Grabby handed toddler

[YoullScreamAboutItOneDay]

DD2 is 18 months and still bf.

The issue is that she constantly puts her hands down my top. It is literally, I pick her up or put her on my lap, and she forages down my top. She doesn't want a feed, just to hold onto my breast. It's obviously a comfort thing. And the worst thing is, she is also rather fond of tweaking my nipple.

I find it really invasive and upsetting, to the point I have to take a deep breath not to lose my temper with her now. I wouldn't mind so much if it was occasionally, but it is all the bloody time. I sometimes find myself avoiding picking her up because I don't want another tweaking

I have tried calmly telling her to take it out, and removing it if she doesn't, but it is no better after a million repetitions. She knows what she is doing, as sometimes when I tell her to stop, she takes it out (only to replace it 30 seconds later).

Anyone had this problem, and any tips other than polo necks?

[belindarose]

My dd did this till age 2. She then swapped it for an equally annoying habit of putting her hand in her knickers. That habit went when her baby brother was born 5 month ago - she now has her hand down the neck of his clothes at any opportunity!

Sorry, no advice really. But little DS isn't going to be getting his hand down there if I can help it!

[belindarose]

By the way, I'd stopped feeding her at 20 months and it carried on beyond that. I do recall her doing it a lot again when I was pregnant actually.

[YoullScreamAboutItOneDay]

No no no! I do not want to hear that . I need this to be fixable! Preferably before I lose a nipple!

[belindarose]

Sorry! I tried stopping her - but couldn't.

[scrivette]

I find that giving DS something else to 'twiddle' helps, he will twiddle a necklace instead, could you try that?

[MummyAbroad]

I have a "twiddler" too. Its exasperating. DS is 13 months and pinches the skin around my boob (owch!) as well as trying to tweak my other nipple when feeding. I try to swaddle him or hold his hand away but he goes into a temper tantrum over it. I often have to stop feeding him until he gets the message, but he will only desist for a few seconds, and then starts up again! I do find giving him something to twiddle helps (a bit) but it has to be a new thing every time, or it doesnt work. Mainly I just try to put a lot of padding around me so he cant do too much damage.

Its such a shame, I love feeding him at night when he is all sleep and calm, but when he is awake and active it is a nightmare!