HELP!!!! Baby biting instead of feeding.

E

eva

Registered User
Can other moms out there pls help! Lately one tooth has started to emerge and baby has decided to bite nipple instead of sucking when feeding. She would bite a few times before sucking and would bite in between as well. I tried to pushed her away but only resulted in crying and rejecting breast altogether. I dont want to resort to bottle feeding everytime. So this evening I let her bite a few times then suck on. I myself is developing phobia too since it hurts so much..... help help help. What to do.....
 
very distressing when this happens especially when baby is teething / really awful when my son used to do this and think it was funny - very painful.

I was told to insert two fingers into the mouth and draw the mouth back from the nipple. Also told the biting is usually at the end of a feed and to try and pre-empt the biting - not the easiest thing to do I know! I also used to keep a teething ring on my person when breastfeeding and give that to the baby when he tried to bite

Eventually my son grew out of it after a few weeks and now bites my shoulder instead. Good luck!
 
Most mothers? reaction to biting is to startle and pull the baby off the breast. Often this will be enough to discourage the baby from biting again ? unfortunately not always.

When your baby bites try to stay calm and instead of pulling the baby off, pull the baby in as close as possible to your breast. Try to pull him in close enough to partially block his airway. This will cause him to release your nipple. Babies are very sensitive to even a slight blockage of their nose. Sometime you can do this by gentle pinching the baby?s nose so that he opens his mouth and releases the nipple.

Good luck,
SARAH
 
My daughter did that too when she started teething. It was often painful and I would scream and in turn she'd have a shock and start crying. Like the other moms have said, just try to keep calm and usually it will stop after awhile. If not, try getting a nipple protector to see if that works!
 
My daughter did that too so I did what Sarah recommended. On top of that, I kept telling her that it hurts and if you bite again, no more milk! So, when she bite again, I will stop nursing immediately and gave her angry face or painful look. She learnt the lesson eventually.
 
thanks moms out there. bb finally stop after me enduring a few more days of biting. hope it wont happen again with new tooth.
 
Since you ladies are breastfeeding, can you tell me if there's a need to supplement b/feeding with formula? I will stay home with baby.
 
Hi SyL,

I believe you would receive more replies to your question if you started a new thread with a different heading...

I believe the breasts perform a miraculous function. They produce milk according to supply and demand: the more your baby sucks (providing he/she has latched on properly), the more milk he/she gets. Women can provide enough milk for twins or even triplets, because their breasts are being stimulated two or three times as often. It's a shame that many women lose confidence in their body's ability to provide for their babies, because once formula supplements are introduced, this reduces the baby's time spent stimulating the breasts to produce more, which makes it difficult for your breasts to catch up. So if you believe you don't have enough milk and need to supplement, it can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Like many women, I have sometimes felt that my baby wants more milk, as they are learning to breastfeed and during growth spurts, but this has been temporary - you have to trust your body and wait for it to respond to increases in demand. If it does not and your baby is not gaining enough weight, there are experts you can turn to such as La Leche League or lactation consultants who can help your individual situation.

It is also helpful to go along to a LLL meeting while you are pregnant, to become more informed about breastfeeding.
 
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