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Infant feeding

Baby biting me - at end of tether pls help!

7 replies

cakeandteajustforme · 17/07/2017 14:01

Just like the title says.. my 7 month old is teething again and seems to take great delight in biting me instead of taking milk. Please offer your advice to stop him from doing this?! He did it for a week or so at 5months but it stopped of its own accord. His teeth are much bigger now though so I can't take it!

It is really putting me off Breastfeeding him anymore and I've tried the usual google responses - pushing his face into the breast so he detaches - sometimes with a firm 'no' sometimes with no words. He often smiles/giggles when I do this. I usually won't feed him again after he bites for at least ten minutes so as not to reward the behaviour.

He's a great eater so it may be that I am offering the breast too frequently? He's perfect overnight when sleepy (am about to try and night wean though).

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EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic · 21/07/2017 17:22

Have you tried feeding lying down? Some mums find it helps.

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cakeandteajustforme · 21/07/2017 19:00

Thanks for responding :)
Yes this is good advice, I've only been feeding him just after waking up and in the morning in bed it makes sense to do lying down so I will shift to that for all possible feeds (not quite sure how that would work while out and about!).
He's getting all four top front teeth at the moment so cranky at the best of times. I haven't begun night weaning yet. Maybe tonight! Need some Dutch courage..

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HopelesslydevotedtoGu · 21/07/2017 19:09

I fed lying down and had my little finger next to baby's mouth to detach her if she bit. Then I said "no biting" firmly and get up. Then she would burst into tears Sad. She tended to bite for a few days as a new tooth came in, then stop.

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EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic · 21/07/2017 19:10

If yiu are going out, you could always try giving him a dose of ibruprofen to take the pain away. For him that is Grin

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TittyGolightly · 21/07/2017 19:18

Biting when teething is a reflex - the pressure soothes the pain. Try anbesol on his gums before feeding.

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cakeandteajustforme · 21/07/2017 21:03

Thanks everyone for the encouragement and words of wisdom.

I really hope it's just a teething phase as I would prefer to keep feeding him a little longer. As a pp mentioned DS also cries if I detach him, it's horrible to see him so sad. But I don't want to be in pain as well!

Calgel has been given before bed. Fingers crossed!

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HopelesslydevotedtoGu · 22/07/2017 07:30

She never bit if I fed her upright in the sling for some reason. Would loosen the straps, shimmy her round to one boob and latch her, then tighten the straps. Fiddly at first but soon became easy.

If she bit I often stopped the feed and gave her something to chew instead - teether, cucumber sticks, breast milk/ cow milk ice lollies I made in moulds. Sometimes I think she was feeding for pain relief rather than hunger.

Putting lansinoh on after bites helped them heal faster.

It's a horrible phase, but I found it passed quickly.

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