14 Month Old Biting While Nursing

Try a FIRM, "No". Try not to look surprised, or shocked. Immediately after you say, "No"...take him away from your breast and stop the feeding. My baby did it at like 4 months and then never again. My mom said the same thing happened with me, she did just what I told you, to me...I never did it again either! After 1 year, I am under the impression the child gets no more nutritional benefits from nursing. Maybe you should take the feedings to nightime only.
My great grandma nursed one of her boys till he was 4. She was having a tea party one day, and he walked in, pulled up her shirt, and latched right on. I say, when they are old enough to tell ya what they want...well, they are old enough to drink from a sippy...hahahaha.
It may be easier to stop now then when he is 2, and he is going through the "TERRIBLE TWO'S". They are not as easy to reckin with when they get that 2 year old mentality.
Good luck

First let me say how sorry I was to read that you lost a child. That is unimaginable for me and very heart breaking to hear. If I may ask, how did she pass?As far as the biting, you should probably stop nursing b/c as his teeth grow in he has that natural instint to gum and chew. I think moms get that attachment and want to nurse as long as the baby wants. But in the long run it will hurt you and him. Since he's past the first yr of needing your breast milk or formula you should probably stop. I stopped bottle feeding mine a few days before his first birthday and he loved the transition to the sippy cup. He was more attached to the closeness he got with me during feedings rather than the bottle, which sounds like the case here. It seems like ur not ready to let go even though you know its time. Seems like u know he's your last child and probably your last time breast feeding and ur not ready to give it up. It's ok though...we would all keep our kids as babies and depending on us if we could but eventually you'll have to stop and the longer u wait the harder it will be.

My little girl used to bite me too. What I did to get her to stop was as soon as she started to bite, I put my finger in between my beast and her lip. When she bit down on her lip a few times, she stopped. It may sound harsh, but it worked, and dosen't cause her too much pain, just some discomfort.

Hi,

In nursing my little ones, I have found the biting to be just a phase. (I don't recall it lasting more than a week or two.)

I second the advice to pull him closer toward you when he does this, in order to teach him to release and reattach properly. I have also said, "No, that hurts mommy" or "Ouch! No biting", and would make a sad face to help give a general idea of how I felt. Surprisingly, little ones often understand quickly what you expect of them, and they want to please. I think that he will very quickly catch on to what you want him to do, and after that he won't forget.

Good for you for nursing longer than average! Hang in there. There are a lot of us out here, and it truly is best for baby!

Hi S.,
I think it's wonderful that you are such a dedicated mommy & are still nursing your precious little one. They are only little once. Do not let anyone talk you into weaning before you and he are both ready. It will probably happen naturally in time. Once you give it up, you can't get it back again, so make sure you're both ready. Also, I believe there is still benefit to both you & your baby to nurse as long as possible. You may want to get some info from La Leche about this if you have questions. What could possibly be better for a baby than his own mama's milk and the close bond you continue to have with him when you nurse? Also, I believe you decrease your chances of getting breast cancer the longer you nurse, as well as some other benefits.
About the biting, keep saying "no" & taking it away when he bites. Again, La Leche would probably have some good advice about this.
Good luck & good for you!!!

Hi S.,

You'll be happy to know that there's a very easy fix to this, which I've used on both of my children. As soon as he bites, pull his head into your breast so that your breast covers both his mouth and nose. He will immediately let go of the breast to pull his head back and breathe. Seems horrible, but it really only takes an instant.

Once he has done that, say "NO!" and put your breast away. Then offer it again in a minute to two minutes, and repeat this if necessary. Both of my children enjoyed biting me until we started this, at which point it became much less amusing to them.

As for extended nursing, nurse as long as you want - the World Health Organisation recommends nursing until at least the age of two, so you're doing great. I'm an extended nurser myself, having nursed daughter until she was around four, and am still nursing my 2 1/2 year old. He'll tandem feed with the next baby, due this spring I suspect. They're really just babies, and my goodness, nothing calms the storms of toddlerhood like a milky cuddle with Mummy!

Kudos to you for being a nursing mommy. Don't let others determine what's right for you and your baby, he will wean when you guys are ready. I nursed my first until she was two (she's 12 now) and am now nursing my 2 month old. I found that the "startle effect" worked well. When they bite down let out a quick, loud yelp (which you probably do anyway) that scares them. This worked for me, because it showed her that it hurt mommy and it scared her. Good luck I hope one of these solutions works for you. I know how easy it is to become frustrated and quit nursing, but hang in there if your not ready to stop. This too shall pass............