clamping down...help!

[pinkr]

Dd is 12 Weeks old...we bf fine but in the last few days she has started clamping down or biting before she ends the feed. She's never done this before and I want to stop her before it becomes a habit but don't knew how. Its quite uncomfortable but i'm worrying that if she keeps it up I'll be forced to stop once she gets teeth. I've read taking then off when they bite etc but she's ready to come off by then anyway so she probably wouldn't notice! Help please! ,

[WetDogLovesHubert]

I had this problem so did as suggested, take off calmly & then relatch each time it happens. Maybe as it's at the end of a feed you can just offer the breast again, even if your lo won't accept? It worked for my lo, so Fx you'll be ok.

[WetDogLovesHubert]

That probably reads as entirely unhelpful, I'm sorry!

[geekaMaxima]

Do you mean she clamps down for an instant then immediately lets go of the nipple to end the feed? With no real pause where you could intervene and unlatch her? If so, it might be worth trying to pre-empt the clamp. If she signals the feed is at an end by stopping her sucks in a long pause first, or dropped into a flutter sucking pattern, then you could try unlatching her gently at that point. A few feeds like that might be enough to break the association of clamping and ending a feed.

Or if there's any chance to gently unlatch her the instant she clamps down (rather than trying to pre-empt her), then take it.

In either case, you could try offering her the other boob. She might be clamping down to squeeze the last few drops of milk out and would like a little more

[laughingeyes2013]

My baby does this too. Sometimes he clamps down and then pulls his head away with my nipple still in his mouth (ouch) and other times he is squirming and wriggling at the same time.

Yesterday I saw on the thread that somebody had mentioned babies don't need as long at the breast as they grow older. So now when he clamps and starts biting I end the feed. Oddly enough it doesn't seem to matter whether he's been on me for five minutes or 35 minutes, he goes the same length of time between feeds!

You could always give it a go and see if it is the same for you?

[Sunflower1985]

My ds started doing this at that age too. I usually take that as the cue that he's done with that boob and wants to try the other side.

[pinkr]

Thanks! I'll try the other side! Us she does it and then drops off so there's not much time to correct her...she hasn't done it the last few feeds so very strange!