How worried should I be about teeth?

[Stefka]

My DS is nearly six months and I am very nervous about teeth! Some of you may recall I had a terrible time with BF at the start - badly cracked and infected nipples. It took me three months before feeding didn't hurt. I love BF now but the thought of having nipple pain again puts a terrible fear through me. I don't want to stop BF either though.

Is it going to hurt? Am I getting stressed over nothing?

Yes, you're getting stressed over nothing. You might get a slight nip when the tooth is first coming through, just until he gets used to it, but normally only lasts a day or two. Just let him know that it's not comfortable (pull him into the breast to shock him) and he'll soon sort himself out.

No, it doesn't hurt. Sometimes when they first get teeth they will nip with themat the end of the feed, but pulling them in close stops them actually biting.
DS has 20 teeth now, and it never hurts

DS is 13mo and still BF, he has eight very sharp teeth but has never bitten while feeding, I guess they must instinctively know not to bite the boob that feeds them! Sometimes when he's teething he has had a (non-painful) kind of nibble but I have pulled him away and said "No" and he hasn't done it again.

Well done for getting through the early problems you had, it really does get much easier from here.

Take your finger and put it in your mouth to suck. Do you feel teeth as you do it - no of course you don't. It's the same with breastfeeding.

DD is 18 months old, she has a full set of teeth and apart from a few mistaken nips when they first came through (which honestly hurt for a second but then stop hurting immediately) she's not bitten me.

So yes, you are getting stressed over something which you will shrug off with a firm 'no' a couple of times and which will stop very quickly

Your baby may be one of those gentle creatures who never think of such a thing.... on the other hand they may not !

My LO went through a stage of this ( has stopped now thankfully) and the best advice I had was from here which suggested rather than pulling him off the nipple (which is your first automatic reaction and is akin to pulling your nipple through a cheese grater) push him onto the breast (sort of like trying to suffocate him ) for a second. Sounds a bit odd, but it worked for me !

Thanks - the start was just so damn hard I don't think I could face something like that again! BF is totally brilliant now though - I am so glad I got through it. Wouldn't have done it without this place mind you.