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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Help Help Help I have teeth marks in my nipples and my DS is screaming!

33 replies

TheJen · 12/11/2007 19:23

My DS is 7 months has 4 teeth (top and bottom) and has occasionally bitten until today...today he has bitten me lots and lots and tonight I have had to abandon his bedtime feed as I'm crying in pain and he wont stop biting. He's not well- teeth and cold and really upset but he wont go to sleep without his night time feed so my DH is pacing with him to get him to bed and I am sitting here crying. He wont take a bottle and I desparately do not want to stop feeding but what do i do? Please help.

OP posts:
ib · 12/11/2007 19:28

Ds did this when he was teething - I found keeping calm, pulling him off, saying 'don't bite' and latching him back on eventually worked.

Poor all of you, it's awful.

Original poster
TheJen · 12/11/2007 19:29

It hurt so much that I burst into tears though... does it mean he's finished feeding or am I sending him to bed hungry?

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Sheherazadethegoat · 12/11/2007 19:30

poor you. i used to give dd a ashton & parsons teething powder before feeds. apart from that general shrieking seemed to eventually shock her out of doing it.

BroccoliSpears · 12/11/2007 19:38

You poor thing. Sympathies.

Have you tried going against your natural instinct to pull away, and instead pulling DS in to the boob - sort of smother him with boob so he lets go. Friends of mine have sworn by this as a way of teaching their LOs that biting = not good.

Original poster
TheJen · 12/11/2007 19:38

He'd had medised, ibuprofen and granules prior to feeding tonight but all in vain. Can we get through this or will it be the end of BF for us?

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cheritongirl · 12/11/2007 19:42

hi Jen, this might not be very helpful but my ds started doing this at 10 mo, it was agony, i screamed etc and cried etc..and i also really didn't want to give up feeding and my ds had refused a bottle til that stage. But then my dh just really persisted for a few feeds with the bottle and in the end he took it - cue relief all round and a sudden end to bf for me (sore boobs ensuing!). In my case i think he hadn't been actually getting enough milk from me as he was v constipated which disappeared when he started taking a bottle - that probably won't be the case for you. I just wanted to tell you that if you do get desperate he will probably take a bottle with time and persistence. I thought i would be heartbroken to give up bf but actually felt v liberated! Anyway, if you want to keep going i hope you can somehow. All the best.

Original poster
TheJen · 12/11/2007 20:01

BrocS- sorry x posts. Will try that later tonight if I have the courage to do the dream feed. Thanks Cg, appreciate honesty- in a few months think I might be more ready but at the moment I still want to carry on. Any one out there managed to get through it?

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Original poster
TheJen · 12/11/2007 20:44

Help... anyone?

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fishie · 12/11/2007 20:54

have you given him any drugs yet? calpol or ibuprofen i mean. he is ill and cross and will want comfort but be beastly nasty with it. bf very best thing for soothing.

oh is his nose blocked? that means he can't suck properly and will be more upset so perhaps you can try to help him to feed/breathe/feed.

Original poster
TheJen · 12/11/2007 20:59

He's had a complete cocktail of drugs today. I really hope it's all because he feels rough and he has a blocked nose but I feel sick at the thought of feeding him at 10 tonight. I feel so upset because I am soooo not ready to stop feeding but cannot have so much pain and anxiety during the feeds

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fishie · 12/11/2007 21:02

oh jen it's ok. what is this 10pm deadline, is he still awake? what is dh doing?

ib · 12/11/2007 21:02

Yes we got through it! Ds learnt soon enough that it wasn't OK to bite. He did this at about 7 mo, he is now 10.5 mo and still bf happily.

Now if he even starts to nibble I give him a stern look ans he laughs and pulls off.

I wouldn't obsess about whether he's had enough, if he's biting it's probably that he's too miserable to feed properly and insisting will only make it worse. He'll ask for it again when he's hungry.

Original poster
TheJen · 12/11/2007 21:11

That's good to hear- I definately react in a more relaxed manner during the day but have worked soooo hard to get him to not feed over night than when he refuses his evening feed I'm not only upset/in pain because of the biting and whether we'll have to stop BF but I'm also worried about him needing to feed in the night again. I know that's selfish but the nights have been rough until recently

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Original poster
TheJen · 12/11/2007 21:12

sorry bit garbled, hope that made sense

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ib · 12/11/2007 21:28

Of course - will he drink out of a cup? Maybe you can do that for the evening feed when he's not doing so well at the breast?

Hope it gets better soon!

fishie · 12/11/2007 21:28

jen if he's ill he might need to feed in the night. but with any luck he'll need a big sleep and won't wake up. 7m is still quite little so a one off really isn't going to make a difference.

Original poster
TheJen · 13/11/2007 08:23

Well he woke at 10.30 for a feed and did ok- just a little nibble towards the end so stopped feed and although he woke a few times in the night DH settled him but at 6 he was inconsoleable (sp?) so assumed hungry... had one side then bit the other.... Just brought him down and he had some banana and water instead. Now he's asleep and I'm dreading the mid morning feed The thing I find hardest is that I really enjoy feeding and this is so horrible, it's really changed how I feel about him during the feeds. I know it's not really his fault, he's not naughty and I'm not cross it's just that lovely snuggly bondy time feels like it's over and it makes me cry just to think about stopping.

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fishie · 13/11/2007 08:30

you poor thing, it really bloody hurts. but it is only a stage, it won't be like this for long. i found ds often bit when he'd finished feeding, keep a close watch and take him off before he gets the chance to strike.

kellymom has lots more for you.

Original poster
TheJen · 13/11/2007 08:33

Thanks fishie, I really hope it's just a phase but its soooo sore that I don't know how long I can cope with it I feel so stressed about the next feed...

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Original poster
TheJen · 13/11/2007 08:38

Thanks for the site link also, actually found that last night so have had a little look- try to watch for signs and have sometime managed to stop him- also tried pushing him into the boob this morning which hurt me a bit less so that's a start. Trouble is, he's not well so quite whingy and it's difficult to tell whether he's hungry, tired or in pain and as he's demand fed, usually I'd offer the boob to solve most problems . He feeds at different times in the day so it's tricky to know when he's truly hungry. Also, we're doing BLW which relies on filling the gaps with the boob so not sure what to do... you might have guessed am in a bit of a flap !

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fishie · 13/11/2007 08:54

he's probably all of those things with a cold and teething and off his food. i think you'll have to resign yourself to a coupel of days of offering feeds and stopping if he's not keen.

usually when the snot goes darker green the end is in sight! the teething is another matter, but hopefully he'll learn to deal with it better (it must be a bit scary for him too) and there are only a finite number of teeth. carrot sticks? grapes?

Original poster
TheJen · 13/11/2007 09:25

I will cut some carrot sticks now and have teething ring in fridge ready to offer should he fancy a nibble when he wakes thanks for the tips and the support x

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soames · 13/11/2007 09:53

Morning, I've just tuned in and found your screams for help... Sounds like you're getting there, and you will with a combination of most of the advice you've been given so far. Don't be worried about letting him know you are upset or even cross and hurt because of the biting, as long as you don't lose it and worry him! He might only be tiny, but I reckon these little people are more aware than we often give them credit for. Have you tried him with a bottle (or cup) of expressed milk... given by someone else. I always found this was beneficial during the "dark" times. Things will also get better when the snot goes, snot is evil and very adept at coming between you and bf happiness.Well done so far and stick in, it will get better.... Honest!!!(wink)

Original poster
TheJen · 13/11/2007 10:49

Just fed him- was awful. Took ages for let down and then at end he bit- took him off said no. Gave him cold teether but he was upset and still hungry so offered him the otherside. This time he ate and didn't bit which was good but I feel so tense and upset I don't know what to do. Should I offer him a cup of EBM when he bites? OR should I try him with a bottle/ sippy cup. What if he bites those? Will he continue to associate biting with food? Please tell me this will pass.

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soames · 13/11/2007 11:23

It will pass, all the shitty bits do. Try thinking in terms of yourself instead of him. If you really need a break, try him with an expressed milk feed instead of your boob. I wouldn't recommend using a sippy cup as he might flood himself and freak out. Can someone else give him his next feed while you get out and go for a walk... give yourself a little break as it sounds as if you are really stressing and this won't help the situation. Drink plenty too so that next time you feed your let down should be easier and hopefully you will feel calmer. Maybe give him something like a teether to bite before feeding so he associates biting with un-productivity and continue to be firm but gentle if he does bite you.

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