the hands/fingers go on to the nipple.  I have to watch him like a hawk when he nurses so he can't grab my nipple.

I've tried holding his arm, giving him a lovey, giving him a burp cloth etc.  Nothing really works; he'll just keep wriggling his arm free.  At least it doesn't hurt too bad when he hits me, and I trim his nails all the time so the clawing isn't too painful either.  I figure that's just the way he expresses himself... 

I usually nurse him right before and right after a nap, so he tends to be tired (or still sleepy) so he's less feisty when he nurses.  Perhaps you can try doing that? 

pitterpatter129

DS1 used to flail/hit my breast because he learned it made the milk come out faster!  Once I figured that out, I just "hand expressed"/massaged my breast while he was eating so he could get more milk and he quit hitting me.  That's my best advice!    If she's just hitting you for the heck of it, then I've got nothing!