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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Major nipple biting incident :(

24 replies

morningpaper · 22/05/2006 08:54

My 7 month old hasn't bitten me for a while but this morning just took a really deep BITE when she was coming off the breast - I have a deep cut on my nipple which hasn't stopped bleeding.

Should I do anything to it or put anything on it, or just leave it well alone?

OP posts:
Tatties · 22/05/2006 17:42

Shock ouch morningpaper. How is it now? My ds goes through phases of biting but has never drawn blood yet, touch wood. Don't know what to suggest but bumping this for you.

TambaTheDragonSlayer · 22/05/2006 17:45

OMG OUCH!!!

tons of sympathy

My ds did this to me once and I was so shocked that I just yanked him off Blush

sottovoce · 22/05/2006 19:38

MP, this sounds horrible! You poor thing, hope your nork is on the way to recovery Smile

I had a look at kellymom for the answer \link{http://www.kellymom.com/bf/older-baby/biting.html\ouch} but no real help. I had a few small bites which drew spots of blood and used to either wander around topless or use a bit of Lansinoh to patch it up and enable me to feed through it. Can't think of anything else to make it feel better...other than a large G and T obviously Grin

Original poster
morningpaper · 22/05/2006 19:51

Hello ladies! Thanks for your sympathy. It's actually feeling ok although I can see deep teethmarks. LUCKILY she hasn't done it again! She has bitten very hard a few times - it really reminds me of having a hamster ... She draws blood a lot. Fortunately feeding today went fine so I think it will be ok. Made me jump a mile and shout NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! and put her down on the bed. She cried with shock but not as much as me. :)

OP posts:
VeniVidiVickiQV · 22/05/2006 19:54

Oh you poor thing MP.

Its very painful when they do that and makes you very wary for a few days. My DS hasnt bitten that hard though. OUCH.

Original poster
morningpaper · 22/05/2006 20:00

Yes - it's worse when it happens when I'm sleepy at night.

DH said that I was making a mountain out of a molehill.

I said "Yes I'm sure if someone occasionally bit down hard on your bollocks when you were asleep you would be qutie relaxed about it."

OP posts:
willow2 · 22/05/2006 20:18

Good info' \link{http://www.abm.me.uk/biting.htm\here} on how to try to stop a repeat performance. My toes curl in sympathy - been over five years since that happened to me but still remember that pain!

threelittlebabies · 22/05/2006 20:35

mp- saw your post on this on BMC earlier and was going to reply but it wouldn't let me (don't ask)

dd is 8mo and her two front teeth at the bottom are just through. She hasn't bitten me...yet. So I have every symapthy, am just dreading the day it happens and hope it won't affect the feeding. Does your dd bite a lot? Your post has me terrified! Grin Hope you're less sore now Smile

Original poster
morningpaper · 24/05/2006 08:39

HELP ME

Two days later and my nipple is in agony

When she latches on I can't believe the pain

What's happened?

OP posts:
Pruni · 24/05/2006 08:42

Could it have got infected? (Horrible scenario so hope not)

Original poster
morningpaper · 24/05/2006 08:43

The cut is tiny and weepy

Not sure?

OP posts:
Laura032004 · 24/05/2006 08:45

Could you give that side a rest for a day or so? Maybe express if you're worried about supply? I had to do this a few times after a bite, and never had any problem with milk supply on resuming. Mind you, ds was a bit older then.

Would nipple shields help? Not sure how unadvisable they are now?

Laura032004 · 24/05/2006 08:46

Have you tried expressing some milk and rubbing it in to the area?

Tutter · 24/05/2006 08:48

i'd have a word with your gp. a friend of mine had hers turn septic after a bite - was ok to continue feeding (albeit painful) - can't remember if she had anything to clear the infection - sorry.

sottovoce · 24/05/2006 19:31

MP, have you a tube of Lansinoh? It helped my little cuts and is worth a try. Without it, feedling was a bit like being stroked with broken glass but it was just about tolerable with it.

Feeling for you and sending soothing thoughts over the internet Smile

Original poster
morningpaper · 24/05/2006 21:06

Thanks all for kinds words!

GP has prescribed some antibiotics and said to take them if it persists or gets worse.

It is bloody AGONY! I have downed 2 nurofen. I will rub milk in (thanks for tip!) and have put vaseline on - nearest thing I've got to Lasinoh.

OP posts:
FrannyandZooey · 24/05/2006 21:28

Oh no I have no idea what would help but I am so sorry to hear about your poor nipple :( My toes are utterly curled in sympathy.

Did you try ice as mentioned in one of the links?

bex75 · 24/05/2006 22:10

could try a nipple shield? or try feeding from a different angle, so chin is not pushing on painful area e.g. under arm

not looking forward to teeth all that much now...

lorna3586 · 24/05/2006 22:13

when she bites take her off the boob straight away and say no in a firm voice. That way she'll learn if she bites she looses the boob. Also i find it helps if you rest the nipple on the very endge of there lip so they have to kind of suck the nipple into there mouth, that way they start with sucking rather than a chewing motion. While she's feeding make sure her longe is on top of her teeth as she sucks you can normally see the tougne..and if you cant then whatch closely so you can see if she looks like she may bite.

lorna3586 · 24/05/2006 22:20

I know that doesnt help with the pain but it may help to stop it happening again. Also the best thing would proberbly leaving your bra off so the cut can really dry out and harden. MAybe it would help if you feed from the other breast and hand express from the sore one. I know the milk might start to dry out abit on the sore breast but as long as you express every now and then to stop it drying out completely you can always get the milk supply up once the cuts heeled up. Ive had to so it before when i had agonising thrush and managed to increase the milk again once the thrush had gone.
Be careful with antibiotics you may get thrush which is very painfull. You can get this from having antibiotics so eat lots of bio yogurts. Signs of thrush are stabbing pains in your breasts little white dots round your nipple and extream pain when baby latches on.

FillyjonktheSnibbet · 24/05/2006 22:30

oh shit, this started happeneing to me 7 weeks ago and since I have had 4, yes 4 bouts of mastitis (and I'm in my 24th month of bf here, i know what I'm doing.). Dd does it when teething.

my dd doesn't get "no", she thinks mummy is being exceptionally funny.

Oh its VILE. Its just totally horrendous. I send sympathy vibes. I've seriously considered weaning dd over this escapade. (we're talking temperatures of +40 degrees, days in bed forced to knit and watch ER, so great agony)

Original poster
morningpaper · 25/05/2006 11:05

when she bites take her off the boob straight away and say no in a firm voice

Oh. I was taking the approach of immediately screaming FUUUCK! and dropping her. :) Honestly there was no chance of a rational response. It was a deep cut and started bleeding immediately. I have an overactive letdown and she has always been difficult to feed - fights at the breast, latches on badly, chokes all the time - only feeds for 2-3 minutes at a pop. (She is quite health and chubby though.) So there is no nice latch or anything, it's all constant on-and-off and pulling off when the letdown is too much for her. The biting occurs when she is pulling off - so this was right at the end of the nipple, so changing feeding position won't help. I expressed some this morning to relieve the pressure and I managed to feed her in the night from the bad side. I am sitting here starkers so I will try to air it to help. I have not started the antibiotics yet - I will see how things progress.

Thanks all for advice and sympathy!

Filly this is my (working it out) 26th month of breastfeeding! :)

OP posts:
Waswondering · 25/05/2006 11:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
morningpaper · 25/05/2006 11:16

Thank waswondering! Actually I have a couple of good mummy-friends who are bf counsellors and they are very helpful.

OP posts:
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