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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Breastfeeding a baby with teeth....a little positivity please

22 replies

Mibby · 04/11/2011 14:27

DD has just got her first tooth (at 11 months) and we're still happily nursing but, with one exception, everyone ive mentioned the tooth too has responded with some version of 'well youll have to give up now, she'll bite'. Im really annoyed. I, and she, dont want to give up yet. :(
Please can you tell me some happy stories of nursing babies/ toddlers with teeth

OP posts:

Scootergrrrl · 04/11/2011 14:28

I still feed DS who is 19 months and he has all his teeth. It's fine. Tell them to bugger off

StetsonsAreCool · 04/11/2011 14:33

DD is 17mo and only missing her canines now. It's fine - she just learnt to adjust around the front teeth when they came in.

The bottom teeth aren't a problem anyway, as the tongue covers them. The top teeth were more problematic, but she still didn't bite very often.

You'll be fine. And yes, tell them all to bugger off

MedicalEd · 04/11/2011 14:38

My DD is 8.5months and has six teeth.
She has bitten me a couple of times but not often. I think she does it when a new one has come through until she gets used to it.
It makes you jump when they do it but its not like they hang on like a terrier, well mine didn't anyway.

rubyslippers · 04/11/2011 14:40

DD is 2
She has 11 teeth

Apparently you shouldn't feed them if they can ask for it either

JoinTheDots · 04/11/2011 14:42

14mth old DD has 10 teeth, has been through a couple of biting phases (very short lived, when teething) but overall there have been no problems with teeth and feeding.

Put a finger in her mouth on the other hand, and you have to expect teeth marks when you get it out again!

Teeth are no reason to stop feeding

MigGril · 04/11/2011 14:42

DD fed untill almost 3years with a full set of teeth from 18months no problem.

DS feeding at 12months 6teeth (some more coming at the moment), he's a bit more nippy then DD was but is learning not to nip.

They often nip when new one's come through but it does setal down and they soon learn they don't get any milk when bitting.

thesurgeonsmate · 04/11/2011 14:44

I happily nurse a toddler with teeth. Is that really all you need to hear?

If you do have biting trouble, there is loads of information out there about how to stop it. I never used it, personally, I found that dd only bit if I put her back onto the same breast twice. So I've started switching around every time she pulls off. Can lead to some heavy lifting as we go left-right-left-right-left in the middle of the night!

Original poster

Mibby · 04/11/2011 14:57

Thank you :)

Its nice to hear im not really 'weird' or 'strange' for continuing. Im the first in our group of friends to bf and DD is the first grandchild on both sides so there no precedent (sp?) but Im really fed up with people expecting me to stop.
We had it with the feeding marathon early growth spurts, then at six months, then when I went back to work, now with the teeth. It seems like the people i know think every change is a reason to stop.

OP posts:

Cosmosis · 04/11/2011 15:00

Ds is 14m and has 6 teeth. I got a lot of similar comments when he first started getting them, but they have stopped now, I just used to tell people he doesn?t bite and think about sucking on a straw, you don?t use your teeth!. He does bite occasionally, but only when teething and it?s fine.

Alibabaandthe80nappies · 04/11/2011 15:06

DS2 is 7 months and has 9 teeth. He nipped me earlier, thought it was the funniest thing in the world.

I told him no, pulled my top down and sat him up. His little face was really contrite and he latched back on sooo carefully. They understand.

DS1 had 5 teeth by the time he was 5 months, and I fed him until he was 2 and had a full mouthful! :)

Ignore, ignore, and enjoy the wonderful thing that is BFing a toddler :)

jaggythistle · 04/11/2011 15:34

I almost had a wee tear in my eye at the last sentence there Ali.

I fed mine till nearly 2 and it was lovely. I accidentally caused him to wean, I cut out a feed when I was trying to get pg and was a bit :(

Oh well, no 2 due in April so looking forward to doing it all again...

Whyriskit · 04/11/2011 16:13

DS2 is 15 months, 7 teeth and we're still quite happy. He did bite a bit initially but doesn't now. He did get an awful fright when he first bit me and I yelled - put him right off his feed but only temporarily!
Again, I've had people say that I must stop now and again that I have to stop when he can ask for it - I just point out that he doesn't bite and that he's been able to ask for it since he was days old...

mawbroon · 04/11/2011 16:14

DS1 has now got 23 teeth (5 of them are adult teeth) and ds2 has got 18 teeth.

That's 41 teeth in one go when they nurse together.

They cannot bite when they are actively feeding, IME it tends to happen if they are mucking about after they are finished, so you can learn to pre empt it and get them off before they do bite!

Don't worry, the teeth comment will just be the first of many ridiculous "reasons" why you have to stop breastfeeding, according to others.

Either just chuckle to yourself at the ridiculousness of it all, or if you feel more charitible, then you can always tell yourself that they just don't understand.

HTH

MrsKitty · 04/11/2011 16:17

Either ignore, or tell them they're spouting bollocks. Both of mine had their first tooth at 4 months old, with more quickly following. Should I have stopped then?

Yes, you might get the occasional bite/nip but I found it wasn't generally on purpose and there was usually a reason (distracted / tired / extra hungry...) Told them 'no' and it quickly stopped.

ThePathanKhansWitch · 04/11/2011 16:21

I fed DD until she was 3.10 months (just stopped in September), never had a problem with teeth.

Babies are smart, they want the milk, they know they don't bite to get it.

(DD used to have a ginger biscuit when having a feed, bit the biscuit, sucked the nipple ).

MrsTittleMouse · 04/11/2011 16:24

I fed a toddler with teeth and she didn't bite me once. :)
Her older sister bit so much that I had to stop BFing early (at 10 months). :( But she is a stubborn little thing, always has been, and most babies that I know who have bitten when BFing have learned very quickly that biting = no milk.

PessimisticMissPiggy · 04/11/2011 16:30

Ginger biscuit and booby? I have imagines of a toddler trying to dip a biscuit in your bra . My 6mo wants BF when she's eating (she's not keen on her sippy cup yet) and I keep getting covered in food. All part of the fun I suppose!

OP, I agree. Tell them to bugger off.

WoTmania · 04/11/2011 17:11

DS1 went through a phase of biting but stopped quite soon. Nver had any problem with the other two. I had all the stupid comments too.

zacklesMum · 04/11/2011 17:17

My DS is now 23 months with lots of teeth and he has never bitten me. I'd get a bad latch sometimes as the teeth were coming through, but that's it.

Actually, to be honest, he did once bite me. On my shoulder, while we were playing.

WoTmania · 04/11/2011 17:18

Oh yes and they nursed ot 1yr, 4 years and DD is still going at 2yrs 8 months. Quite a lot of toothage going on there

Lovesbaking · 04/11/2011 20:11

I bf my DS till he was 2. I really enjoyed it and was the lastonein my group to stop. Most people can't believe i did it for so long. He bit me once and I told him not to. My DS is now 3 and half and is a very strong little boy. He does not get ill very often either, which may be due to BF.

Gincognito · 04/11/2011 20:19

I'm feeding my one year old, who has 10 teeth. I don't give a toss about what other people think.

However, he does bite me, a lot, when he is teething. Which is most of the time :( I post about it on here sometimes.

Not going to stop feeding him, though. It is so important to the both of us, so important.

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