Seeking Advice: He Bit and I'm Now Bleeding!>!>!>!>!>!

Updated on October 20, 2007
T.F. asks from Muenster, TX
6 answers

Ok, so he's my second kid and still exclusively fed breastmilk(he gets 1 bottle a day of expressed milk while I'm at work, the rest of the time he's at the breast). I breastfed both my babies, but never had a real biting issue with my daughter. But, he has been biting (well at first pulling) since he was teething with his first tooth, beginning at at 3 mos. (he got his first tooth in at 3 mos and 1 week old and his second a week later) and biting me (a time or two a day) ever since. He never drew blood up to this point (he is now 5 mos. old).
Though I try my hardest to discourage it (I don't "yell" at him, but I do jerk, say "OW", "Don't Bite Mommy", etc), I can't get him to totally stop. He is not a hardy eater, so pulling him off does not discourage it- it simply makes him "say" "ok- I just won't eat anyway" and I don't want to discourage him from eating. He mostly does it when he is getting tierd or sleepy or when he is distracted, so it is not for "fun" or a game for him. I don't want to end the session just because he bites 'cause he needs to eat (since he doesn't eat a lot to begin with).
Now, today, he actually made me bleed, in not just one spot, but at least two. I didn't know this though until I went to pump at the next feeding "time", when I saw a bit of blood in the bell of the breastpump.

MY QUESTIONS:
1)What is the typical protocol on pumping/feeding with an open wound caused by biting on the nipple?
2)Have any suggestions on how to get him to stop biting without discouraging him to eat?

Thanks!
T.

Any info would be appreciated!

Thanks!

T.

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M.W.

answers from Dallas on

My girl was a biter for a little while, but it only happened as she fell asleep, so I just learned to be quick with my finger. Eventually she stopped, thankg goodness, but not before I had a bleeder, as well. I absolutely could not feed her on that side for about three days; it was just too painful. There was no way I was going to try my pump, either. I hand expressed a few times a day, but mostly I was miserable.

Gosh, I hope someone else posts with some more constructive advice! :)

1 mom found this helpful
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B.D.

answers from Dallas on

I agree with Janette - as he bites, push is face in toward your breast. He will open his mouth to breath and free you from his bite. My daughter wasn't a biter, but my son is! I have found this to be the most effective way for him to stop. It also sounds like you are noticing the time it is most likely to happen. My friends and I have found our babies bite more often when teething, done actively nursing (quit swallowing), looking around, or falling asleep. If you find those patterns, you can be more ready to respond before he gets a good bite in or complete nursing before he gets to that point.

I also suggest putting him down after biting. You can resume in a few minutes. I respect your desire to not do that, but I think it helped us out and he usually was done by the time he was biting me anyway.

I don't have advice on the bleeding - hasn't gotten that bad for me yet.

Good luck!
B.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.A.

answers from Dallas on

Thump his mouth when he bites. It worked for all three of mine. I nursed them all 'til around 24 mo. I'm still nursing my 3rd (not exclusively... he turned 2 yesterday), and they're all happy & healthy. I would also switch to the other side to continue the session, but (hopefully) with less pain. My children all learned within 2-3 days not to bite at all. I couldn't bear the thought of doing it to my daughter (1st), but since she got two teeth in at 3mo., I couldn;t just not nurse her, so thumping seemed the most loving thing to do... keep the nursing going, but teach they can't bite! You can say NO 'til you're blue in the face, but unless it comes with some kind of consequence, they'll never understand what "NO" means!
Just my thoughts, sorry for the rambling... I was nursing at the time I wrote this :)

1 mom found this helpful
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J.S.

answers from Dallas on

Hi, T.!

I wasn't able to nurse my 2 boys (16 and 2), but I did ask some of my nursing mom friends tonight, and they told me that if your son bites you, to push him even closer to your breast (almost like smothering him) for a short time, and he should stop biting, because then he's going to feel like he's fighting to get air. They all told me they only had to do this ONCE with their kids that did bite when they were nursing.

I'm so sorry you had this experience! I can't imagine how shocked you were!

Hopefully, this will help! :)

1 mom found this helpful
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M.D.

answers from Dallas on

Ouch! I know how that feels! It is okay to pump and keep nursing. Here are a few things to do in the mean time: 1. put lansinol around your nipple - this will help in healing. apply before pumping and after nursing. 2. Change your breast pads out more frequent. any moisture will harvest bacteria and will lead to infection. 3. When nursing, try a different position so that your son will not be putting pressure on where he bit you. 4. You can also put A&D ointment or triple antibiotic ointment on your bite mark often instead of lansinol. This is ok and when this happened to me, my husband told me to do that and I was like, "That's bad for the baby" but then I read from several reliable sources that it really is okay and will help in healing.

Hope this helps!!!

M.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.H.

answers from Dallas on

my son did this a few times as well- no bleeding though. I tried the "ouch" no biting and he was like your baby and would be like "okay fine, then I am done" so what i would do is pull him closer to my breast and say " no biting, mommy does not like that" he would usually stop and either continue nursing or pull off and be done.

i would not worry to much about him not getting enough- i found my son would make up for it during another nursing session- although not worrying is easier said then done :)

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