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Infant feeding

Persistent biting

13 replies

showtunesgirl · 24/09/2012 19:54

DD is 10 months old and in the last few weeks she has persistently biting. It doesn't seem to be getting better either as now even if the feed ends up being ok, she takes a bit first, then corrects herself and carries on.

If it REALLY hurts, I am taking her off by pushing her gently towards me so that she can't breathe and has to come off.

Tonight for the bedtime feed she bit me three times, each time I took her off. In the end because she was laughing at me so I popped her into her cot and walked away for a bit to give her the message that this wasn't right.

I went back and attempted again as she was screaming blue murder but again she bit me. So I put her in the cot again and said goodnight and walked away.

Cue more screaming, so I went back and this time the feed went fine and no biting.

Do I just have to carry on like this until she really gets the message? Have I been doing it wrong by taking her off and then letting her continue and should I take her off and let her cry for a bit to let her know No?

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showtunesgirl · 24/09/2012 22:51

Anyone? This is really getting me down. Sad

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mawbroon · 25/09/2012 12:29

Does she have a lip tie? some pics here

Babies with a lip tie sometimes bite when they get teeth because they can't maintain the latch.

How has the rest of your breastfeeding experience been?

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showtunesgirl · 25/09/2012 12:33

No idea if she has a lip tie as she would let me check but we have had no issues apart from the usual ones.

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mawbroon · 25/09/2012 12:35

The usual ones being?

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showtunesgirl · 25/09/2012 12:38

Sorry meant wouldn't let me check.

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showtunesgirl · 25/09/2012 12:39

Oh you know worrying about if you have enough milk, being a first time BF usual issues. But we have had no problems. Weight gain has been perfect and she's been very happy.

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mawbroon · 25/09/2012 12:58

Every chance that she doesn't have a lip tie, but it's certainly something worth checking when they start biting!

DS1 had spells of biting (he did have a lip tie, and a tongue tie, undiagnosed) and I used to take him off, say no biting and sit him on the floor at my feet. He didn't like it much and I used to let him back on fairly quickly, but he got the message pretty swiftly.

During which part of the feed is she biting? (something about that sentence doesn't sound right, but you know what I mean!!) Sometimes DS1 used to bite at the end if he was mucking around, or if I was trying to get him to go back on when he didn't want to so I could MN for longer

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showtunesgirl · 25/09/2012 13:11

At the beginning. I think it may be due to the fact that she has a top tooth now but also because she's just starting to cut down on feeds and is annoyed at me for offering maybe?

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showtunesgirl · 25/09/2012 20:20

Right, so I've now started to operate a zero tolerance approach to the biting and I think she may be getting the idea. Fingers crossed!

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mawbroon · 25/09/2012 21:06

Hope she is quick on the uptake!! It's not fun.

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showtunesgirl · 26/09/2012 17:42

Oh dear. Two big bites today. I'm now beginning to dread each feed. And it was all going so well. Sad

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thezoobmeister · 26/09/2012 23:45

I think you are following the right zero tolerance strategy ... my DD did same at 10 months, as soon as she started to bite I'd push her face into my boob so she had to let go. Then made her wait 30 seconds before latching on again. Some feeds had to do this 5-10 times, which she found so bloody frustrating she finally stopped biting. Whole thing was maybe 3 days of worry and pain but did stop. Good luck!

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showtunesgirl · 06/10/2012 22:53

Just to say we've had four bite free days in a row now. Smile

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