Biting :(

[PaulsMom]

It seems that dd is a biter  .  Its to the point where I am tense when she latches (or bites me) and being tense is affecting my let down so then she might bob off and then have to re-latch (and me being tense again).  when she has bitten me, i use my finger to get her off and say "no biting". if she has already fed, then thats the end of her feed.  I was planning on bf for her first year but if she keeps biting me, I don't know if I can keep on bf  .  Wondering if there is some way for me to teach her (quickly) to not bite.  She is teething but she already has 6 teeth.  I've changed her sippy cup to one with a firmer spout (She was using a silicone spout cup but have now banished this cup). She's 6.5 months and doesn't take a bottle so if i do stop bf, it will be hard on both of us  .

[zeri]

Not much advice, just ((hugs)) I know the first time DD bit me I jumped and yelped and pulled her off without unlatching and then we BOTH burst into tears... not recommended, but she never bit me again!

[PaulsMom]

Thanks for the hugs.  My DS bit me once.  I did the same thing as you but at least he never did it again.  I wish dd would learn not to bite.  Yesterday I had her teeth imprints on my nipple for a good part of the day  .  At least she didn't break the skin  .

[cath~]

I think the rexommended way to deal with this is to take her off the boob and say something like ' ow that hurts mummy' or 'boobs aren't for biting'. Wait a few mins before you offer again (if feed not yet finished) and she should learn. My DD went through a short patch of biting but learnt not to quite quickly with that method so we continued feeding until 18 months in the end.

[Erin M]

Ouch!  There's lots of info on it here: How do teeth change things? – teething and biting.

[KelliBeth]

PaulsMom,

I am with you, this is so painful 

At 2.5 months, my DS got into a habit of biting down and turning his head away from me- not fun. I found that pulling his face to me quickly- instead of pulling away- forces him to release. I also firmly say, "No biting Momma," and I wait a minute before allowing him to nurse again (paired with a kiss on the head and a gentle, "I love you." Don't want him to associate BF with rebuke... just the biting!) If he bites a second time, we are done for that feed. I find now, at almost 6 months, he will occasionally start to bite and look up at me. This gives me a chance to remind him not to bite, and he most often chooses to resume eating. But that doesn't always happen- sometimes he bites anyway. It's a work in progress.

One other note: I have noticed he will nip when my supply is lower, so I also try to bump up my water intake if he's biting regularly. You may or may not find a similar connection between supply and biting.

Good luck! Hang in there, you'll figure out what's best for you and your LO. 

[PaulsMom]

Hmmm...  That's an interesting connection between biting and supply KelliBeth.  She's biting less often but is still biting on the odd feed .  I think the sippy cup was the original trigger but teething is also a factor. 

[Fiver]

Teething and slow flow are both reasons LOs bite when they're feeding.  I used to keep a close eye on DD and unlatch her if she looked like she was going to try to bite before she got there.  If teething's an issue, you could give some paracetamol or teething gel/powders etc before you feed and see if that makes a difference, otherwise if it's slow flow, you could try some compressions to keep her interested.

[PaulsMom]

Thanks for the tips.  She's starting to bite me just before she latches on for a feed  .  This time I didn't take her off as she latched on and then fed with no more biting but i have a couple of teeth marks on my nipple.  Should I have taken her off    It happens so quick... she is biting me for a second and then is latching.  Her tooth is finally coming through today so maybe this nonsense will end until the next one cuts?

[Fiver]

It's up to you which approach you take, but I probably would've done the same in your position on that occasion.  Could she be trying to get herself comfortable as she's trying to latch on which is resulting in nipping rather than it being a deliberate bite?  I think for me that would probably inform my decision about what to do.  Sometimes they just don't realise what they're doing

[PaulsMom]

Yeah, I don't think that it's a deliberate bite.  Her top teeth are growing quickly and are big so maybe she isn't used to them? 

[Fiver]

Possibly.  I do think it takes them a little while to realise they've got them there.  It must be quite strange to suddenly have these big, hard, sharp things in your mouth when you're used to just gums.