Ouch - bitey scratchey b/feeder

Wee Ella hasn't ever been the kind to snuggle into me when she feeds and quitely feed away - she's always waved her top arm about and kicked away during a feed.  But now she's into scratching, grabbing and twisting,  a little biting, and just basically beating mummy's boobie up!  Since she refuses the bottle, sippy cup, everything but the syringe (yes, that's how I get water into her), I need to make breastfeeding bearable again.  Holding her hand doesn't work - she fights it and tends to win!  The biting isn't a terrible problem, more of an occasional event, but I've noticed my nipples are sore when feeding now.  She does have top and bottom teeth, so my sore boobies are no mystery!  I just take her off the breast and say a firm 'no, Ella', then let her cry for a minute or so before putting her back on.  She's too skinny to miss out on the rest of her feed.  I keep her nails really short, but it's the scratching and twisting that really gets me - I once looked like the kitten had attacked me! 

Any ideas on how to deal with this?  I'm not anti-formula but thanks to Ella's allergies she is, and she won't take a bottle anyway.  Keeping my free hand over the top of my breast at least stops her grabbing any of it and twisting it, but does mean that I get my hand scratched away at, which really hurts around the quicks of my nails. 

Maya used to do that too, altho hers was more of a "whats going on over there, I think I'll turn my head and have a look and take this nice boobie with me". I used to do what you're doing with taking her off and putting her on again, sometimes I found it helped to switch sides then she'd settle on a little better. I had to feed her in a quiet place tho, if there was any noise at all, tv, people talking whatever, she was far too nosy to feed.

You poor thing! I know how you feel as Ollie is fiesty too!!! I sometimes think it is because he thinks I am not giving him enough attention eg the radio is on, I am reading etc. Is it better if you are looking at her?
Good luck - let me know if you find a good solution!

Ah, that really does describe it well!  He he. 

She's just as fiesty when I've got the tv on as she is when I'm just looking at her, so I don't know that it's an attention thing, but I'll experiment with that and see what happens.  I'll give it a go putting her down when she bites too, as I'd just held her.  I'm now wondering if putting mittens on her before a feed will help - might give that one a shot today.  She is an energetic and very tactile baby - I think a lot of the wriggling about is just in her nature. 

I've got a pincher as well and boy does it hurt. i have tried all sorts of things and the only way to stop is to hold his hand.

Oooohh Ouch. Blake has been like that for a few months now. Drives me nuts. He is really into kind of "kneading" my boobs too and if he has s lightly long finger nail - boy does it hurt.


I try and give him something to hold onto. I have noticed since he got teeth my nipples are feeling really tender. I would love to give up but in same boat as you...got to keep on because of allergies. Bum it ALL!


Hang in there!

:o)

ouch! 

Ella's got herself a new tactic of doing a little bite to signal the end of a feed (she often comes away only to have the boobie shoved back in her mouth because she hasn't finished yet).  Well, big up's to her for coming up with a plan that works so well!!