Biting whilst breast feeding! Ouch!!!! - Pregnancy and Par...

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Biting whilst breast feeding! Ouch!!!!

Littlepickle profile image
8 Replies

My little boy is just over six months with 2 very sharp teeth! I'm exclusively breast feeding and plan to do so for another few months but little one has started biting me more and more and quite frankly it really hurts! I've tried the 'no' and pulling away but he either laughs thinking it a game, or if I do it more firmly he cries then doesn't want to feed :(

Does anyone have any simular experiences/ advice?

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Littlepickle profile image
Littlepickle
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8 Replies

All I can say is Ouch!!!

But I also wanted to ask you are you still exclusively breastfeeding ot have you started him on any solids yet ?

The best advice i can give you is try & distract him with giving him things like some boiled & cooled water from time to time at least then He'll have the teat of the bottle to have a good chew on before you offer him any breast.

xx

NanKing profile image
NanKing

Yes, definitely relate to all you say! I used to just put in a finger (avoiding the teeth!) to break the suction and say 'no' very firmly and cover the breast for a moment... then try again after a minute or so or when crying has stopped (because if they are really crying they sometimes chew at the same time huh?!) and yes sometimes there were tears and refusals to suck again but after a few tiresome and painful sessions where we did that a number of times the message got through that there was no milk unless no biting! It is upsetting when they cry and decide they don't want to feed but they somehow then get the association with biting being unpleasant for both of you and give it up. You can be reassuring with cuddles and rocking but say 'that hurts mummy' - I think things hurting is a concept they get quite early on with their own bumps and bashes. It's the only way I've ever found to get through it - I've gone on to feed them all for an extended period and for me it was worth breaking through that, rather than stopping altogether. It's a rough time though and I do sympathize - hope you find your way through together. x

Lol sounds like u can't win either way. .. ur very good I would stop as soon as they get their teeth. .. take my hat off to u for persisting x

bumpnumber4 profile image
bumpnumber4

I unfortunately had to stop breast feeding my eldest when she was 7 months and got her top and bottom front teeth as she was a real biter.....had lots of help from breast feeding counsellors at the time but none of the methods worked to stop her biting, all that others have said are ways you can try...I was also told when nothing else worked to actually take her off the breast, tell her no very firmly and then put her down somewhere and leave the room for a short time to show her that I was not going to let her bite me......I tried this as a last resort and she would just sit and giggle thinking I was playing hide and seek...it never worked for me. However my other two were breast fed for a lot longer well after they got teeth...they both bit me once or twice but a firm no seemed to work with them. All babies are different. Good luck with it xxxx

mamacool profile image
mamacool

When mine used to bite, I held him tighter to me for a second or two. This sounds cruel but by this simulated boob smothering he released my poor sore nipple and rapidly learned that biting was not ok (once he released me I relaxed too and released him so I didn't harm him). If you pull yourself from his bite then the teeth just lock on and hurt even more. We got past this and I continued to BF until he was 13 months. I hope this helps :)

NanKing profile image
NanKing

That's a good idea - I remember someone else saying they had done that - had forgotten. Probably beats putting a finger in a mouth with little razors in!

Littlepickle profile image
Littlepickle

Thank you all! Lots of suggestions to be going on with there :) it's a difficult time I hope I can get past, not ready to stop just yet! Xx

Clairew7 profile image
Clairew7

I've found giving my son a teething ring to have a good chew on 15mins or so before a feed seems to help, it's not a guaranteed solution, but seems to get it out his system so he feeds nicely.

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