3.5 Months and Already Biting Down

C.

She could be getting teeth. My son got his first two teeth when he was 4 months old. As far as biting down the best thing I did was stop and try reattaching. If she is bitting down it is mostlikly that she has slipped down and is now trying to suck only on the nipple. If she is like my son this will pass. I breastfeed my son until he was 22 months. The idea of teeth is kind of scary thing but I truly never had a problem. Its all about the attachment.

Good Luck
Tina

Hi C.! My little one would bite down at about the same age as well. It was a while before her teeth actually appeared, but she had the signs of teething for a couple months before they came in. Anyway, I was at a loss of what to do. I had heard flick them on the face and pull them off or shout "No! No!" I did not like the idea of face flicking and no no didn't work after multiple attempts.

Then I read on here that a mom suggested pushing the breast into their mouth gently, then they will gasp for air and pull off on their own. When you pull them off, as you know, it hurts the nipple very badly. That seemed a little more gentle than other approaches and surprisingly worked for us. Now she's 19 months, has all her teeth and still breastfeeding (although, we are about to wean her of her last feedings). You breastfeed as long as you and your baby would like to, but my hope is that the biting would not stop you. Also, my gal seemed to bite a lot for a couple of days, then not do it for a while and then occasionally would come back to it. Good luck!

Hi
Babies sometimes bite down on the bottle nipples to increase the flow. She might be having some nipple confusion, or it could be teething. When she bites down on you, insert your pinkie into the side of her mouth to break the suction and grip. Tell her "no biting" and make her wait a few seconds before reattaching.
Good luck

oooooch! i have the same supply problem and have had pain since hour one - my daughter has a death grip and doesnt really get the latch thing. What has worked best for me is a product Medela sells called a nipple shield. My lactation consultant gave me one to try in the beginning and it has been a God send - we would not still be breast feeding without it. The best one to start with is 24mm - they are $6 at BRU or Target. Hang in there!

Hi,
My son started doing that at 7 months. But teeth or no teeth it stil hurts alot. Have you tried giving him breastmilk from a bottle? The more you ask from your breasts the more they'll make. It takes a while though. But giving more and more formula is going to reduce your breastmilk even more. I put my vinger in his mouth everytime he bit or tried biting me. And his lips were shaped different just before he wanted to bite, so try and watch so you can get out before she bites.(wait for her to pout, and hold your breast close to the nipple so you have control of getting your nipple in and out of her mouth, you'll learn when and why she bites) When he still kept biting I usually started expressing my milk using my manual breastpump by his side. I'd give him some of the bottlebreastmilk (just a littlebit) and than afterwards gave hime my breast again. That worked most of the time. It helps to get the milk going to, and that's helpfull when they're hungry and impatient...
O and have you tried fenugreek for more milkproduction? I think doing both must help, but it takes time. I'll try and get more info on this and will get back to you.
Hope it helps a bit.
L.

pinch her nose closed w/ your fingers when she does that ...she will let go ..don't hold too long though b/c she won't be able to breath..but my son started doing that later..and i would do that and it made him stop.

Hi C.,

Both of my boys got their first two teeth at 4 months. The next two at six months. My 11 month old now has 7 teeth. Babies start teething a good month before the teeth actually poke through, so your daughter could very likely be teething.

I breastfed both boys, first for 17 months and my 11 month old is still breastfeeding. I have been bit quite a few times, especially during teething periods. What I have done if I feel him biting down is poke his cheek and say no biting. He always stops to listen. I repeat this if I have to and it seems to work.

I have also screamed out before out of pain and shock! This got his attention too. If they are able to bite down they are not feeding properly because their tongue should be cupping the bottom of your nipple covering any teeth. If your baby is biting down or kind of playing, it is probably good to take her off momentarily and try again to see if she is done.

You mentioned having supply issues. She may bite down when supply is gone to try to get more. I encourage you to keep breastfeeding! Even if you are by, you are both still bebfitting from what she is getting! Have you seen a lactation consultant? You may want to check out Milkalicious in Aliso Viejo. I was there last week and they are amazing!

Best of luck!

H.
Birth Doula
Full Bloom Birth

Try sticking your finger between her gums (on the side of her mouth) when she is biting down and she will release. This is very normal and she will soon get over it. If you want your milk supply to increase you'll need to breastfeed her more often and not supplement with formula - suppy & demand!

Best of luck!

My daughter started doing that at about the same age. She is seven months now. The only thing that I felt was appropriate was just to show a natural reaction to pain. I would just (a little louder than normal voice) say owww! With a sad look on my face, she seems to understand and rarely does it anymore. I don't know if anyone has told yo this already, but the only thing besides drinking lots of water that helps me produce more milk is just literally nursing more. I nurse now even when I think I don't have any milk and that increases what I produce. It takes about a day or so for my body to get a rhythm. I hope things get better for you. It is so awesome that you are still nursing!