Breastfeeding While Teething

Whwn my baby girl got her first tooth, she started doing the same thing. I would immediately put my finger in her mouth (between her gums) and pry her mouth open. After just a fwe times she got the hint and has stopped. She just cut her third tooth and hasn't tried to bite me since.Hope this helps! Dont give up!!

Wen my kids bit me, I would just say "no" and break their latch and we would try again. It didn't take much time until they realized they couldn't bite me.

L., I'm so sorry! I know what a rude and painful shock it is to be bitten during this beautiful and relaxing time! I applaud the experienced mama who is able to gently react. I found that my involuntary yell of pain got my little ones' attention very well, albeit unintentionally. It is tough that your new teether is so young. When my 7 month old daughter started biting, I could get her attention the first time just with my natural reaction (loud intake of breath and tightening of muscles, perhaps a yelp, or even a loud yell), and then if she did it again, I would set her on the floor for a few minutes before resuming. What a act of love and surrender to put your baby back to your breast after such a painful event! It's absolutely worth it, though, because you CAN establish ground rules and boundaries with your baby, and your nursing relationship will only benefit from it. I nursed my first child until 15 mo, and she learned quickly at about 5 months not to bite just from my natural reaction. My second child I nursed for 11 months, and she also learned. My son is now 7 months and just got his first tooth. I expect we'll be going through this soon, but I certainly hope not!!!!! You mentioned that you've started bottle feeding, which I highly recommend in conjunction with breast feeding. However, I suggest that you make sure the same rules apply with bottle feeding. Don't let him bite the nipple of the bottle, or yank his head around. That only allows him to learn bad breastfeeding etiquette. Good luck to you, and don't give up!

Have no fear! I BFed to 18m- which means FULL SET OF TEETH INCLUDING FIRST MOLARS! While he's awake, watch him! Is he trying to get a reaction from you or is it as he starts to fall asleep and *grabs* you with his teeth?

My son did the 2nd. For him, I had to learn to hold him in a more supportive head possition. His problem was solved for about 6 months

If it's for a reaction, press him INTO the breast, so that your breat blocks him from breathing for just a second. (This was DS at about 1 year.) He will startle and release. ACT JUST AS SURPRISED AS HE IS! "Oh NO! Did you bite Mommy? That it's fun, is it?!" He will learn very quickly that biting IS NOT fun! I think I only had to do that 4 or 5 times before he didn't like what happened. He NEVER bit me again... Well, not there at least! ;)

Quick side note- my SIL would "end the session" when her kid bit. He learned "Bite when I'm done" which is NOT the message you want him to learn.

I have two daughters a 3 year old and a one year old, The three year old I nursed for 20 months and the 1 year old is 14 months and still nursing so of course we have been through the bitting thing. infact even though she doesn't do it very often at all she just bit me last night. There are a couple of ways to go about this. I have found it effective to just get them off right away so they know that is why you took them off and not alllow them to get back on for a reasonable amount of time 10-20 min is probbobly plenty long for a 5 month old. I have also heard of giving their nose a little flick not to hard but they definnetly don't like it and will learn quickly not to bite. I hope you can effectively get your son breastfeeding again. Good Luck!!

Learning to sleep through the night, giggling, and learning not to bite Mom are some of the first ways a baby learns to coordinate themselves and think and realize their life effects others. Gentleness and kindess about setting safe limits will teach him that kindness and gentleness are how limits are taught. Babies are incredibly adept at thinking of others. They might need a little help to master it, but if you cultivate it they respond willingly. For my 5 babies, it just required tenderly saying "owie," shaking my head "no" while my eyes still said "I love you," and having a brief stop to the nursing. Then after a couple minutes starting again. When they associated/knew biting meant a brief break, they quickly stopped biting. Babies are brilliant. He will learn quick and the biting is not so bad once its over and you look back. It sure is a shock at first though hu!!!

L.,

Try tylenol, ibuprophen or teething tablets about half hour before you nurse will help a lot. Or you can give him a cold wash cloth to chew on for a few minutes before you nurse. Do not use oragel before nursing. Once my baby couldn't feel his mouth, he REALLY clamped down LOL

The biting is from the pain and not something he's doing TO you. And you really can't/shouldn't discipline a 4 month old. As they get older and if they do it on purpose (they do like to test things out) I found the most effective thing was to 1. watch them - they can't bite and nurse at the same time so when they quit nursing, unlatch them and 2. if you get bit, end the nursing session and set them down. They quickly get the idea that biting isn't a good thing and the consequence of it is stopping nursing. I breastfed my first son until he was 2 and my second until he was 18 months. The biting is very short lived. It just takes them a couple of days to adjust to the feel of their mouth when they get their front teeth. And it is really rare for them to do more than just pinch you. It is startling but not fatal.

You've really got to assume that if biting were a serious, ongoing problem while breastfeeding the human race would have died out long ago before bottles were an option.

:-)T.

Dear L.,

My name is H. and I am a certified lactation consultant. Have no fear this is only temporary and can be discouraged. I ran across some wonderful suggestions. The one thing I don't think was mentioned is the possibility of an ear infection or fluid in the ears, stuffy nose because of a cold. If this is the case, then he/she may be willing to nurse on one side no problem. Then you offer the other side and the biting becomes an issue. You can nurse on the easier side first and then instead of flipping the baby over , slide them over into a football hold.Biting usually occurs on one side more than the other. I am also going to include the suggestions from the web site. Any other questions just write me a personal message.

How Do I Stop My Baby from Biting While Breastfeeding? (Mom-to-Mom #8)

by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor on May 22nd, 2007

After I wrote about how to heal a bite mark, one reader asked the very reasonable question of how to prevent a baby from biting in the first place. Steph wrote:

Q: My 12 month old son is used to being nursed to sleep, but with three teeth coming in at once, he is now also a dedicated biter.

He bites me so often and so hard that I have had to limit his nursing sessions for the first time. His first birthday ended in hysterical screaming all night… he couldn’t sleep without the breast, but can’t seem to feed without biting. It’s been like this for days.

I have been firmly telling him “no” and taking him off the breast when he does this, I have offered him cold things to chew on. Giving him infants’ paracetamol for his teeth seems to help a little, but it’s really not a permanent solution!!

Unfortunately, the only other advice I have received on this topic is to either bite him back or wean him… neither of which suits either my parenting plan or appeals to logic.

A: Steph, I’m sorry to hear that you’re getting bitten! That must be very distressing for you. Good for you for exploring gentle ways to get him to stop. I hope I can help by affirming what you’re already doing and offering some other things to try, and maybe some other moms will share some tips in the comments too!

Before we scare new mothers away from breastfeeding, first let’s reiterate that many if not most babies do not bite, and of those that do, for many it’s a one-time incident that does not cause injury and does not get repeated.

If a baby does bite, what should you do?

~ A bite might make you yelp involuntarily, but do not purposely yell at or frighten your child as this could cause a nursing strike (a refusal by the child to nurse at all). While it’s easier said than done, keep your reaction to a minimum so your baby doesn’t bite again just to see a repeat performance of your reaction.

~ If you can help it, don’t pull the baby off the breast without breaking the latch or you might risk damage to the nipple. As you state a firm “no” or “no biting,” break the latch by inserting a pinky finger in the corner of the baby’s mouth. Alternatively (and counter-intuitively), you can try pulling the baby into the breast or gently plugging the baby’s nose. Blocking the airway briefly will prompt the baby to open his mouth to breathe.

~ Analyze when in the nursing session the bite occurred. If the bite took place at the end of a nursing session, consider your child a great communicator — he’s certainly found a crystal clear way to tell you he’s done! He’s also given you a good clue about how to stop further biting. The key is to watch him at the breast during each feeding and anticipate when he is poised to bite again. In particular, watch for tension in the jaw that might signal a bite. As the baby stops sucking vigorously and begins to start pacifying, drifting off to sleep or showing other signs of boredom such as playing with his hands or turning his head to look around the room, gently break the latch. If he protests, you can consider switching sides and letting him continue to nurse as long as he’s actively suckling.

~ If you’re nursing your baby to sleep and he won’t settle without the breast, try the gentle-removal technique from The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night. Essentially that technique involves breaking the latch repeatedly until the child settles to sleep without being on the breast.

~ If the biting is happening as your child is drifting off to sleep, consider changing up the sleep routine or adding in new elements. For a while I used a “white noise” alarm clock that played sounds of the forest, brook or ocean. My daughter began to associate those noises with going to sleep and was more likely to settle once the latch was broken. Some babies, particularly older ones, might accept a change in the sleep routine altogether such as: nurse first then rock in the rocking chair, sing songs, rest in the bed together etc.

~ If the bite happened at the beginning of the nursing session, run through the possible causes for the biting such as teething or frustration with waiting for letdown.

~ If a baby is teething, have him chew on a cold well-rinsed wash cloth before a nursing session to numb his gums. It can help to keep a supply of wash cloths in the freezer for this purpose. Over the counter pain medications and homeopathic teething tablets are options too.

~ If you think your baby is biting over frustration waiting for the milk to letdown, try hand-expressing or pumping just enough to get the milk to letdown before starting the nursing session.

~ If a baby is biting at the beginning of the nursing session and still needs to nurse again, you may obviously have reservations about putting the baby back to the breast. Stay vigilant in watching for signs of biting and keep your pinky finger poised to break the latch. If your baby bites and you break the latch, consider waiting a few moments before allowing the baby to nurse again. The older the child, the longer the wait and the greater the separation, i.e. for a 4-month-old a brief “no biting” and breaking of the latch might be sufficient. For an 8-month-old, you might break the latch and set the child down next to you or sit him up in your lap, just momentarily. For a one-year-old, you could stand him up on the floor next to you with a quick, “No biting. Biting hurts mommy. You can nurse again when you are ready to be gentle.” I’m talking a matter of seconds. You don’t have to wait for the child to show any acknowledgment or remorse. The point is not to frustrate or punish the child but rather to associate biting with the natural consequence of being removed from the breast and from the comfort of mom’s arms for a moment.

~ Praise your baby’s good behavior at the breast. In addition to creating a negative association with biting, create a positive association with not biting! Recognize your child with praise and kisses when he pops off the breast properly.

Good luck! I hope this helps. Any questions just write back

H. Bushy
IBCLC

Ok, I breastfed all three of my kiddos. My 1st DS only for 3 months, but my DD for just over 2 years; and DS #3 is still there at 10 months.(and 6 teeth)

I know I'm the oddball, but heres what worked for me. With my DD (who is now a very happy well adjusted 3 yr old) =) all I had to do is yell NOOOO at the top of my lungs (just happened to be my natural reaction....not one I planned) and I quickly took her off, and left her in her crib for about 20 minutes. She never did it again, except of course a couple of time while falling asleep her teeth would 'clamp', then I would very quietly use my finger to 'pry' her mouth open, trying to not wake her.
I tried that with my lovely (very sweet, happy) baby boy, but he just giggled and did it again! =) OUCH!!! Ok, so I hadn't heard about the thumping or I would've tried that... I just tugged gently at first (then a little harder each time) on his hair right above his ear. It took a few times (yeah, it hurts but he's stubborn, so I just had to be more stubborn) the first time his eyes widened, and then he did it again.. So I tugged again, he bit again <a little softer> and I tugged again, but a lil harder (not a game I wanted to repeat)... After that he stopped for a while. Then he tried me again after a month or so, and I did it again. He has stopped...
But please understand that (I think someone said it before) there will be an adjustment period where you will have to find a better position (especially with the top teeth)... that IS NOT biting... And when the baby falls asleep there will be times when there teeth clamp.. Just try to pry loose without waking the baby. That isn't biting either!
HTH, Good luck , and you're a great mom!!

When he bites you very simply and quietly take him off the breast and lay him on the floor( assuming you are in a home. otherwise set him on a chair or sofa, etc. Then you wait a couple minutes and then put him back at the breast. He'll nurse, each time he bites, just repeat. It will work very quickly. just don't get upset or scared. Mch better than the bottle. good luck.

Great job breast feeding, keep it up! My son has 8 teeth and we're still feeding. When he first got teeth I would unlatch him repetedly until it was comfortable. They learn quick. Eacch time they get a new tooth, sometimes it is uncomfortable for them to suck, especially with the top teeth, so for a few days they're position may be uncomfy for you. Hang in there.

this might sound mean, but after he bites you flick him in the forehead. He'll understand that what he's doing to you hurts. This is the only thing that worked w/ both of my kids. My daughter never bit me again, but my son did it again just to test me.
T.

No. He is only four months old and the tooth is probably a sighn you should stop breast feeding. Since he is only 4 months old you can't really tell him not to bite. SO i say stop breast feeding.

-A.

It's a very common problem, and once it's solved it's rarely a problem again...

as soon as the bite occurs, cry out something like "ouch" or "NO", unlatch him and put him down in a safe place. After a few minutes, start the nursing session again. Repeat this every time a bite is made. Some babies only take once, some take a few more times. The longer you let it go on without correcting it, the funnier it gets to them and the harder it is to break the habit.

It took my teething 11-month-old at the time about 5 times and she finally learned, but she had been doing it for a little while already.

You can still breastfeed while he has teeth, you just have to teach him not to bite you. Just tell him no in a firm voice. This shouldn't be a problem, because you will naturally say no in pain when he bites you. My son used to bite too and after saying no in pain I would calmly tell him no biting, that hurts mommy. Of course his feeling were hurt and he cried at the tone of my voice, but after a few times, he no longer bites and we still nurse successfully at 10 months and 8 teeth. Yes you will get bit several times before it works, but the lesson learned is important. Good luck!

If he has a bottom tooth, then he can't nurse and bite you at the same time, because to nurse his tongue would be between you and his tooth. So if he is biting you, he is done nursing. Just say "no" very sternly and stop the nursing session. Once he realizes that a bite means you will stop, he won't do it again. All 3 of my kids (including twins, ouch!) have done this to me, but we have solved it very quickly. If you can get him to stop you should be able to get rid of the bottle if you want. Good luck!

I put baby ambisol on my daughter's gums and she didn't seem to bite as much. Could be the ambisol got on the nipple and numbed it...=)
The other thing is you don't always need to heat the bottle. I know in the summer my daughter loved an ice cold bottle of milk. You might try it during the day and make sure he doesn't get cramps or gas, but my daughter liked going to sleep with a cold bottle.
Good luck, this to shall pass...=)
R.

hi L., I don't think you can teach a 4 month old that something is unacceptable, he may not be able to control it, but if you put any part of your body in a mouth with teeth you have to expect to be bit. I don't know what dream feed is, but i don't know all of my babies were bottle fed, and were just as healthy and those who were breast fed. J.