I think I just scared my baby off breast feeding!

[yummimummy]

My 10 month old DD bit me last night whilst BFing.
I did the recommended firm "No" and took her off. She continues to bite 6 or 7 times and I did the same each time.
I might have said "No" a bit too firmly as she started to cry
I put her to bed without milk ( she'd had lots of tea) and then tried a dream feed later that she wasn't interested in.
This morning she woke up hungry but refused to latch on and got herself into a tizzy. I ended up giving her breakfast and a drink of water instead.
She's never taken a bottle but does drink water from a sippy cup.
If she's going to carry on biting I'll have to rethink the BF, but my main concern is that I've put her off BFing entirely and how to proceed. Does anyone have experience of this?

No experience sorry - sure someone will come along that has more constructive perspective but keeping really calm about it can't do any harm, does she have a favorite place in the house to nurse like in bed with you or in the bath? (ds loves this) try to make yourself as unperfumed as possible perhaps, so you get all the natural milky smells that might help trigger her latching on happily - hope it works out for you

poor thing is probably just confused! try snuggling up and giving her loads of cuddles so she feels safe, then offer her a feed, speak to her in a low soothing voice and praise her when she goes to latch on.

next time she bites take her off straight away, putting her back on just means she doesn't then understand what she's done wrong as she's been allowed to do it 6 or 7 more times. if she's biting it means she's not feeding anyway and is probably full. i was always told that the way they hold the nipple in their mouths if their actually feeding prevents them being able to bite.

Is she teething? My ds bites when teething and then only feeds sporadically.

Thanks ladies for your suggestions.
Eve, I'll try the soothing measures you suggested and yes I agree that if she bites I won't try to put her back on.
Chipmonkey - yep, I thought she was teething yesterday as she was quite grizzly.
Spot on.
Thanks a lot.
We'll see how it goes.

my ds2 did a similar thing 6weeks ago and has not gone back to bf at all. Its called a nursing strike and most babies do get over it in 3-4 days. I used lots of info on the la leche league website (don't know how to do clever link thing, sorry!). Like others have said try calm, soothing feeds - or just playing with bare breasts, with no pressure to feed. I used to sit in dark room and just sing with ds2 against my breast - he fought this at first - think he was very confused about bf and think he missed the sucking.

Maybe she's back feeding today?? Hope so, as it is so upsetting. You need to express milk as well to 'relieve' yourself!, keep supply up during the strike - I found ds2 loved to drink the expressed milk from a cup or sippy beaker.
Let us know how it's going xx

MY DD had a nursing strike for 48 hrs at 8 months. No idea what caused it but she totally refuised to feed - and at that point was not taking bottles either. I tried skin-to-skin but eventually I waited until she fell properly asleep and then put her to the breast and she latched on immediately, had a good feed and was fine the next day.

I was told when ds would bite to gently push him into breast and he opens his mouth then remove. Minimum fuss and no interesting squeals from mum :) worked a treat hth :)

Nursing strike.
Do a search in the archives or in La Leche League website. I'd attempt some links but I've got to get to bed.
My ds went on nursing strike for five or six days and it was really tough. He started nursing again just as suddenly as he'd stopped and I cried with relief.
All the best yummie.

Thanks everyone for your really helpful comments.
It seems the crisis is over for the moment.
She did start to feed normally again late yesterday.
I think the low key, low stress approach worked for her.
We'll see how it goes
Awen, I'll give the pushing thing a go if she does it again.
Thanks X

Wonderful news Yummy

I'm really pleased for you yummy. That's great news.

my friend was advised by HV to flick her finger firmly on babies cheek when he bit, he only bit twice and when he responded to the flick she acted as if nothing had happened and he continued to nurse happily and bit free for many more months.

That's interesting Matnan.
I guess the idea is to make the baby think they have hurt themselves ( gently).
I seem to remember similar advice given about dogs biting!
Might try that if the problem recurs.

I checked with her and she would not have eye contact with him so he didn't link it to her just to the times he bit and he did it a total of 3 times in 1 feed and then it stopped.

Yummi a similar thing happened to me, and the LLL leader I contacted said it was very common after a biting incident, where the mother has cried out or shouted, for the baby to refuse to breastfeed for a while. She also advised to pull the baby in to your breast when bitten, as mentioned above, rather than frightening them in any way.

Thanks again.
I think it was horses kicking actually, rather than dogs biting!
Anyway.