Biting During Nursing, Slow Let down Reflex, and Decreased Supply--help!

My mom taught me to drink 2-3 oz. of a wheat beer to get the let-down to kick in and the B vitamin & extra calorie count fueled the milk flow too. Don't worry the amount of booze will not affect the baby IF you only drink that little amount - give the left-over to hubby or marinate meat with it.
Fenugreek - 3 pillz 3 timez a day. Teething will be over and he'll eat like a pig to catch up.
OR - you can pump & give a bottle...I hated that option, ick!

I disagree that this is some sign your baby is ready to wean. Your baby's trying to relieve his teething pain. The fact that he's showing little interest in solids means he's happy nursing and still needs that nutrition. Also, nursing is more than just nutrition for the baby. It has so many other health benefits for mama and baby.

When my little one was biting, the lactation consultant recommended pulling him into the breast. That way the baby has to let go so he can breathe.

You could also check out the Nursing Mothers Counsel at www.nursingmothers.org. It's a local organization for nursing advice.

If you are committed to getting through this period, I would clear your schedule and get busy nursing and enjoying your baby. Keep pumping even if you aren't getting a good letdown. Breathe deeply, listen to some relaxing music, and visualize your baby nursing peacefully.

If one mama can construe this problem as a sign you should wean your baby, then I will come to the conclusion that you should focus in on YOU and your BABY, especially at this crazy time of year.

Please don't take this as a sign that your baby is ready to stop breastfeeding. He is just in pain and can only get relief from nursing or biting. I breastfeed my first baby for 11 1/2 exclusively and then gradually introduced solids. I stoped nursing him at 15 months due to another pregnancy. My second child breastfed exclusively for 8 months before I introduced food and he refused to take a bottle until I had to stop nursing him (due to another pregnancy) until I found the BreastFlow bottle. Nursing during teething can be difficult but possible. Be CONSISTANT. Choose your method and stick with it. When you put him on your breast start talking to him with your happy voice and a smile on your face and tell him "good boy" or "Be nice". If he bites sharply tell him "No" and pull him off. Wait 30 sec to a min and put him back on. Then start with the positive, "Thank you for not biting mommy" Continue with this and he will learn that he will not get milk unless he doesn't bite. Don't worry our babies are smarter than we give them credit for. Just as long as you are consistant he will learn. Pump to keep up your milk supply as much as possible and drink lots of water. Good Luck!!

I agree with Desiree and Jill G. Also, even if he won't take the bottle, I'd do some pumping to keep the supply going until you resolve the problem using the methods recommended by the other mothers. My little one started biting and would smile when I sternly told her "NO!" - definitely not the reaction I was looking for! But, she DID finally start crying a week later in response to this and she has now stopped biting. Luckily for me, it only lasted a couple weeks and was not very frequent.

My current problem is that I had started to supplement a few ounces of formula a day while I'm at work and she's now refusing formula. So, pumping at night in addition to all my day pumping may be in my near future! Ugh!!!

Good luck and hang in there! There's SOOOOO many benefits to breastmilk and nursing longer than 6 months. Don't listen to the mother that suggested there's no benefit after 6 months. Hogwash! There's too many studies that suggest otherwise...

Your body and your son are both telling you, in a strange way, that it is about time to stop nursing. By six months, an infant has received all of the antibodies that they are going to get. However, if you want to keep giving him breast milk, why don't you keep pumping and put it in a bottle? it can be frozen as well.

Now, on to the issue of him getting nutrition. When he gets hungry, he will take solids and a bottle. This refusal won't last long and the crying will be harder on you than him. You might also try watered down apple juice in a bottle. Sometimes babies associate the breast with milk so a bottle with milk just doesn't trigger their brain - apple juice might do it.

Good luck and blessings,
B.

Hi A., I would supplement with formula. My daughter who is 8 months old loves to bite the nipple and play with it while she is eating. (bottle fed)If you don't want to do that, keep pumping, but do it earlier and more frequently and bottle feed with your breast milk. He is just teething and likes, as you know, to bite because it feels good and relieves the pain. I rub my finger along my daughters gums and she loves it and stops fussing and biting and just lets me rub her gums. Both my kids are and were bottle fed, (I was unable to breastfeed) and they are healthy and happy. So if your milk is dwindling or you need a quick meal because your milk won't come down, formula is fine. Also, keep trying rice cereal, if he is refusing it, it takes a while sometimes to get them started. Good luck :-)

Hi A.,
The subject of breastfeeding always triggers strong responses on both sides of the fence, as you can see from the responses already. First I would like to say breastfeeding is wonderful and is certainly best for your baby at first if it is possible and reasonable for you to do so. However, everyone's body is different. I know there will be some who disagree with me on this, but it definitely is the truth. Not all women can breastfeed for months on end. With all 4 of my children I had no production left by the 3rd month. I did everything I could, including drinking water until I wanted to vomit and taking fenugreek and pumping etc. I just am not a good producer. I found out my mother was the same way, also. Women who have had no problems with production cannot imagine that it is possible not to be able to produce milk well enough. They just swear you must be doing something wrong. I just want to validate your experience for you. You are not alone in your struggle. My children ended up on formula by the 3rd month and (believe it or not!!!) actually survived and are healthy and normal today! Because of my poor production, I never went through breastfeeding during the teething stages, so I can't speak from experience there. I read some suggestions that sound reasonable to me and there's no harm in trying them. But let me just leave you with a few thoughts. First, babies DO need to begin solids somewhere around 6 months, otherwise there is the danger of rickets from lack of enough Vitamin D, which then causes problems with bones having enough calcium and phosphorus. Here's a link to a site that explains that a little. It's kind of thick reading, but you can get the basic idea, or you can do some of your own research on rickets. http://www.emedicine.com/Radio/topic610.htm
My own aunt, in fact, had rickets as a baby because my grandmother breastfed her exclusively with no solids until after she was a year old because she was young and didn't know better. Many people believe that breast milk is the perfect "magic elixir" and is all babies need for as long as the mom chooses, but that just is not the case. It is everything they need for several months, but they definitely need solid foods somewhere around 6 months, give or take. If your baby is teething, that does complicate things a little, but a little Tylenol or gum numbing gel before trying to feed should help out a bit. Do you try to feed him anything else besides cereal? If not, he probably won't eat it because it just doesn't taste good to him. At his age, he will be wanting flavors. My kids loved carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, asparagus, bananas, applesauce, pears etc. In fact, when I started feeding my youngest who is now 7 months old, she wanted nothing to do with plain cereal, but from the moment I put a spoonful of real food in her mouth, she became a chow hound! Anyway, I know this is all getting very long, but in the end what I want to say is this. Don't let anyone make you feel bad or make you feel like a bad mother if you just need to stop nursing. If it is going to work out better for you and your child and decrease your stress level, then it is the right thing to do. Babies do come with a price, but we should choose our stressors carefully as mothers. Your baby will not be an axe murderer if you stop breastfeeding now. In fact, if it decreases your stress level and improves your ability to bond with your baby because you aren't stressed, then fantastic! Save your supply of "worry energy" for the truly big things. God bless and good luck to you. The fact that you are asking for help proves that you are a wonderful mom.

I nursed my 3 kids beyond a year, I had the same thing with all of them at various degrees. None of mine ever took bottles either. Sounds like you have tried to tell him, yet he cries then you can't nurse him at all. Anytime mine would bite, I would bring the baby's face right into my breast, and say NO! gently but firm your trying to teach them this isn't ok. It briefly cuts their air supply off. If it continued, I would stop nursing, set them on the floor and walk away. It shocks them the first time, and its brief so be prepared to do it again. My girlfriend would flick her sons ear and say no. I have used all the above depending which of my children you ask about. :) They will test you again, they look up at you while nursing and try again to see what you'll do, to watch your expression. Your going to have a crying baby regardless what you do. They always do sense your emotions, so if your nervous about nursing = biting he will know. So prepare yourself for the task, if possible have your spouse, mom, friend be there for support so you keep your patience. Walk outside so you don't hear the crying, come back in and sooth him, talk to him, humm, then try again.

As for let downs, Fenugreek worked great for me, I also took a Milk Thistle? When I called my vitamin store she knew just what to help me with. Did you consult with the Vitamin "Clerk"? There is also a Mothers Tea (grocery/vitamin store) to drink hot/cold to help with milk supply. You can increase your Fenugreek. Please, please check with them again. If they don't have the answer I will call my shop for you, its very late otherwise I would now.

As you mentioned, you need to increase your nursing to help increase your milk supply. You really have to increase your water intake. If you aren't doing this, this will quickly decrease your milk supply. Don't let anyone tell you your just drying up, its nonsense. If you are drinking the water, nursing rather than pumping (to increase supply) to stimualte your breast, you should be ok. Keep in mind, you need to rest/and get sleep. Nap while baby naps, its still ok to do, especially if you are trying to help supply.

Some other things I did, hot showers before nursing (not the easiest thing to do) warm compresses, or massage your breast before you nurse. Oh - and if your son is touching/ massaging your breast while nursing, or is twisting your other nipple, he is the one trying to get your milk to let down, let him. It would take less than a minute to let down. Those guys know what their doing.

If all else, call Le Lache League (LLL), they are in your phone book or online, and these gals know what they are talking about. They can guide you on a phone conversation how to help or attend a meeting, some may even meet with you right away. Warning, not all lactation ladies have nursed, and if they say they did, ask for how long. LLL, trains their leaders for a year of more before they quailify to advise. They are simplistic in thier teachings, and teach us as our grandmothers learned how to feed their children and those before us. I hope I have been of some help, please let me know of the outcome. I have enjoyed nursing my children and hope you are sucessful as well. It may be a long road for you, but one worth traveled.
My Best,
D.

Does anyone know where to get "Santa" pic in the Grass Valley, Auburn area?

A.,
The'womanly art of breast feeding' is the la lache leagues's book with extremely helpuful suggestions about breast feeding. It suggests you flick the nose of your child while they bite you as a noxious stimulus to the child. Insterestingly it works,
good luck

A. a

Dear A.,
My son bit me too. I took the breast away and gave him a frozen teething ring to chomp on. That way he could bite and chew and the cold helped numb his gums a bit. Then, I would try nursing again. It didn't take that long really. He figured out that boobies were for sucking and biting was for other things. Every time he bit, I was done nursing and gave him something that he could bite on. If he was hungry, he wasn't happy about chomping on something different, but our nipples are not chew toys and he got the hang of it. He would settle down and nurse just fine. While your son is teething, just make sure he has plenty of other things to bite on. He will figure out that your boobs are not included in that. My daughter loved gnawing on wash rags that I had wet one corner of and put in the freezer. I nursed my son until he was 15 months old and he never bit me anymore.
Once they quit biting, you won't be so apprehensive and can get nursing back on track.
Best wishes!

You might want to try infant Motrin instead of infant Tylenol for teething pain to see if that makes a difference. It did with my daughter (who also flatly refused a bottle.)

In addition, rub a bit of oragel on the sore spots and give him something to gnaw on about a minute before nursing. Nurse a few extra times during the day to get your supply going again.

If he bites, gently poke your fingernail into his gums. That will usually stop the most determined biter.