Breastfeeding with teeth!

[Cha]

I don't know if anyone has any suggestions but my 7 month old has 5 very sharp little teeth and breastfeeding is getting uncomfortable. The 2 bottom ones came through at 5 months and I never noticed them (apart from the odd 'playful' nip) but now the tops ones are here, after feeding, particularly on the right breast, there are 3 little teeth marks left on the nipple. It actually hurts when she's really hungry and pulling hard. I would like to breastfeed until she's a year old and will grit my teeth, but if anyone has any tips, I would be eternally grateful!

[emmagee]

I have a similar problem with my 11 month old, especially when each tooth is new and super sharp, and as you say, when he's very hungry. I find that trying to change the feeding position so that the teeth go in a different place avoids too much pain, also feeding on one side only to give the other a break. On another thread someone suggested filing down the teeth with an emery board, but I'm not sure how serious they were being. Having said that my little one started eating a pumice stone in the bath the other day - so I let him get on with it!

[jenny2998]

Hmm, I have this problem with my 13month old. When she bites we have a "3 strikes and out" rule where the feed is stopped with a firm "no" when she bites.

As for the teeth resting on the nipple...I don't really know, I just try and adjust her position and make it more comfortable. Sorry I can't be more help

[SofiaAmes]

I wouldn't file down any teeth with anything. I think it could cause serious damage to the teeth. If I remember correctly, teeth have a thin protective layer and it would not be a good idea to remove it. Doublecheck with your dentist. I breastfed until my son was 14 months and only stopped because I got pregnant and then it really did start hurting. I never had a problem with him biting, but sometimes he did hold on a little tightly (ie teeth marks in the breast). Usually moving positions or changing breasts helped. In fact, for the last month or two I ended up only feeding from one breast (i did look a little lopsided) as it was easier to get into a comfortable position with the right breast. Maybe you might try feeding your daughter solids before the breastfeeding so that she's not so hungry and pulling when she gets to your breast. Also, maybe you could eliminate the daytime feeds and just do a morning and nighttime one when she might be more relaxed and less enthusiastic. Good luck.

[Marina]

She's still quite little and maybe not able to adjust her grip as well as an older child can. My son's first few teeth came through comparatively early as well, and we had an uncomfortable few weeks (no biting, just pressure) until we both got used to this extra element. It does pass and does not continue as more teeth come through - well, it didn't for us. I breastfed until ds was 2.5 and had a full set of gnashers and was only ever bitten twice, when he was much younger. Jenny's 3 strikes and you're off approach worked for us then. I think the filing tip must have been a joke - baby teeth lose their sharpness very quickly.

[bundle]

I didn't find the sharpness such a problem, more the sheer sucking power of dd! I'm just stopping bfeednig (she's 23 mths) and only had a couple of nips during the whole time. obviously nipples completely devoid of sensation any more...

[MalmoMum]

At the stage you are at, I found that pinching ds's nose when he bit meant he had to relax his grip to open his mouth to breathe. He learnt to latch more comfortably quite quickly.

[mollipops]

Cha, I think you will find that the area where the teeth "rest" will get less sensitive over a short time and you will find you notice it less and less (just as when you first start feeding your nipples can be very sore, but they gradually "toughen up" ). I would only add that if she pulls, take her off and put her on again, maybe change position or sides as suggested too. If she actually nips or bites you, say "no" sharply and take her off. I took this approach with dd (she never got to try 3 times!) and she only ever nipped twice. The 2nd time I actually put her down and left the room (what a mean mummy!) - but she got the idea very quickly! Although I'm pretty sure she was a bit older than your dd at the time...anyway, HTH and good for you for persevering this far!

[Bexi]

Cha, I had a similar experience with dd when she was about that age, it didn't last. I don't know whether she stopped biting/pulling etc or if I just stopped noticing it as Mollipops says. She's 2.5 now with a full set of teeth and I'm still breastfeeding with no problems. I also used the "No!" approach or would reposition her, and if it got too uncomfortable I would just stop. Good luck.

[Bozza]

I only breastfed for six months but since DS got teeth at four months (and had 5 by the time I stopped) I have experience of this problem. I found that towards the end of a feed - when the hunger had been disipated DS would bite and twist - can you imagine how painful that is. However he was so little there was little I could do except stick my finger in and break contact. He soon got the message and the problem only lasted a week or two at most.

[suzannem]

I find that my son only nips when he is not particularly hungry. At about 6 months, he decided for himself that he needed one less feed than he had previously been having. It took me a day or two to realise, but once I had, he was his usual hungry self during the other feeds!

I too didn't feel the teeth when he only had the bottom ones, but that is because the tongue covers the bottom teeth when babies feed. You should not feel the top ones either because babies should pull the nipple far enough in to their mouths to stop this. However, we all know that this is not always the case! I can only suggest that you make sure that your baby really is hungry before feeding, and that you are not just assuming that she is hungry because it is 'time' for a feed (as I did!)

[Cha]

Good to hear that nipples get deadened to the pain of little fanglets eventually - I know it took me 6 weeks for the initial few sucks to stop hurting. By the time this is all over I will have a lovely set of rubber nipples. Never mind, they are already well past being erogenous zones...

I have also moved her about a bit while she's feeding and though she doesn't like it, it is better.
Thanks folks

[tiktok]

It's perfectly safe to file the teeth - it was me who suggested this, and I don't mean going at them hammer and tongs One quick pass will do it, or at the most two or three.

[LIZS]

I found that with ds although he had teeth from 5 months he rarely nipped and only when he'd had enough, at which point when I'd say no firmly and stop the feed. However with dd,now 9 months, she does now bite (leaving teethmarks and soreness for hours to prove it)at the beginning of her evening feed. For the first few times I'd say no and remove her but subsequently she has shown little interest in feeding in the evening at all, refusing to latch on, even to nip, for the last 2 nights.

I don't like putting her down in an empty tummy, as it means she has little to drink from 6pm until 7.30 am when she continues to breastfeed with no problems, but she has so far slept through. She already has 3 teeth and more I suspect on the way which have disrupted some nights over the past 2 weeks.

Should I just let it go and hope that eventually she will restart of her own accord, perhaps when teeth are more comfy, or should I try to give her formula at this feed instead, contentious though this is I know. She already has 2 small bottles of formula in the day and am thinking of reducing this to one to revive her interest in the evening feed.

Any alternative ideas please. She is otherwise a happy, healthy and very active little girl.

[susanmt]

My 4 month old son has just cut his f`irst tooth and has started nipping! (dd did the same). I can HIGHLY recommend the TNT (Tender Nipple Treatment) cream you can get from Little Green Earthlets if you get sore, it works really well!! I used it for sore nipples at the start and have found it very useful in the last week or so!!!!

[mollipops]

Lizs, if your dd is settling to sleep and then sleeping thru the night without that feed, I think that you may as well leave her be, without adding another formula feed at night. She is clearly not hungry or she would wake during the night. I assume she is taking solids in the late afternoon/evening, so it's not like she has an empty tum. I know it's hard to let go of that snuggly night feed, but sometimes it's better in the longrun to let bub lead the way. You could try cutting down the 2nd bottle in the day, but IMHO if you can get her settled at night without a bf you are blessed! Go with it I say!