Breastfeeding and Teething. What Now??

The only thing that worked for me was pinching my kid's nose when they bit and saying 'no'. They immediately released and learned quickly that they couldn't bite.

I'm breastfeeding my second child and the same strategy has worked wonderfully for both my babies. (My 6 month old nursing daughter doesn't even have teeth yet but she would chomp down on me, ouch!) Basically, I just cry out "ouch!" It's loud enough to startle her, she pulls away (as my son did back then, too) and looks at me, I make a sad face and shake my head 'no.' She's done it twice and never again. I expect that we might go through it again when she does get teeth, but the little reminder that it hurts momma and she'll stop. (Same strategy you use for a "teething" puppy, one that's nibbling on you, actually.)

Hey S.,

My son did the same thing. He would grab my nipple at the base of my breast and pull it to the end with his teeth-YOUCH! You have to be stern and you have to let her know you mean it when you say No. I would put him down if he didn't listen and give him another chance, and another, and another.....If I can offer you any words of hope, it's this-he eventually quit doing it, and I nursed him successfully until he was 2. So, hang in there-this is a phase that will pass if you can wait her out and be assertive at the same time.

Al

Just wanted to encourage you that however you find to get through it, it WILL pass! We went through the biting stage too; it was brief, and we went on to nurse to 2 1/2 years - and it was perfect! In fact, we wouldn't have weaned yet if my supply hadn't dried up with our next baby on the way. It's SO worth it to persevere! Blessings!

I had the same experience. May I suggest simply putting your hand under her chin and gently pushing her mouth closed (after gently removing her from your breast) and quietly saying "no". After a handful of times she will know that biting means she won't get to nurse anymore, without feeling scolded (which I find a 10 month old cannot process in any reasonable way). You definitely don't need to wean her this early, just because of a little teething. Although I know it's not comfortable for you at all! She can learn, and quickly. I've also used the technique (gentle push on the bottom of the chin, gentle "no") on an older toddler when biting other people seemed interesting, and it worked just as well. Good luck.

I have an 8 month old w/ top and bottom teeth. He bit me last week and I gave him a "time out". I was sitting on the couch and he bit me. I sternly said, "No Biting" and took him off and set him on the couch by himself for just a sec. I told him, "Time out! You don't get milk if you bite mama." He was worried about my tone but he sat there for just a sec looking at me. I brought him back and it was better. I have also showed him what he CAN bite. I also show him the baby sign for hurt and tell him it hurts to bite.

I know this will sound horrible but it works. My son got his first 2 teeth about 2 months ago and decided to bite while nursing and it about killed me. I flipped his cheek just hard enough that it startled him and hurt a little. It took about 3 times in a row but he hasnt done it again

Very normal at this age! The key is to watch her. You might notice that she nurses at first, when she is hungry. After hunger is satisfied, maybe you notice her looking more relaxed, maybe giving you a look or a smile before biting? My kids also bit when they were falling asleep. I know biting hurts so much, but try to wait it out. Let her know it's not OK and it will pass.

I had a friend who had this problem and her daughter bit down so hard that it almost totally severed her nipple! That's the only time I've heard that, but I breast fed my children and found that the only time that they would bite me was when they were finished eating and were only sucking for pleasure. So, maybe you could look to make sure that she is finished eating, then remove her before she bites. Good luck!

Like a lot of the other moms on here, when my daughter would bite down, I would scream loud enough to startle her (involuntarily), and take her off. I would set her down on the couch and tell her "no biting" and wait for a little bit before putting her back on. It worked for her, but if you are getting MORE biting with a big reaction, I would do what the other mom said about just putting them down and walking away for a little bit. Some kids like the big reaction, some don't like it. You'll find out soon enough which one yours is. And it did pass (very quickly in my case).
Besides the reactionary stuff, if her teeth are bothering her, you can try getting her to suck on something cold before nursing - a cold teether or cold washcloth that has been in the fridge. This can help relieve the teething pain before nursing, so she has less of an urge to bite down to relieve her pain. I also highly recommend Hyland's teething tablets. It helps with the teething pain so much!! Hang in there, it will pass. If you need further support, go to a La Leche League meeting. You can find the local leaders and meetings on www.llli.org. I know the one in Cottonwood meets the first Wednesday of every month at 10am at the Boys and Girl's Club (I believe). My daughter weaned herself a couple of weeks before turning 2, so I haven't been in a few months.
Hang in there!!

All I can tell you is what I did, and it worked really well with my daughter. It took a few times with my son, but he learned pretty quickly too.

When now 8 year old girl child of my heart first did it she was 3 months old. Yes. Teeth at 3 months. I yelled in surprise, laid her on the carpet next to where we had been sitting, and simply walked away from her. She was very sad and cried for about a minute. I made sure I wasn't bleeding, took a deep breath, and went back over to her. She latched back on. I looked into her little eyes and said "no biting." She never bit me like that again.

Sweet boy, also had teeth at 3 months, but for him the learning experience took a few more tries. Even after he knew biting was going to get him no more boob, he would still gnaw sometimes. However, he learned pretty quickly too.

This may sound a little harsh, but they both got the message it wasn't okay, and stopped quickly. They learned if they wanted to nurse, then don't bite. Biting makes mommy put you down and abruptly leave the room.

The trick is to not turn it into a game of "Let's make mom jump!" All it takes is one smile when you tell them no, and it turns into a cause and effect exercise.

I hope this helps.

P.

I have found that my kids have bit only when the breast was empty or their hunger had been satisfied. All 4 of them bit, but I would always poke my thumb into the corner of their mouth and pull toward their ear. This releases the bite and gives them a little discomfort. This creates the cause and effect you want rather than the I-can-get-a-rise-out-of-mom-and-it's-funny effect that gets repeated. I kept my thumb there during the feeding while in this phase, but it didn't take too long for them to figure out I would do this and end the feeding session.
Hang in there!