Can I use a nipple shield while teaching ds not to bite? Bloody ouch!

[Okonomiyaki]

Ds, 7 mo, has just cut his first teeth. At the same time (not unrelated...) he has started biting me at every feed. My right nipple now has three cuts on it and feeding is excruciating, let alone being bitten again on the same spot. I'm scared to go anywhere near him!

ATM I am saying to him before I put him on, "If you bite me I will take you off," and then when he does bite I remove him and say as calmly as possible that he bit me and it hurts so we are stopping. This approach is not currently having any joy - when he's in a good mood he finds it hilarious, when he's tired he starts screaming until I put him back on again.

Any tips grateful, but mainly I was wondering if it would be ok to use a nipple shield on my poor poor right nipple while it heals. Or am I asking for supply issues? My life would be a living nightmare if I couldn't breastfeed!

I had this recently with 3rd tooth plus cold and my 10 month old. I had to stop feeding from one side as the cut was just getting worse. I did consider a shield but couldn't get hold of them quick enough. I hand expressed for 3 days and was fine within a week. Some bm rubbed onto the wounds really helped.

As for teaching them, I don't think he takes any notice of me telling him, also get giggles or screaming. I've heard when they start to learn about emotions you can do exagerrated, '"ow I'm in pain, I'm sad" acting.

They can only bite at the start or end of a feed due to the way the mouth is during the actual nursing so I just watch and don't let him hang about.

Will be interested to see other replies as this is close to my heart right now!

He's just so bloody quick :(

Also, he nurses to sleep and does a lot of pulling on and off as he's settling down because it's just comfort sucking after the main feed. He's only had 2x 30 min naps today because I'm so tense and he just keeps biting.

I also think I may be getting a blocked duct on the right side because I haven't let him properly drain the breast. Stupid but honestly, it's excruciating!

Oh and the shield was useless! He wanted to chew it.

Very sore bump :(

Can you get him to sleep any other way? Even if it means driving around, walking for miles. Also have you been taking painkillers, you can take paracetamol and ibruprofen together.

Ds also feeds to sleep at night and I did it some of the time (he was teething so more difficult to settle than normal). Was not nice.

Have you been expressing cos you don't want mastitis on top of everything. Ours did take a bit from a cup - bottle refuser and we didn't really want to try him again at this age - but its obviously not the same as feeding to sleep.

Albrecht, thanks for your support (and company!)

Yes, thankfully he will also sleep for daytime naps in the sling so I do have that option for giving myself a 'rest' . unfortunately at night it's boob or screaming and he had a couple of chomps during the night too. I decided not to say anything then as I didn't want to wake him and have to start from the beginning!

I'm away from home at the moment but I have decided that if it's still painful when I get back on Monday then I will express for a few days. Well hopefully - I never got on with it so all my kit is in the loft! Last time we tried ds was happy to take a bottle (about 4 months ago!) so hopefully that will still be the case.

I did managed to get him to take a couple of full feeds from the right so the discomfort has reduced. Definitely going to keep an eye on it though.

Is hand expressing easier than a machine then?

Yes easier for me anyway. And you don't need any equipment so no hunting for all the parts! I just squirt some into the cup and give it to him. I found a pump painful and I never got much with it

Haven't read the whole thread so sorry if I am repeating. My DS did this from 7 months. A BFC suggested I tried feeding lying down, I did this for a couple of days and the biting stopped.

Right, had a very painful lump again earlier so had a go at hand expressing. It was really easy, much better than a pump! Thanks albrecht.

JJJ, unfortunately I already do a lot of feeding lying down and ds bites that way too :(

Oh good, I'm glad to hear that.

Yeah I think I also got bitten during a lying down feed. Sometimes when he's sleepy he latches on wrong and I wake up with love bites near the nipple!