Baby biting at every feed

[Auntiedotty]

Hello
I'm just looking for some advice. My son is almost 10mo and over the last 4 ish days has been refusing to feed and biting me really hard every time he latches. He pushes the breast away or acts like he wants to feed then bites after less than 30 seconds. I have tried gently pushing his face into the breast and also trying to break the latch with a finger, both of which make him bite harder. A couple of times I have cried or yelped I know I shouldn't but it is hard when your nipple has been fed to the sharks!
Any advice? Could this be a nursing strike? I have tried him with a bottle at bedtime tonight which has also refused (not unusual for him). I'm totally at a loss! I dont want to stop bf as we both normally enjoy it but my nipples are so sore and split I dont see how we can carry on.
Thank you

[Auntiedotty]

Just to add, he already has 6 teeth😬 and I have tried different teething remedies before feeding him-no difference.

[Asiama]

I'm writing this while being bitten by my 15 month old! DS goes through phases when he is teething. I pull him off each time and say a stern NO! It takes a few days and then he bites less as he learns to adapt to his new teeth and realises I don't like being bitten. It's hard work and gives me the range when I get bitten 9 times in 3 minutes, but so far it has been a temporary problem.

[Goodebe]

Posting as I’m interested in replies, my DD 9 months has started doing this! I’ve noticed it’s when my boobs are less full, almost as if she is frustrated there isn’t an abundance of milk so biting instead of sucking! I have also tried pushing her face closer rather than yanking it away, but I agree it’s so hard as the pain is incredible! Those teeth are like razors!

[MoreRainbowsPlease]

My ds2 started biting me when he was 11.5 months. I persevered for 2 weeks, but he kept on biting and not wanting to feed from me (he was eating and drinking normally otherwise) he even bit me when I tried to feed to go to sleep (which was our normal routine). In the end I took the don't offer, don't refuse tack (he was perfectly capable of letting me know if he wanted a feed) and sadly he never breastfed again.

All the information I read said to stop feeding when they bite for a few seconds, and everytime they bite take them off the boob so that they learn biting means they don't get their milk. If this is true then ds2 must have been telling me he didn't want milk anymore as in the 2 weeks he was not bothered when I removed him from the breast when he bit. Hope you little one stops biting soon and carries on feeding, but it does seem to be a common phase for some kids.

[APurpleSquirrel]

When ever either DD or DS did this, break the latch (or get them off however you can) a very firm No biting & plonk them firmly on the floor/away from you. They'd protest but quickly learnt biting was not on & was not going to lead to more milk.
Once DS bit me as he was shocked/scared as DD screamed at something - fuck me that was so painful, it drew blood & had to go away from everyone for a while! Thankfully DH was there so could take them both.
Lots of lanolin to help with healing.

[paintcolourwoes]

It’s most likely a nursing strike but it’s bloody painful and you have my sympathy! Usually it will last up to a few days and then return to normal. You might find you can feed him better when he’s sleepy/asleep. If it’s happening at certain feeds and not others it could be a sign that he’s dropping feeds now. Both of mine have done this, and wounded me in the process, but it’s usually been temporary. I’d probably pump (but not necessarily store unless you want to) to keep the supply up, otherwise you might find you get more biting because of low milk supply

[auslass]

I'd be switching to bottle and expressing! Sounds painful for you!

[Auntiedotty]

Thank you all for the replies! I have managed to somehow feed him to sleep by changing position completely and doing it under arm/rugby ball once he had been rocked/bounced drowsy. I'm not averse to giving up breastfeeding but he just seems to eat and drink so little else and also has a milk allergy so can't replace with cows milk. Will he be ok without milk whilst on the nursing strike? I've been offering his sippy cup lots today and he has been offered 3 meals and two snacks (not convinced he actually ate much!). I had planned to let him self wean but maybe like yours Rainbows this is him telling me no more. I will come back and update to let you know how it plays out.
These babies are such a worry!
Thanks for all the replies.

[Auntiedotty]

And yes the lanolin is back out! Didnt think I would need it again once the newborn stage had passed. My nipples are more of a state now than when he was first born 🐊🦖🦈🦞

[MoreRainbowsPlease]

My ds2 had a dairy intolerance as well. We did have wysoy prescribed when he stopped bf, but he refused to drink it (I tried and it is vile!). I was told not to worry about him not drinking milk, but to make sure he was getting calcium in other ways like leafy green veg. My ds2 is now 11 so when he was little there was not the variety of dairy free alternatives that there are now, so advice now will probably be different, but I was told he could have milk alternatives like oat and soya, but not rice due to arsenic levels and it not being as nutritious.

[longtompot]

My ds, now 21 years old, bit me a few times when breastfeeding, and that was when he went onto bottle feeds. We were both much happier for it tbh. I couldn't relax when he bit me. I think that may have been due to having thrush with my first child, and the pain of feeding with that was excruciating.