Biting when feeding

[suzi2]

My DS is nearly a year and has just got some teeth (first one a month ago, 5 more in the last 2 wks). he doesn't seem to be teething at the moment.

Anyway, yesterday he bit me hard at the start of a feed and drew blood. He cried when I yelped but we didn't try again. This morning he bit me twice. The first was a nip, again he cried when I took him off and said "No" but once he was calm we tried again. The second time he drew blood (on the other nipple - typical!). So we didn't continue.

I really want to keep feeding him but I'm not sure what to do next! I'm very wary of feeding him again! The biting happens at the start of the feed. My letdown is slow at the best of times (have to concentrate on lovely things to make it happen) and it's probably scared right off now.

Any suggestions? I'm also 10wks pg so not sure if that's anything to do with it or not.

[suzi2]

anyone? he hadn't fed all day (been in a mood and been refusing) and for his bedtime feed he went straight on and bit me instantly. So he's away to bed without any milk. i tried to express this afternoon and got a measly ounce which he refused out of a cup tonight. He also refused a cup of cows milk.

Looks like our breastfeeding relationship is over which I'm finding hard. Unless someone has a miracle solution?

[jollyfolly]

my ds started teething at 6 months but started biting at about 8 months.... never so hard as to draw blood though!!! ouch!.... he only did it about four times, although sometime will still nip when he is poorly and full of cold and/or teething.... maybe the teething is what is making him do it??? each time i pulled him off straight away but then put him back on again... are you stopping that feed altogether when he bites maybe you should try letting him continue straight after (although i think i would be a bit scared by now if i was you!) if he bites take him off then back on again after a few minutes so he can then make an immediate assiciation with what he has done wrong.... if you see what i mean?... if your let down is slow (ok so it is a pain) but have you tried expressing first?
Good luck, think i was lucky,ds likes boob so much that he got the message pretty quick and stopped biting, dont no how brave i would have been in trying to continue if the biting went on for to long!

[tigertum]

Hi Suzi 2

My DS is 15 months and still BF. He has gone through the odd bitey phase. It bloody hurts so I can really feel for you! I was advised to break him off and say no every time he did it and then put him bacl on after a few moments and this seemed to resolve things. I personally think he was just testing out his teeth because they were new.

Do you instigate feeds? I started doing this when DS was about 8 months because I wanted to enchourage him to keep BF until 2ish - providing he wanted to. I offer him a morning, mid-morning, nightime and bed-time feed. Somedays he has hardly anything, others he has lots and asks for extra feeds.

Maybe its heat/tooth related. The only thing I can suggest is choosing good times i.e hungry, but not too hungry, tired but not too tired and instigating a feed.

We actually have 'milk and beebies' in the afternoon which he loves. He's very, very active but will actually sit down and have a good milk feed with me this way. Also, it gives him a rest at a time when he needs it.

Sorry for waffling. Hope this helps.

[suzi2]

Thanks. I have offered him a feed again a few minutes later after the first bite and he has bitten again every time. I have been instigating the feeds for ages as he doesn't really ask otherwise.

I can only think that it's teething. He's even biting on his dummy, the spoon when eating and even the edge of his cup. I'm going to express tonight to try and keep things going and I'm hoping that he'll be so sleepy during the middle of the night feed that he won't fuss. Very scared of major bite though!

[tigertum]

Good idea suzi2

I remembered feeling v jumpy at feeds when DS was going through his bitey stage.

It will pass, I'm sure.

Maybe give him so bonjella before the feed?

[JennyLee]

It happened to me but didn't stop even with the saying no! so I stopped at 11 months and 3 weeks, it was like you , he did it every time once he started and drew blood in the end i could not bear to put my breast near him and I had been fanatical about breastfeeding, it took a day to get him on the bottle and he slept through the night for the first time in his life that night. Just giving a different opinion as everyone else who has posted found the biting stopped but for me it did not. hope you baby stops biting for you, I know how hard it is suddenly not having the breastfeeding relationship but life goes on and you still cuddle your baby and bond without the breastfeeding, sorry to sound negative...well hope your baby stops biting for you.

[suzi2]

He didn't wake for a night feed last night (highly unusual!) but this morning I tried to feed him 6 times. Each time he wanted it but just clamped his teeth round after 1 suck. So we went downstairs and played. He wasn't that bothered I don't think. Although he was looking for comfort before his nap there.

I tried giving him expressed milk (he takes a cup), formula and cows milk and he refused all of them. Not sure how to get milk into him now!

[JennyLee]

He will take milk in the end if he can take cows milk, it tastes better than formula or follow on milk and of course breastmilk is sweeter than cows milk or formula so maybe expressed milk if thats what you want to do, he will take it in the end however the more you express the longer it will take to dry up mine took 3 days to go sfter stopping fullstop with no expressing. He will have milk from a bottle in the end , good luck with everything and I sympathise that he did not stop biting as I loved brestfeeding too but it was impossbile with the biting. also try a bottle instead of a cup , it is a bit of a stark difference between a breast and a cup I used bottles for 3 months and then spout cup and normal cup a long while later, it does not have to be bottles forever but they are comforting to suck for the babies, anyway just a suggestion.

[mears]

suzi2 - you have my sympathies. Keep going as you are ie discontinuing feed if he bites.It might be a short lived phase he is going through. Unfortumately when my DD was 15 months she bit me unexpectedly and I shouted out in shock. She got such a fright she wouldn't go back on to feed again. I tried for 2 weeks, even lifting her when she was sleeping. She wouls suck for a little bit then when she realsied she was on the breast she took herself off. I had a bit of success taking her into the bath where she leaned over and fixed on for a few seconds, but I couldn't tempt her to keep going.
I never replaced breastmilk with any other milk on a regular basis. She wasn't that keen on it but I was happy that she was getting enough through her diet ie cheese, yogurts, milk puddings etc.

[bumbleweed]

Suzi2, just wanted to add my sympathies as you were were supportive to me on a sore nipples thread

The biting is really horrid and you feel so nervous putting them back on, dont you? Its such a sensitive part of the body and you are trusting it to this little person who doesnt understand properly but is really quite strong, and can really hurt. You must feel quite sad and frustrated at the thought of not being able to continue feeding him.

I hope you can get past this. Good luck.

[2Happy]

How strange, Suzi2, ds (13m) has just started biting me again. He went through a phase of this when he was 7 or 8 months old, but eventually stopped. Now he's randomly started up again and as he has a mouth full of teeth it hurts. But I'm also pg with no 2 - I'm nearly 14w - and some people say that your milk can change taste when you're pg, maybe there's a link? I've tried saying no, and I've tried the pulling him into the boob thing (unfortunately he found it hilarious and now keeps burying his head and breathing out and blowing raspberries on my boob ). I don't know whether to persevere or wean.
So, no practical suggestions, but you're not alone!

[suzi2]

thanks everyone. I'm feeling a lot better about things now. Basically I've decided to give up the feeding. I figure that there's a high chance he'll self wean in a few months anyway as I'm pg. Also, he seems more distressed at being offered a feed, but then not being able to get one. And I don't want to make the next few days a battle only to get nowhere. All day he has occasionally fussed for a feed but we've distracted him. He also went to sleep tonight without any milk (not even an offer) and took a wee while to settle but nothing too bad.

Only problems lingering are A) how do I get him to take any milk at all? (that isn't yogurt!) and B) how the hell do I settle him if he wakes during the night?

Hopefully the next few days will sort themselves out. Milk seems to be vanishing easily - not in any real discomfort.

[JennyLee]

maybe offer him some milk in a bottle , honestly it is as near to a breast shape as he will get and if he really wants to suck something or bite !to settle that what will do it in the end, even if it is just for a month or two. then you can go all out for cups and things

[suzi2]

He used to take a bottle of expressed milk every night until he was 7 months but after a weeks break, he has since refused the bottle. I'm going to try again with one tomorrow morning for some milk though. Giving anything a shot!

He's all DHs tonight when he wakes! I'm going to take advantage of "not being needed" while I can!

[JennyLee]

Thats good there are advantages to the situation, make the most of it and SLEEEEP!!! sleep sleep sleep really good! wake up refreshed, hope it goes well and good luck