Little biters

[Pyjamadonkey]

hi,
I think there was a recent post similar to this but can't find it (new to mn).

My 10month has recently started biting me each time I try BF him. We were doing 2-3feeds a day but over the past 48hours I'm only managing to give him 1 feed a day where he doesnt bite me. this is rather annoyingly at 3am when he used to sleep through. I've tried saying "no" firmly, I've tried ignoring it (as best you can when your nipple is being chewed!) and now I'm taking the "don't say anything just end the feed" stance which has resulting in him not being fed for the past 16hours.
To be honest, I'm ready to stop feeding but don't have an alternative in place. He refuses a bottle, will drink water from sippy cups but will take very little soya formula from a cup (maybe 1oz in a day plus 2-3oz in cereal and soya yogurts) He has milk allergy to top it all off.

I don't think he is teething at the mo but does have a cold.
Do I just continue the "stop the feed when he bites approach" and risk him not taking any more milk from me and persevere with the sippy cups (hoping that desperation might encourage him to drink more?

Any advice would be great thanks!

I'm getting toward this point too. My DS is the same age and is finally teething. Still no teeth erupted but he's clamping on with his super-hard gums. I've got either a cut or a blood blister (not sure which) from him today so dreading when his teeth are actually through.

We went through this phase too around 12 months. My daughter used to bite towards the end of the feed so I'd be ready to pull her off and put her down as soon as she did. I would then explain that it hurts and she is not to do it. After a while, she stopped biting and she now rarely does so (17months). It probably is just a phase so if you can ride it out and be clear that it hurts, your little one will hopefully get over it.

ds was a terror for this and now dd2 (8.5months) has started. i was going to say all the things asmywhims said. also nearly impossible but try not to react. ds + dd thought/think its a game if i yelp and do it again. when they bite make sure they see your sad face. dd often cries if i pull a sad face but she is now linking biting with me being sad and 'sorry' or 'poor mummy'.
age old advice but 'this too will pass'.

I second Whimsy's advice. No yelping! Just a stern "no biting", and remove them from your breast. You can offer another feed a few minutes later. If you pay attention you can often see the bite about to happen and stop them. Not much help at night when you're half asleep.

DD only did it for a few weeks and soon learnt not to.

PS- it's ok to threaten to kill any relatives who laugh when it happens and thereby encourage your baby to continue biting your nipple as it's funny!

thank you all for your advice. whimsy what you are saying about the latch makes perfect sense. I think his latch seems very shallow at the moment, not helped by me probably pulling away slightly in anticipation of the next nip.

I think he thinks its a game as he watches me for a reaction and grins when he does it!!! He is doing this at the start of the feeds and is therefore not getting much from me because I put him down. He went from 21hours yesterday without breastmilk and didnt seem that phased.

I was hoping to wean him off by his first birthday or just keep up with the bedtime feed but that seems to be his worst for biting. Unfortunately as he has missed this feed he's waking in the early hours again. Yawn!