HELP, He's started biting me!

[Windsurfer's mum]

Can anyone give me some advice please.  Have been bf my boy for 8 months without any problems until tonight.  He's just got his two bottom teeth and it seems like his top ones are on their way.  Anyway, this evening's feed has been a disaster, he has bitten my nipple 4 times so hard that it has started bleeding and is really painful.  I am now scared to give him his df tonight as I am so sore.  The other problem is that he only has one bottle a day and its hit and miss as to whether he takes it.  Has anyone else been in this situation?
Please help.

Clare x   :cry:

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

What a beautiful picture!

I haven't been bitten quite that much, so I'll just give some thoughts (maybe another mom has more specific experience).

For for the teething - I'd suggest pain meds for both of you, if you're comfortable with it!  Infant motrin for him (ibuprofen) and either that or Tylenol for you too. Keep your finger poised when feeding him to jump in and break the latch.  If he starts to bite, quickly pull him towards you - it should make him break off if you can't get your finger in there.  Is it both breasts, or could you maybe nurse with the uninjured one and pump or rest the other tonight?

[Windsurfer's mum]

Thanks for the advice. I am giving expressed bottles until tonights bed time feed, fingers crossed.
clare

[CaedensMama]

I have also heard from LaLaeche League to pull them into you rather then pushing them away - I kow goes totoally against all instincts! But it I guess makes it hard to get a breath and they let go and they don't like the feeling and it is suppose to train them to stop biting.
My mom on the other hand used a light little flick at the corner of the mouth and a no - and that seemed to work too.........

Just a couple thoughts - hope he stops soon!

[alison reed]

Hi clare

I know how you feel. My daughter did that to me but I also have skin tags on my nipple that she has biten off but I can not get them fully removed as the root of the skin tag is on the pipes of one of the milk s. What I ended up doing was saying ouch that hurt no more bitting or you loss it. I also pulled her into the breast and this seemed to have worked with her. She has however just reastarted it and with her age as she is now 14 months old I can always give it up and I do tell her if you bite again you loss it for good. She must understand as she stops and does not bite again for the reast of that feed.

I also used caromile cream for sore and cracked nipples as you can still bf with the cream on. Also to protect your nipples will they are covered with a pad and bra I would use a nipple protector shield to keep my clothing of the area that has bleed after the bitting.

I hope this is useful and that you find it very helpful. Also for more information and help you could try this two websites and they will also get a breastfeeding councillor to email you back with advice on what you can do.
http://www.laleche.org.uk
http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk
http://www.abm.me.uk

I hope these 3 websites are useful I mainly use abm.me.uk as it is mothers helping mothers who have been trained as a breastfeeding coucillor. laleche is also another good one to use as they train people in the community to become breastfeeding councillors.

[nwrinkle]

My daughter bit me a couple of times also when she first got teeth.  After the 4th time, I looked at her and sternly said "NO".  She started to cry and rolled off.  I was afraid she thought I meant no to eating, but 4 hours later she was ready to eat and, after that, she didn't bite.  You have to be stearn with them.  When she first bit me, it surprised me so I had a different look on my face, she smiled, I smiled and we ended up laughing.  Therefore, she thought it was a game.  So, we have to teach them it is not a game. 
Good luck!