Someone gonna help me get through the biting phase...?

[WilfSell]

Getting really fed up.

He really knows exactly what he's doing when he takes a swift chomp. He looks me right in the eye and smiles (little bugger) as he does it. He has four brand new, nicely serrated teeth and it is farking agony. He was doing it originally just at the end of one side presumably when the flow slowed so I would change sides. But just recently he just seems to be doing it all the time.

I take him off swiftly and turn him away from me. But it doesn't seem to be having any lasting effect.

Should I completely stop the feed? At what point do I let him back to feed if he's crying for it?

[MrsJamin]

Just wanted to say, I'm there with you! Currently have an open wound from a bite on one side, which I'm taking antibiotics for. DS only really tends to bite when he's finished or when he's teething (which is the reason at the moment). How old is your DS? Have you read this kellymom article?

[ajm200]

I can't help but I know who awful it can be to deal with a biting child. I gave up BF'ing my son when he developed all sorts of bad habits including biting. I did try to get help from the BF clinic at the local hospital but they just help mums with babies under 6 months so weren't interested.

I'm going to watch this thread with interest as I'm due to give birth in a few weeks and intend to BF again.

[Bumperlicious]

Wilf, DD was doing this last feed at night. Taking her off seemed to have no effect so I actually stopped that last feed and now she has cow's milk. I think she was getting impatient as I have always had let-down issues in the evening.

Is it at a particular time of day?

[WilfSell]

Hi all,

Thanks for your comments. Well he's almost 1 and he mostly does it at the end of a feed or when he wants to change sides. But sometimes he just does it for fun.

It's actually easier to get him to feed without doing it when he's tired (he just wants to suck then) so i'm of the view that he is doing it to get a reaction out of me.

I did a bit more putting him on the floor or away from me today and perhaps he's done it slightly less but still I'm doing a lot of flinching away from him if I even see him moving his jaw towards biting position.

That really doesn't help letdown. Surely he can't be wanting to wean?

[Annie75]

My DD bites intermittently and is now one. It was def worse when she was about 10 months old and more teeth were coming through. It pretty much always happened during the last feed, and seemed to be when she was getting a bit bored and wasn't quite ready for sleep.

I found the best way to prevent it was to take her back downstairs if she wasn't completely sleepy. I know what you mean about them seeming to know what they're doing. I actually think one of the worst things I did was to do the 'remove from breast and say a sharp no'. She thought that was hilarious! In hindsight (and something I do now so that it doesn't become a game) I wouldn't draw any attention to it - just quietly prise them off.

It does tend to come in phases so don't let it put you off bf. Keep your finger near his mouth if you're nervous so you can quickly put it in there to break the bite, and if he does, move him off and distract him with something else like a book until he forgets.