Top Teeth Marks Embedded in the Boob - Help Please!

[Casmie]

Well that title got you to look

Okay, well I've now got to the point where I've been breastfeeding ds2 for longer than I did ds1 (ds1 gave up spontaneously about 8 mths and ds2 is 9.5 mths) and I'm reaching unknown territory.

Now ds2 has his top teeth and they've grown fairly long, I have a slight problem. He seems to suck with the top teeth embedded into my skin. Now I understood with biting, that it was when they were at the tail end of a feed when the tongue was no longer covering the bottom teeth so you could safely remove them and they'd learn. However, ds2 has never (bless him) bitten me... just a little forceful in the top jaw department.

So what do I do - is it just a natural consequence of feeding the older baby? Sometimes it doesn't seem to be as much pressure and it's perfectly comfortable. Other times he is digging in and I don't notice (other than slight discomfort) until he comes off and I notice the attractive teeth motif, other times it's really quite sore - with all the variants in between. So it's hard to know when to break suction and remove him - also I'd feel guilty because he hasn't really finished his feed.

Any suggestions?

Oh, in other news. My mother and her boyfriend were visiting yesterday. Her boyfriend's comment as I fed ds2 (remarkably discretely for once, he seems to be growing out of the nosiness while feeding phase, thank god) was "you still putting that thing in his mouth?"

[Yorkiegirl]

Message withdrawn

[misdee]

makes it harder to see teeth marks from the bottom

if its not causing you pain/discomfort theni wouldnt worry.

[Casmie]

Well it is, unfortunately, so I am

[misdee]

maybe stop him when it is hurting and gently reposistioning him again.

[vicdubya]

Casmie I have the same problem. Ds isn;t biting me but his top teeth just dig right in. It gets worse towards the end of the feed when he's coming off a bit.

I find my fave lying down position is the worst, and 2-3 of my feeds are done like that, usually, so I am rethinking doing them sitting up cos that seems to be better.

Does changing position help at all?

Most of the time I seem to be grinning & bearing it & taking him off myself when I know he's pretty much finished, to avoid the real pain at the end

[ChocolateGirl]

Casmie, I have the same problems too, although I find it's worse at the beginning of a feed when dd settles down and digs her teeth in. I just put up with it because she's only feeding once, or sometimes twice, a day now. Sorry I don't have any helpful advice! But I'm glad to find a fellow sufferer... hope you are too!

[Casmie]

Yes, I feel less like I must be doing something drastically wrong now! Tried to adjust his latch, change positions etc this evening, but didn't seem to help. Now they're older "experienced" babies, they seem very set in their ways about how they want to feed, don't they?! He wasn't having any of it.

Managed to move from "damn painful" to "discomfort" tonight though by shifting him slightly to one side forcing his chin to tilt up a bit more though, only I'm not sure if that was just a fluke or not.

[hewlettsdaughter]

Casmie - have a look here - there's a section called "Not really biting, but scraping teeth or indentations".

[beansprout]

Sorry, no advice as not at that stage yet, but couldn't let the comment from your mum's boyfriend pass without saying... WHAT A TOSSER!! Sorry, there you have it.

[Prufrock]

We had this for a while Casmie - and still do if I or ds is lazy about getting latch right. I have to sueeze my breats before putting it into his mouth, and make sure I hold him high enough that he is not dragging down.

[Casmie]

Ooh thanks hd and prufrock. Different things to try there. Have been experimenting using a bf cushion around my tummy again (had thought he would be too big for it now!) to try and emphasise good latch and the last couple of times it's been a bit better. He gets very cross if I try and unlatch him to try again - can't blame him really, he must feel like he's the expert not me

beansprout: quite. I suspect he was trying to be droll as he has that sort of (not funny) sense of humour, not that that excuses much. I remember when we had just finished painting the nursery and I was feeling a bit sensitive as I wasn't sure if the colour scheme worked... he walked in and said "ooo... vomit green". Oh well.

[Laura032004]

I'm having exactly the same problem with ds (10.5 months & 7 teeth!) at the moment. Seems to be more of a problem when he's tired, so latch probably not as good then.

Unlatching and relatching would work, if I could! He goes from fast asleep to fighting me off in a second

I think I'll give my bf cushion another go as well and see if that helps.

[Fennel]

I have the same problem with dd3, age 10 months. she's always had a rather sharp latch and with 6 teeth it's beyond sharp but she's not actually deliberately biting so the only way I can see of stopping it is stopping the bf.

at risk of sounding like a total martyr masochist mummy, I am so used to bf being painful right from the start it doesn't really surprise me. but it does make me count down the weeks with some pleasure to when I plan to stop (only 6 more weeks, hurrah....)

[suedonim]

I had the 'dental impressions' thing with my bf babies, too. It was never that painful - looked far worse than it felt, tbh. Making sure the baby was supported and not hanging onto the boob by the skin of his/her teeth (haha!) helped.