As a PSP member writes:
"I need a bit of advice regarding my daughter's "attachment object" - i.e., my nipples. She's always been into the boobs - I wasn't able to breastfeed (long story) but she enjoyed the attempt, and has since taken to taking her milk with one hand down my shirt. If she's sad, frightened, excited, mad, etc, she want to hold her "boobies" (where did she pick that up? who knows).. I kind of always thought it was cute, and - confession - feel secretly guilty about the whole feeding thing, especially cause she liked it. I don't really mind it in theory - I've always operating under the high school peer pressure model of parenting - I assume her freshmen peers won't take to the mommy-boob-fondling, so I wasn't that worried.
Anyway, she's clearly addicted, and to make matters worse, she's starting to scratch. Ow. I need to get her to stop before I get impetigo of the nipple, but cold turkey hasn't worked - I can't wear turtlenecks right now, and every time I pick her up now, it's "boobies!" My husband has considered buying a silicone falsie (what would her high school friends say about that!), which I may do, but I wanted to see if there was any other advice out there.
Thanks. glad to get that off my chest."
Summary, from the original poster:
So, with much delay, my apologies, and 23 responses later, I've learned:
1) we are not alone - our babies grope (squeeze, "honk", "beep", lovingly caress, slap, tickle, grip, and otherwise handle) our breasts - as one mom said "sometimes even my 5 year old tries to cop a feel when she's upset!"
2) We aren't, as a group, particularly bothered with the actual groping, but more with the stares from the disapproving and the pain/scabs from vigorous tweaking.
3) *all* but one person who responded was being groped by her daughter.. just kind of interesting to note - either the boys have less of a proclivity, or maybe their mommas aren't writing in?
4) not one response offered a solution, it seems like we can get them to stop with the most painful tweaks with persistent "nos", but so long as we pick them up, and we're not wearing a turtleneck, coupled with a sports bra, they can worm their hands in.
5) but, rest assured, not a single mother of a high schooler wrote to commiserate. so, I'll surmise that it does, at some point, subside.
