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Infant feeding

Biting

6 replies

csigeek · 15/12/2017 12:41

My 7mo DS got his first two (bottom) teeth at 4 months and never really bit me apart from a few scrapes. He has suddenly started really chomping down on my nipple at the start of end of almost every feed. I have tried yelping in pain and feigning tears etc but he just laughs. I've got some nipple shields so will try them later but he will not take a bottle so don't know if they will work for him. Does anyone have any other advice to help stopping him biting?
TIA

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Bluebelltulip · 15/12/2017 12:49

The advice I was given by breastfeeding support was to push the baby into the breast to force them to unlatch which does two things, stops milk until they don't bite and prevents damage which could be caused by pulling them off. I hope the nipple shield does help you but I found she still bit and hurt any way.

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csigeek · 15/12/2017 15:04

Nipple shields didn't help, he just bit through them 😩 I expressed but only got 3oz, he cried the entire time :( he drained that bottle as he must have been starving and then screamed for more so had to put him on the boob but it felt more like comfort sucking than he was getting any milk - could I be drying up? He sleeps really badly, a good night is 4 wake ups, so wondering now if that's because he's hungry and not getting enough milk from me.
Do you know the best way to try and get him to take a bottle? Should I just refuse the boob and only give him a bottle so he'll be hungry and just drink it?
I'm feeling a bit deflated at the moment, no one really tells you about this side of breastfeeding do they!

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Bluebelltulip · 16/12/2017 17:33

Not an expert on supply but I would be surprised if you were drying up after 7 months. It could be a comfort thing over night. In terms of taking the bottle you said he drained one so he can do it. If you want to introduce a regular bottle to mix feed or stop then just keep offering.

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AssassinatedBeauty · 16/12/2017 17:40

Your milk won't be drying up. If he bites I would just stop the feed, put him down and walk away for a bit. Then resume the feed if it was near the start, or not if it was near the end. He should learn that biting means you stop and stop doing it.

Is he teething at the moment? I found that biting was more likely when teething was going on.

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csigeek · 18/12/2017 04:04

He drained the 3oz but he must have been very hungry as I fed him at 2.30 and the bottle was at bed time at 6.30, he usually feeds at least every 3 hours but often every 2. He's a very hungry baby.
We've just had nearly 48 hours of no biting, only feeding him when I'm sure he's really hungry so he's sucked right away rather than biting. Then he's started biting me again tonight :( he's also been an absolute nightmare sleeping tonight, awake every hour up to 1.30 and basically won't be put down now so I've been awake since then.
I thought he might be teething but I've thinking that for weeks now so I don't know anymore. I can't remember what he was like when the first two came through either to compare.
Every time I've expressed I've got no more than 3oz, do you think it's just he fact that I'm expressing instead of feeding?

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csigeek · 18/12/2017 21:22

Well we found a tooth today! So I guess that explains everything! I've given him three bottles of expressed milk today which he took fine and no biting on any breastfeeds. Hoping now the tooth is breaking free we don't have any more of this but worried I will have to go through this with every tooth 😩 I'm glad that it's prompted me to give the bottle another go though as he is taking them much better this time.
🤞🏼
Thanks for all of your advice and info ladies x