How to stop baby pinching nipple when breastfeeding?

Understanding the Issue
Breastfeeding can be a beautiful bonding experience between mother and child, but it can also come with its challenges. One common issue that many breastfeeding mothers face is their baby pinching or twisting the nipple during feeds. This behavior, often referred to as “nipple twiddling,” is not uncommon and can be quite uncomfortable for mothers. Understanding why babies engage in this behavior and how to address it is crucial for a more pleasant breastfeeding experience.
Why Do Babies Pinch?
Babies are naturally curious and often explore their environment through touch. When breastfeeding, they may pinch or twist the nipple as a way to seek comfort or stimulation. This behavior can be particularly pronounced in older infants and toddlers who are more aware of their surroundings and may be experimenting with their newfound motor skills.
Strategies to Mitigate Pinching
While it’s important to recognize that nipple pinching is a normal behavior, there are several strategies mothers can employ to reduce or eliminate this discomfort:
1. Gentle Redirection: When your baby starts to pinch, gently remove their hand from your nipple and redirect it to a soft object, such as a fiddly necklace or a small toy. This can help satisfy their need to explore without causing discomfort to you.
2. Establish Boundaries: It’s essential to communicate with your baby, even at a young age. A firm but gentle “no” can be effective. If the pinching continues, consider ending the nursing session temporarily. This teaches the baby that pinching leads to the end of feeding, which may discourage the behavior over time.
3. Provide Alternatives: Offering your baby something to hold or play with while nursing can keep their hands busy. This could be a soft toy or a textured cloth that they can manipulate instead of your nipple.
4. Adjust Positioning: Sometimes, changing the breastfeeding position can help. Experiment with different holds to see if a new position makes it harder for your baby to reach your nipple with their hands.
5. Stay Calm and Consistent: Consistency is key. If you respond to pinching with calmness and a clear message, your baby will learn over time that this behavior is not acceptable. It may take some time, but patience is essential.
Conclusion
While nipple pinching during breastfeeding can be frustrating, it is a behavior that can be managed with gentle redirection and clear boundaries. By understanding the reasons behind this behavior and employing effective strategies, mothers can create a more comfortable and enjoyable breastfeeding experience for both themselves and their babies. Remember, every breastfeeding journey is unique, and finding what works best for you and your child may take some experimentation and patience.

Is it normal to feel pinching while breastfeeding?

If your nipple is pinched, flat, or a different shape than usual after you breastfeed, you may need to adjust baby’s latch. Visit your WIC breastfeeding expert for help. If you are in pain while breastfeeding, gently break the latch by inserting a clean finger into the corner of your baby’s mouth. Then try again.

Why does a baby keep unlatching and relatching?

They become faster at latching and gain more ease during the process allowing them to begin to nurse in many different positions. If your baby is not in a position to latch well, they may pop on and off trying to adjust their latch for more comfortable and effective milk removal.

Why does my baby pinch my nipple while breastfeeding?

As your baby grows, they want more milk and they want it to come out faster. Because twiddling stimulates your nipples, it can help make that happen. Additionally, twiddling may offer your little one comfort. Physical touch is extremely comforting to people of all ages, but young children especially benefit from it.

Why is my baby latching pinching my nipple?

If latching causes pinching, pulling, or soreness—especially if the pain lasts throughout the feed—it’s a strong indication that your nipple isn’t far enough back in your baby’s mouth, and that will make your latch shallow.

How to get a breastfed baby to stop pinching?

Do not pinch or flick your baby when they bite. Best way to stop this is to let baby know when they bite they don’t get milk. Remove the baby from the breast, don’t pull off. Push the baby closer in so they need to catch breath and unlatch. Try to put your knuckle in between their latch to unlatch them.

How to stop a baby from pinching?

It’s best to give your baby a clear verbal response when they bite, pinch or pull hair. For example, you can say, ‘No’. The next step is to remove your child’s hand (or mouth!) and turn away or put them down. When you do this, you take away attention from the behaviour.

How do I get my baby to latch without pinching?

Try to put your finger on her lower chin when she latches. This will help with getting more boob into her mouth if it is a shallow latch issue. Also, always be sure to aim your nipple to hit her soft palate on the roof of her mouth when she is latching.

Why is my baby aggressively latching and unlatching?

Oversupply and overactive milk ejection reflex are two reasons your baby may pop on and off your breast, while breastfeeding when there is too much milk coming at them too fast or faster than they can handle. Your baby may come off your breast choking and sputtering or need to burp more often.

How do you fix a pinch latch?

“Make sure you’re comfortable and baby is both stable and comfortable. If the latch is shallow, unlatch, then attempt to latch again aiming nipple toward baby’s nose, rather than straight into their mouth. Bring baby’s chin and lower lip into contact with the breast first.”

Why do babies like to pinch nipples?

‘Many babies twiddle the opposite nipple while breastfeeding, and this actually causes a release of the hormone oxytocin, which increases milk supply.