A frequent question from a mom who is breastfeeding or having playtime with her baby is why does my baby grab my face while nursing. All you want to do is feed your little one and you end up with scratches all over your face.
But, don’t worry, because face grabbing, hair pulling, scratching, and even putting fingers in parents’ mouths is the way your baby explores the world around them.
These gentle creatures are trying to discover their environment and their own capabilities. They do it by touch, taste, and by listening and following the reaction parents are having.
In fact, for such a young child, everything that happens around them they see as a game and a new experience, through which they learn about their parents and other people, their environment, and their own bodies as well.
Babies are very curious and want to see and try and feel everything. As they get older the desire to get to know the world better is growing. In the first months, they do it reflexively and thus get to know their environment through that reflex. Since their parents are most often in their environment, then parents are the “collateral damage” of the baby’s reflexes.
That baby’s curiosity costs the loved ones various scratches and redness on the face, and often other parts of the body. The baby’s greeting on your face is an expressive reflex, so there is no need to worry that your baby is hating on you and thus decides to scratch you on purpose. Look at it as something that is a normal part of growing up and interacting with the world.
Later, as the months go by, you will notice how the baby looks at its hands in astonishment. The baby can look shocked and confused when looking at its hand, but soon enough it will learn to manipulate them. They can use them to soothe the pain of sore gums, grab the things they like, and of course give you a hug.
That hug can be painful sometimes, but it’s totally because the baby’s motor skills are not developed as much just yet. Babies learn through touch and your reactions to it touch, so it is understandable why babies want more attention, more time spent in playing, discovering, exploring, and of course, laughing.
Babies feel that parents are their safety net and if you dedicate more time to them, there is no doubt that they will feel more loved, they will learn and progress faster.
In order to prevent these small injuries, such as scratches, first cut the baby’s nails. Simple cut nails will surely alleviate the baby’s painful grabs. The second is to try to gently remove your baby’s hands when they start scratching and pulling.
Even though they are still very small they can start learning what are the things that they are not supposed to do because it’s hurting the people they love.
Can Babies Get Confused Who Their Mom Is
Babies can’t get confused about who their mom is. The connection between mother and baby is formed in the mother’s womb. Their relationship starts to develop right there at the earliest stages, through the mother’s speech, and the caressing of the pregnant woman’s belly.
This happens in the later months of pregnancy when the baby has developed a sense of hearing and sense of touch. These are the baby’s first experiences and acquaintance with some of its future surroundings.
Normally, this is the first connection with the mother as well. Scientists say that the next connection between mother and baby is right after the birth when a newborn baby is placed on the mother’s chest. Newborns can feel the mother’s presence because that chemical bond that was developed in utero remains in the baby’s memory.
Infants get to know their mother through the smell and touch of their mother’s skin, and later they also recognize their mother by the smell of milk. This is because newborns have poor eyesight, therefore they use all senses to explore the world as much as possible. But, that first connection and the chemistry that lies between the baby and the mother will last a lifetime.
Why Does My Baby Hit And Scratch Me
For a newborn, everything is an adventure. They want to explore, they want to feel everything around them, and of course, they want to get to know their parents.
The way the newborns do that is simply by the sense of touch. So, if your baby hits you, scratches you, pulls out your hair, keep in mind that the baby is not doing that in order to hurt you on purpose.
Newborns want to touch everything and due to their bad motor skills and coordination, they can’t really control their moves. In these situations, you will end up with some accident slaps, scratches, pinches, and pullings. This acquaintance can sometimes be painful, but again it’s not meant out of malice.
This is how the connection between the baby and its closest ones is gained. Baby’s exploration can sometimes end up even with the blood but do not get angry, because the baby does not know any different, and it’s the way to express its feelings and desires.
The fact that your baby sometimes causes you a little pain, does not mean that it doesn’t love you. So, when the question why does my baby grab my face while nursing pops in your mind, remember this – they are exploring the world around them with their own little hands.
Why does my baby keep biting while breastfeeding?
If your baby is constantly nervous, does not accept the game, cries, and keeps biting during breastfeeding, the little one might have a problem. The issue is probably of a healthy nature, like teething, ear infections, colds, or even digestive problems.
If you assume that some of these problems are present in your baby, seek the advice of a pediatrician, the infant probably needs medical care. Parents usually recognize these symptoms quickly and react fast. There is another possibility of why your baby is behaving like that. Maybe the milk baby is getting is not soothing the baby.
If you are giving your baby formula milk, maybe that type of formula is not suiting your baby. If you are breastfeeding, maybe you are not having enough milk so the baby will probably need additional meal support. You need to find adequate milk for your baby in order to help your little one overcome these problems.
Summary
When babies discover their hands they start exploring the world around them. They start to put their hands in their mouth, grab things, pull, and even accidentally scratch.
If you wonder why does my baby grab my face while nursing, it’s because babies love moving their hands and legs while feeding. Plus this way, they are trying to express their feelings and emotions. You can see very often that when babies are excited they move their hands up and down along with their legs.
So, next time you see your baby pulling, slapping, or scratching your face, or any other part of your body, know that this doesn’t mean that your baby is hating on you. This also doesn’t mean that your baby wants to hurt you on purpose. It simply means that your little one is exploring the world and expressing their feelings in their own way.
