How to redirect hands?

[whitney4126]

This may very well be a dumb question, but I just feel like someone has had to had this dilemma before. My LO is 4 months old and her arm and hand movement during feeding is steadily increasing in frequency and annoyance level. I could handle the baby punches, but her new thing is grabbing handfuls of skin and gripping and twisting, over and over. I just ordered one of those nursing necklaces, so hopefully she will get interested in that instead. Any BFing mommas found any tricks to re-directing those compulsive baby hand movements?

[sweetpeabee]

My LO (also 4 months old) loves to grab a things, so I usually give her one of my fingers to hold. It keeps those little frantic waving arms still. She is usually content to open and close her hand around my finger. The necklace is a good idea though. Let me know how that works.

[salemkitty]

I use a taggie lovie but it is still a lot of redirecting. Helps some though. I hope you find something that works for you.

[bantyrooster]

The necklace should help. Otherwise a special nursing only toy or taggy blanket helps. DS loved to twirl my hair.

[SpinsOffResonance]

I feed DD side lying in the bed. That seems to keep her calmer and she attacks me less with her free arm.

[casey]

So normal and so incredibly frustrating. This is a good time to introduce a lovey, so you can redirect to that. Also, necklaces, scarves, and blankets are good. You can pin one of LOs arms behind you or with blanket if needed, so you only have occupy the other hand with your hand. Unfortunately, the razor-sharp skin twisting, hair pulling, etc is just part of the game.

[anotherdreamer]

My twins are very grabby. They tend to grab each others hand, so that ties up on hand each lol, the other hands I either remove from pinching or hold hands as possible. When we are out and I'm nursing one at a time they unfortunately grab my cover usually, so I need to up my game there though- maybe a toy or the necklace will help!

[penguino11]

So far, I have my DS hold my thumb or I redirect his grabbing to the strap of my nursing tank rather than my skin. He likes to snap it but it's not painful like the scratches lol

[whitney4126]

Thanks guys. These are some good suggestions. I have plenty of small soft toys and such that she hasn't been interested in yet, so I can try one of those for nursing only.

What about night time? I have been reluctantly co-sleeping for the past few weeks because I started back to work and between the transition to daycare and 4 month sleep regression, it is the only way I am getting enough sleep to function at work. We have 2-3 feedings in the middle of the night, side lying. One of her arms is tucked beside her, but the other goes crazy. She usually nurses and falls asleep and I am half asleep during the process. It doesn't seem safe to have a toy or small blanket at that time, since we both may fall asleep with it. Anybody found something that works for that? Or is the answer just to tough it out or try use my hand to hold hers?

[whitney4126]

Jan 23, 2015 10:35:19 GMT -5 @iheartmyshiba said:

The A+A blankets are made of muslin and breathable; we've had it in bed with her and I haven't worried. They sell them at Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby so you could always look at it, feel it, etc and see if you'd be comfortable with something like that.

I have the A+A swaddle blankets, although we don't use them anymore to swaddle.  Are you talking about something smaller or the full blanket?

[liziz]

My LO is 6.5 months, and I just swaddle her for feedings when it gets to be too much/ I've reached my limit of saying "Please don't pull on my hair, you're hurting mom.". Normally, I redirect to a bra strap, but I totally forgot about the necklaces!

[salemkitty]

At night (when he was younger) I made sure my shirt covered as much skin as I felt was safe and I redirected him to the edge of my shirt.

[bantyrooster]

Give her part of your shirt motn

[eaglewife]

I tried lovies, neckaces, toys, but her favorite thing to hold onto (still, at 18 months) is extra pacifiers. We keep 6 in the nursery and collect them before each feeding. She doesn't always put them in her mouth, but she likes to hold onto them and play with them in her half sleep state.

[Deleted]

My youngest used to try to pluck all the hairs off my arm when nursing seemingly one at a time. Ouch.
I started wearing longer sleeve shirts and found a small blankie full of pills and fuzzier so he could pluck something.

Of course pinning one arm in your armpit and holding the other hand works a lot but each of us kinda have to find what works for our individual monsters. A soft book to read a rattle in the hand or super small Stuffie like a besnie baby jr all minds of things are options.

Be careful with teething necklaces. So many beads come from china and may contain lead or other harmful stuff. And the strong needs to be strong with a knot tied in between each bead so if it breaks there isn't a whole handful of choking hazard sized beads to chase down.

[bsquaredmsquared]

Those razor blade nails send piercing pain all throughout . I had to laugh about pinning one arm under the armpit because I was starting to feel guilty. No advice here though . The lovies (had to google what they were) seem like a great idea.

[whitney4126]

Thanks everyone!

I just got my nursing necklace in and it really helped. Baby is mesmerized by it and has held and pulled on it the entire feeding. Of course we've only used this for one feeding, so we'll see if it loses its novelty.
This is the one I got if anyone is interested www.amazon.com/Consider-It-Maid-Silicone-Teething/dp/B00QPD67TO
My only complaint so far is the silicone can make your hair stick to it and then pull when you take it off.

[whitney4126]

Thanks! I don't think i've ever seen that before.

[spacedew]

We used a nursing necklace for a while. Now she puts her foot in and out of my shirt. Drives me crazy.

[Libby]

I bought a mama and little nursing necklace and love it! It has a safety clasp as well! I bought mine on Amazon but found them on Pinterest. My LO is a hair twirler/yanker. I more bought it so she doesn't go through withdrawal when I cut my hair on Thursday!

[luckynumbers81]

I have tried everything, nursing necklaces, lovies, you name it. The only alternative to tearing at my flesh is pulling my hair. If I have my hair up she starts to claw me like a hungry tiger so I just let her pull my hair.