turning head without letting go

My nine month old is very easily distracted and turns her head
suddenly and doesn't let go first. It *hurts*. I'm pretty experienced
at teaching a baby not to bite, but should I expect the same thing to
work here? I don't let her back on right away, and this usually makes
her mad. But I don't really know how she can learn from that to "let
go before you turn your head."

Maybe she'll just learn to not let herself get distracted in the first
place? That would be good enough.

Any other suggestions?

Jan
(mom to K, age 3.5, (nursed to age 3) and H, 9 months)

"Jan" wrote in message
m...
My nine month old is very easily distracted and turns
her head suddenly and doesn't let go first. It *hurts*.
I'm pretty experienced at teaching a baby not to bite,
but should I expect the same thing to work here? I
don't let her back on right away, and this usually makes
her mad. But I don't really know how she can learn
from that to "let go before you turn your head."

How long have you been using this anti-biting tactic?

If you can ever predict when she's going to turn away, catch her before
she does it and open her jaw for her, then let her turn her head. If
you force her to do it the right way enough times, perhaps it will
become natural to her.

When DS started doing this, at about 4 months, I would use my opposite
hand and turn his head back toward me immediately, then physically
restrain his head from turning the whole rest of the time he was nursing
if I had to. That might not be as easy with a nine-month-old though.

He's not doing it now, but of course I don't know if it was anything I
did that stopped him. Good luck - I know how painful it is.
--
Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 10 mo. and Jaden, 5 months
Quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

"Cheryl S." wrote in message ...
"Jan" wrote in message
m...
My nine month old is very easily distracted and turns
her head suddenly and doesn't let go first. It *hurts*.
I'm pretty experienced at teaching a baby not to bite,
but should I expect the same thing to work here? I
don't let her back on right away, and this usually makes
her mad. But I don't really know how she can learn
from that to "let go before you turn your head."

How long have you been using this anti-biting tactic?

A couple of months. I haven't been as consistent as I planned to be,
unfortunately. Mostly we have this problem when I think she needs to
go to sleep, but she is really ramped up and distractable. So mostly I
just want to get her to nurse and stay on. Contrary to what I said in
my original post, on thinking about it more, what I usually do is once
I get her back on after the turn head and 15 seconds of not letting
her back on, is try to hold her head so she can't turn it suddenly. I
do let her turn if she lets go first.


If you can ever predict when she's going to turn away, catch her before
she does it and open her jaw for her, then let her turn her head. If
you force her to do it the right way enough times, perhaps it will
become natural to her.

The problem is she does this really suddenly. If it is premeditated,
she does let go first. If there is some sound behind her, that is when
she jerks without warning. I guess the best I can do is try to hold
her head after the first offense so she can't react so quickly.

-Jan



When DS started doing this, at about 4 months, I would use my opposite
hand and turn his head back toward me immediately, then physically
restrain his head from turning the whole rest of the time he was nursing
if I had to. That might not be as easy with a nine-month-old though.

He's not doing it now, but of course I don't know if it was anything I
did that stopped him. Good luck - I know how painful it is.

Jan wrote:
My nine month old is very easily distracted and turns her head
suddenly and doesn't let go first. It *hurts*. I'm pretty experienced
at teaching a baby not to bite, but should I expect the same thing to
work here?

Ella started turning away and getting distracted around 6 months. At this
stage I had to stop bursing her in public. It was painful and embarassing!
I woud take her to her bedroom, close the curtains, lie down on her bed and
nurse her in there.

I've had to do ever since. Sometimes I nurse her on my bed or the spare bed
without the curtains drawn, and if she is relaxed it is okay. But I've
tried nursing whilst out and about but it is all boobs everywhere and
playing. I nurse her 3-4 times a day in her room. It's a shame because I'd
like to NIP on principle. But I can't even nurse her with friends or
family in the room.

Hope you find a solution that isn't so drastic!

ROSIE