Breastfeeding trouble

melgrady · December 2011

Rose has teeth coming in like crazy and I now dread every time I have to nurse her because she bites me so much (baby teeth are sharp!). When I have yelped in pain she just smiles back at me so that is obviously not working. Should I buy nipple shields or just EP from now on? We have never really had problems with bfing until now. There were a few times this weekend when I wanted to quit so badly because I couldn't handle the pain anymore and it doesn't help that I am sick and grouchy.

StefandTodd · December 2011

Obviously we're not to this point yet, and I dread it!! I'm so sorry. I do remember hearing several suggestions in an LLL meeting a attended a couple months ago. They would say that if she's nursing, then she can't be biting, and if she's biting then she can't be nursing (in other words, she can't suck for milk AND bite at the same time). So she may be biting perhaps when she is comfort suckling or when she is done and just wanting to be close to you. So maybe try to watch her closely for when she's done receiving milk, and pull her off on your cue, not hers. She may also want attention from you ON her ...I know when I heard that, I thought "uh oh!" cause I am forever looking at my cell phone while nursing and someone pointed out that sometimes when they're a little older (teeth having age ), they'll bite to get you to look at them while you nurse. Also, someone said that as soon as she bites a little, you can gently but firmly pull her head into your breast a little which will force her to unlatch and you can keep pulling her off like that until she stops the biting and actually nurses instead.

Anyway, just some suggestions that I've heard...again nothing I've been able yet to put into practice. Wishing you lots of luck though...I hope something helps soon so you don't have to be in pain anymore!!

alibee09 · December 2011

Certainly avoid the shields if you can and continue to nurse! In my experience, detaching them and sternly telling them not to bite ("NO biting!") is a good solution -- yelping is a response that most children find humorous but the stern voice will actually make them realize they're engaging in undesired behavior. (The first time I told each of my kids "no" they cried!)

Celyn · December 2011

Teething can sometimes affect latch. If she's latch properly, she won't be able to bite. Sometimes it can help to give her a breastmilk popicle (or ice cube in a teether mesh) to help numb her gums before nursing. Yelping isn't usually very successful, but putting her down, saying "no nursing when you bite" and walking away usually gets the message across.

melgrady · December 2011

Thanks for the advice ladies. I am going to try and be firm with her about biting and hopefully that will help. She did have a rough weekend and was doing a lot of comfort nursing due to the teething.

ashleyhuney · December 2011

Celyn:
Teething can sometimes affect latch. If she's latch properly, she won't be able to bite. Sometimes it can help to give her a breastmilk popicle (or ice cube in a teether mesh) to help numb her gums before nursing. Yelping isn't usually very successful, but putting her down, saying "no nursing when you bite" and walking away usually gets the message across.

Ditto. When J bit I said that and put him down. He broke into tears (I of course comforted him) and he didn't bite again for a long time, and then the method always worked when he forgot and bit again.

KellyMRocks · December 2011

When Winter bit I took it as a sign that she was done and put her down. She learned fairly quickly that if she wanted to nurse she couldn't bite.

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Breastfeeding trouble

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