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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

For the love of God how do I stop her biting?

32 replies

BumperliciousNeedsToSleep · 30/05/2008 14:11

DD is 11 months and keeps biting me!

I have tried:

putting her on the floor, but it's usually when she has had enough so doesn't bother her

saying no sharply - she just laughs

pushing her into my boob - as above

yelling - getoffgetoffgetoffgetoff! - funnily enough that just makes her laugh too

What can I do? This could be something that makes me stop. It makes me really angry with her

OP posts:

solo · 30/05/2008 14:15

The only thing that stopped my Dd from biting was flicking her lips with my fingers...it took about three attempts, but she's 17 months now and no longer bites me!

misspollysdolly · 30/05/2008 14:30

Bumperlicious, Does she only bit you when she's had enough milk? Is it her signal that she's finished or does she do it mid-feed too?

Original poster

BumperliciousNeedsToSleep · 30/05/2008 14:42

I'm trying to think misspolly...it's usually at the end. Well, it generally finishes because I storm off in a huff by then

But now I think if it she usually does it more than once because perhaps I don't get the hint the first time that she has finished

Might try that one solo.

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TinkerbellesMum · 30/05/2008 14:51

Does she drink with a straw when she has other drinks?

Tink was biting me from 10 months to about 15 months when I noticed one day she was biting her straw. I pinched it and did it every drink she had within a couple of days she had stopped biting me! If you're not using a straw, look at how she drinks her other drinks.

Original poster

BumperliciousNeedsToSleep · 30/05/2008 14:57

No, but I have started giving her a tommy tippee sports cup when we are out, but I don't think that has affected it as it has being going on for long than have been giving it to her. Otherwise she has a spouted cup.

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TinkerbellesMum · 30/05/2008 15:16

Watch her when she drinks from it. It sounds mad and even the breastfeeding supporters (a MW and HV) I used to see who can solve any problem were stumped.

whomovedmychocolate · 30/05/2008 15:24

Can you try taking her off before she's finished - if she takes about the same time each time?

motherhurdicure · 30/05/2008 15:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster

BumperliciousNeedsToSleep · 30/05/2008 16:34

She's just done it again and I've put her to bed!

It's not the end of the feed when she has done it today, it's been when I've gone to feed her and she wasn't interested at all. So she has barely fed at all all day. Earlier we were in sainsbos and she was whining so I assumed she was hungry, obviously not, and just now I thought that she might feed then go to sleep, especially as she didn't have any earlier, but no she made it clear she wasn't interested.

Tinksmum, what am I looking for when she is drinking?

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misspollysdolly · 30/05/2008 17:06

Sounds to me like it's a 'no thanks' or a 'I'm finished' signal - DS2 doing this at the mo (only 4 month old though) - but she's old enough at 11 months to start learning that's it's not OK to bite Mummy.

DS1 cut teeth at 13 weeks, but went through a nippy stage between 9 and 11 months. That said he only ever bit me completely on purpose once when the HV was visiting us for his 9 month check - typical!!

I very loudly said/shouted 'NO! You do not bite Mummy!' Plonked him unceremoniously down in the middle of the floor and walked out of the room. He howled, the HV (thankfully a v normal, down-to-earth, not too precious one!) followed me out and I left him good few minutes before returning to him. Didn't really bite again after that!

They need to know that biting gets zero attention, a loud pained shout and signals the end of the feed - for you - the injured party - at least! Firm but fair, I reckon!

Hope it stops soon - chowed nips are not nice!! Good luck!

TinkerbellesMum · 30/05/2008 17:20

What she does with her teeth. It could be that she has learned a certain behaviour with her drinks that she is carrying on with breasfeeding - like Tink biting a straw.

solo · 30/05/2008 17:47

A huge yelp from me cured Ds after the first bite, but it didn't work with Dd, so after numerous shouts of ' NO!' I tried the flicking and as I said, it did work quite quickly. Worth a try maybe...

Original poster

BumperliciousNeedsToSleep · 30/05/2008 20:07

Apparently I am not allowed to do lip flicking it is mean and tantamount to smacking her (according to my DH). Though he doesn't seem to have any better idea, nor realise how upsetting this is.

So, she hasn't fed all day, just latch on an bit me, including the bedtime feed which DH is now giving with cow's milk instead.

I am really upset. Is this a nursing strike? The beginning of the end? I am going to a wedding tomorrow so will be away from DD all afternoon and evening. I don't know how to make this better. I don't want to stop but I am scared to feed her now.

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BustyMcGee · 30/05/2008 20:20

My experience of biting is whenever DS is teething and also as TinkerbellesMum says when he got a new cup with a straw and bit me most horribly.
I detach him using the finger in the mouth to break suction, say very loudly "no biting" then put him down. Also got rid of the new cup which worked to stop the bites at at that stage very quickly.

lackaDAISYcal · 30/05/2008 20:31

Oh, bumper, you know I had lots of biting woes with DD, so I feel your pain lovely lady.

Is she teething? DD did it worse when she was teething, and then it would calm down, but not disappear unfortunately, once the teeth were in.

I also tried all of the above, usually to no avail or howls of laughter. I started watching her like a hawk, with my finger poised to unhook her if needed. I found it was a case of her being fed up at the end of a feed, or she didn't want to feed at all. After a few days of being unhooked in a firm (but fair) fashion with no eye contact or words, she got to the stage where she would push my finger away from my boob as if to say "it's OK mum, I won't bite" and to her credit she didn't.

Original poster

BumperliciousNeedsToSleep · 30/05/2008 20:35

I don't think she is teething, but then her last two just popped out of nowhere. I think I might cease use of all spouted cups and stick with a doidy cup for a while, tis a PITA though as it goes everywhere.

Will try unhooking her, but "no" definitely elicits giggles while my nipple is still in her mouth

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lackaDAISYcal · 30/05/2008 20:36

She may just have realised that the cow's milk comes a lot easier than the breast milk and is being a bit lazy?

I certainly know how you feel about being scared to feed; I used to be all scrunched up and tense waiting for it to happen, which I'm sure didn't help.

and I fogot to add, that I would say No Biting, as calmly as possible, as I unlatched her (after screaming F*** at the top of my voice several times which just made her laugh), and before she started feeding, I used to sing "No Biting No Biting" to her to the tune of Shakira "Hips Don't Lie"

lackaDAISYcal · 30/05/2008 20:38

Does she use a bottle when she is at nursery? or do they use a spouted cup as well?

the reason I ask, is that DD likes to carry things around in her teeth at the minute, especially her soft spout cup or a bottle.

TinkerbellesMum · 30/05/2008 20:40

I used to put my finger in her mouth and sit her on my lap facing away from me, I'd tell her no, we don't bite Mummy etc then try again. If she did it again I would put her down and say that she was obviously finished. Obviously none of it worked because it was the straw, but it will work if it's just a case of not realising.

Original poster

BumperliciousNeedsToSleep · 30/05/2008 20:46

She has milk in a bottle and water in a spouted cup and a baby sports bottles. The worst thing is that she just has this evil smirk as she is doing it Urgh, it makes me so cross with her and is causing DH and I to fight because he doesn't understand and I am getting cross with him as he is no help!

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lackaDAISYcal · 30/05/2008 21:16

ha, let him try and latch her on to his nipple and see how he likes it when she bites him

seriously though, it'll probably resolve itself. i think at this age they are just starting to recognise cause and effect. Try and stay as calm as possible, but be firm with her and she'll soon get fed up with it.

and I think they are conditioned to laugh at mum when she tells them off. I tell DD NO and she laughs, my friend did it the other day and she howled for about 10 minutes.

DC2 · 30/05/2008 21:40

Bumper - am going through exactly the same thing, except with a yank of my nipple through teeth while nork squeezed with both hands, and evil grin to me! Is all v odd. Sometimes that is the feed itself (the pulling/biting), sometimes it comes after feeding and means (I think) that the feeds done. I hate how nervous its made me to feed - it feels like back at the very beginning. I don't have any advice, just wanted you to know you're not alone!

Original poster

BumperliciousNeedsToSleep · 30/05/2008 22:44

Daisy, that's pretty much what I said but with more swearing!

DC2 what a pain! How old is your LO? My boobs have been mauled to death by DD who likes to take a small pinch and rub between her fingers and thumb, she just does it reflexively. Sometimes I hold my hand over my boob and she yanks my fingers away to get to the flesh! I have learned to live with it.

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DC2 · 30/05/2008 22:50

Bumper - nearly 11 months and I was trying to get to a year with bf. All is ok with the morning feed, so far, but I think the shenanigans at the evening feed means we might be giving that one up soon? I'm very sad if so

Original poster

BumperliciousNeedsToSleep · 30/05/2008 22:54

Hopefully it is a phase and will pass. I feel exactly the same. I don't want to stop, but don't want to do it if it is making us all miserable (me because I am in pain and angry, DD because I am cross with her and DH because I take it out on him )

OP posts:

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