Annoying eating habits

[Akuvikate]

My sweet wonderful 6 week old DD has picked up a few annoying eating
habits. I'm posting in hopes of getting some insight into either why
she does this, what to do about it, or both.

1. Towards the end of a feed, sometimes she'll start contorting and
twisting her whole body around while keeping my nipple in her suction
death grip. She seems to do this more on the right side than the
left. I usually either hold her head lightly in place with the
opposite hand (enough room for her to come off if she wants, but not
to yank me around) or when she seems like she's gearing up to start
this keep my finger at the ready to break her grip.

2. Lately she also likes to start with a good latch and then almost
immediately slide down to chaw on the end of my nipple. If it's a
really bad latch I kick her off and we start over; if it's a so-so
latch I may or may not kick her off depending on my mood.

3. Not an annoying habit, but a question -- with side-lying nursing,
how can you check their latch? Is it entirely by feel? I find I
can't see much from that angle.

4. While I'm at it -- I've tried nursing hands free "en sling" twice,
and managed to do so but at the price of streching my nipple well
beyond the comfort zone. I just can't seem to get my Maya Wrap high
enough to nurse her without pulling her feet through the rings.
Suggestions welcome.

Thanks much,

Kate
and Bug June 8 2003

[Chookie]

In article >,
(Akuvikate) wrote:

> 2. Lately she also likes to start with a good latch and then almost
> immediately slide down to chaw on the end of my nipple. If it's a
> really bad latch I kick her off and we start over; if it's a so-so
> latch I may or may not kick her off depending on my mood.

I encourage you to persist with getting a good latch every time. My DS
started off with this bad habit, due to my oversupply, and it took a couple of
very painful weeks before we sorted it out. My nipples were only cracked, but
that was bad enough. If you can avoid the pain, do so!

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"...children should continue to be breastfed... for up to two years of age
or beyond." -- Innocenti Declaration, Florence, 1 August 1990