Breastfeeding pain - latching with teeth

[SpunkyLemur]

My 8.5mo got his bottom two teeth at 3.5mo and his top two teeth at 7mo. I think two more are starting to come through at the top too. In the last month his latch has become toe-curlingly painful - often because his bottom teeth are latching on/getting in the way all of a sudden. Previous to this his tongue would cover his teeth but something has changed and that's not happening anymore.

I went to a free breastfeeding support group and they weren't very helpful as focused on biting but this is not that. So yesterday I had an appointment with a private lactation consultant. She assessed our latch and helped make some tweaks (we have definitely got lazy with positioning) to make his latch deeper and to try and encourage his head to tilt and mouth widen. But even with her help and trying so hard to latch properly and carefully, his teeth are still causing me SO much pain. Not helped by him now being strong and wriggly and getting very angry at my careful, slow latching when he's hungry. Some feeds are leaving us both in tears.

Has anyone been through the same? I've read a lot of Mumsnet/Reddit posts where people say this only lasts for a few days when new teeth come in but this has been going on for weeks. In my internet rabbit hole I've also seen people say they never found a way to work around this and it meant they had to end BF - but my son will not take a bottle so I feel completely trapped by this pain and stress.

I'm putting on lots of lanolin between feeds and have just got some silver cups to help with the soreness too. I just want to go back to when feeds were easy and comfortable - anyone been there and have any nuggets of wisdom? 🙏🙏

This is a tough one! I'd suggest you go back to the lactation consultant until you have it sorted. It is worth persevering with. Try going to drinking from a cup as well - offering him water at mealtimes. If you aren't already. He may take to that well, which would be a useful backup. All the best.

Damn I wish I had some advice for you op, I really do. I remember the pain and the tears 😭

Have you tried feeding lying down on your side? It's easier to get a good, deep latch that way, or you could maybe try nipple shields.

Yes I have, we cosleep so feed lying down through the night. I do find it hurts a little less and latch is better this way but the teeth are still getting involved for most feeds and causing pain.
I bought some nipple shields but he was so so angry and stressed at trying to feed with them, it was a complete waste of money. I'm completely at a loss of how to improve things

Thank you. I have gone back to her now for some more advice and will go to another breastfeeding drop-in tomorrow.
He will drink sips of water from an op n cup and straw cup but so far not milk, will try to persevere with that though

Thank you! It really is excruciating. I've forgotten what it's like to feed without pain 😭

I had this (went on for weeks) and the silver nipple cups helped so much, he then stopped almost immediately (maybe because my nipples finally healed or maybe because I was less tense each feed or maybe coincidence( ). They were my last attempt and if they didn't work I would have stopped breastfeeding. Good luck!

Oh really! I ordered some that arrived today. Did you wear them often then? Did you do the trick where you put drops of breastmilk in them too? I hope they work some magic for me

This sounds really horrible, but I’m really confused how his bottom teeth are in co tact with your breast during feeds. As you say, his tongue should be covering his bottom teeth when he’s latched. Where exactly is the pain? End of nipple? Edge of areola? Half way between?

As previously mentioned a proper deep latch should at least reduce this pain, and the best way to get that is to go back to basics and get his head tilted right back, with him tucked very close to you. You’ve said that it’s better when you lie down to feed, can you figure out what you do differently when you’re laid down?

I honestly don't get it either. Thank you for sharing these images and tips. I am trying my best to follow all of these tips and think through each latch like I did in the beginning, but it's so much harder when he's grabbing for the boob and moving himself up. The pain during the latch on is mainly around the edge of the areola but my nipples themselves are sore during the feed and after too.
The lying down feeds this evening have been excruciating too so that theory is out of the window. I will push hard for a proper latch assessment at the drop in tomorrow.
Thank you for taking the time to reply.

If the ends of your nipples are sore during and after feeds that indicates that he’s not drawing your nipple in far enough and there’s friction against his tongue/roof of his mouth. I fully get that it’s hard to control the latch and positioning of a wriggly 9 month old that wants to be in a different position to the one you’re trying to get him in to. The pain around the underside edge of the aureola is possibly from his teeth, or from the nipple being pulled/stretched as he’s sucking.

Did his tongue definitely extend over his bottom lip when he was tiny? Is it possible he has a posterior tie that’s not been picked up?

Thank you for your reply. That makes so much sense and now I'm annoyed the lactation consultant didn't get more specific about pain points to understand the exact cause. It was difficult because he was too distracted by her to feed much in her presence though.

She also said she would check for tongue tie but then forgot 🙈 so going to raise all these points at the breastfeeding drop-in this morning. Thank you! Will let you know how I get on

Hey OP, I've never posted on here before but I came across your post while googling because I'm having the exact same issue. It all came to a head last night with me and baby crying at midnight as feeding just wasn't working for either of us. This has come as such a shock for me tbh as we never had any latch issues in the newborn days but now we do at 10 months!

Have things got better for you? Did the lactation consultant help? I feel like this all happening now it's Christmas is just making me feel more helpless as there's even less support about now.

I'm so sorry you're going through the same thing 😭 it's so so stressful and painful. To be totally honest, the lactation consultant and breastfeeding drop in weren't that helpful at all. They gave small tweaks on my positioning like bringing him down lower and doing laid back feeding which helped a little but nothing transformative.
After some awful days I decided to persevere more with the bottle and he's started taking it. We changed from MAM to Lansinoh and Sainsbury's own brand bottles which are more rounded. No idea if that helped or if he just came round to the idea but by giving a couple of bottles a day it gave my nipples more of a chance to heal which was so needed.
I've also only been feeding lying on the bed as that was the least painful.

But then suddenly he's just stopped doing the teethy, sharp painful latching. Out of nowhere! One new tooth has popped through so I've no idea if that was the cause of all the upset or not. But it really seems like it was just a horrible and fairly long phase. I still get an occasional nip or him pulling if he's nearly finished but really out of nowhere the issue has pretty much vanished.
I don't know if that's helpful to hear or not because I hated people dismissing it with "it'll pass" and basically being told to put up with it and get on. I really do appreciate how awful it is and if my son would be more soothed by/take a bottle at night I would have definitely done the switch during this horrible time.
I hope you find a way through it, especially during the extra stress of Christmas ❤️