Ok ladies, BF and Biting...what do I do?

mylo

DS just started doing this about 20mins ago when I started nursing.  And it's not just nipping.  It's full on biting my nipple almost off.  No. Joke.

 

EcoBaby

I would unlatch and stop bf'ing until he acted like he wanted to nurse again. He got the point after a few times that if he bit down, he wasn't getting nursed.

anabell0920

According to my MIL you flick them on the nose! But since my son isn't a dog I don't plan on doing that. I haven't experienced it yet but I heard trying not to react if they are young and unlatching and removing them immediatly helps and if they are older tell them Ow that hurts mommy. But I haven't experienced it yet so sorry!

NeenTheBean

I believe(hope) it's a stage LO did this and I quite quickly unlatched him with my finger and try over again. It's been a bit since he's last bit me... (Knock on wood)

Edit:Spelling UGH

agent79@me.com

Moms I've known have gone "OWIE!" right at the exact moment the baby bites, to they are clued in to the fact that they are harming you. If you act like they are hurting you, they hopefully will stop. Maybe you can pull them away after you say "owie!" or "OW!". 

 

I'm not a nursing expert though, this is just what I've seen older, wiser moms do when kids do something that hurts others. Maybe call your midwife/doula and ask? Sorry I'm not much help. 

Wally3

When I your post I thought my ds did this at about 4 months and then I saw your son is about that ages.  I followed the tips on kellymom - https://www.kellymom.com/bf/older-baby/biting.html   and it took about a weekend for him to stop biting.  I nursed to 20 months and he had 16 teeth and he never bite after that one weekend.  Goodluck and hang in there.

two-pink-shoes

I will either unlatch him and make a sad face and tell him he hurt mama and then make him wait for a minute or push him closer into me so he unlatches himself (or at least releases the bite). 

Uiowachick01

When DS did this I unlatched him and quietly said "no biting, biting hurts mommy." Of course he did it again, the second time I unlatched him and put him down on the floor and said "no biting, biting hurts mommy," when he got to where he wanted to nurse again, we started over.  

I didn't want to say OUCH! because then he may think it's funny to see mommy shout.  It seems to have worked with DS. 

GypsyEsq

Uiowachick01:

When DS did this I unlatched him and quietly said "no biting, biting hurts mommy." Of course he did it again, the second time I unlatched him and put him down on the floor and said "no biting, biting hurts mommy," when he got to where he wanted to nurse again, we started over.  

I didn't want to say OUCH! because then he may think it's funny to see mommy shout.  It seems to have worked with DS. 

This is what we did too but I also walked away from DD when I put her down on the floor.  That was the clincher for her - she wasn't going to bite me if it meant that not only did the nursing session end but so did the snuggles.  She has, since that time, barely nipped me when she was falling asleep but I don't count that.

jazzyag

I pulled DD in and held her for a few seconds until she let go, once she unlatched I told her that biting hurts, ouch, and then I put her down and didn't nurse for a little while. 

She only bit a few times.

aspade

I wanted to add a few things.

This is a way for you to know his teeth are hurting him, so to think of it as communication might help.

Aside from saying ow, etc. and ending the session, I would stop and give him something cold to sort of numb his gums, then restart.  At that point for us, an ice cube in a mesh teether worked best, but you could do a washcloth or a cold teether, too.

Pay close attention to the nursing session as well, being vigilant for changes in the latch (you can feel the tongue coming out from under the nipple and the latch getting "loose."  DD used to do it at the end.  If you can preempt the biting at all, then still remind him, "no biting."

GL!