6wk ds "biting" - what to do?

[downbutnotout]

Help!! I have had innumerable problems with bf this time (dc2) and the latest is that ds has taken to "biting" me at each feed. (He has a short tongue although it does not apparently qualify as being tongue tied so his gums used to quite often scrape on me before he started biting). Despite him having no teeth, this is very painful and could be the last straw for me and bf. What can I do before I lose my marbles?!!

Ouch, you have my sympathies. At 6wks your DS is a little young to be 'taught' not to do it, but he could be 'conditioned' perhaps, by you taking him off each time he does it? It would require patience and it sounds like you're a bit desperate, but I know it has worked for some people.

You could try:

1. Gently but firmly pressing his face towards your breast when he does it (counter intuitive I know) as that should make him release his clamp to breathe!
2. Saying 'biting' firmly (according to dog trainers you shouldn't say 'no xxxx' because they they associate eg 'no biting' with biting, and may take it as an instruction!)
3. Putting him down or at least away from the breast so you've very clearly stopped for the time being.
4. Put him back on when he demands, but repeat the above until he's full/has clicked that biting = milk going away!

I'm sure others will be along with other tips soon.

Good luck!

Thanks - he has stopped doing it quite so much but has been crying and fighting at the breast all day. For the most natural thing in the world bf can be a real bloody trial.

Yep, ikwym. Sometimes it seems that as soon as one phase stops, something else weird comes along! The thrashing around thing is such a pain in the arse - I used to get covered in scratches from DDs razor-sharp nails. It was like she was trying to scrabble her way closer to the breast. Hope this too passes quickly.

Hello! Never a truer word spoken re the tial of bf - I am in agony on one side today and no idea why - bf 6 week old, been fine up to this morning - she is not hurting me on the other side, just the left one which is quite simply throbbing even now that she is off again - she is 6 weeks and bf been going fine. I am going to have to express tonight for the evening 'cluster feeding' as i can't bear to let her on again....I really don't think I am being a wimp, it hurts so much it is making me cry. I can't see that its the latch as has been fine til now.

dan39 - have you checked to make sure you don't have a blocked duct? There's info on kellymom amount it, but you can usually feel a hard section, often triangular towards the nipple, where you're backed up. Throbbing doesn't sound good - poor you .

Hi dan! Haven't been on the old thread as obsessed with my bf probs at the mo - am now attending no less than 3 breastfeeding support groups irl!! Ds still fussy and unsettled at the breast. He's lucky he's gorgeous or his days would be numbered

Sorry to hear you're in pain - could be a blocked duct as mij says. I have had one of those this time, to add to my woes, but it did go eventually. How is your lo doing?

hey dbno

how are things? Is he still doing it? At 6 weeks he is too young to be doing this for no reason, but there is probably a mechanical reason why it's happening.

How is your supply? If you have a very fast letdown, he might be doing this to try and stem the flow a bit as it's overwhelming him. you can ge a very fast flow to slow down a bit by dong some block feeding. Have a look on kellymom at oversupply if you think it might be this. I'm not sure whether his short tongue/tongue tie issues might be impacting on it though as I don't have any experience of it.

hope that helps

hi to dan as well (and congratulations to both of you , I missed the announcements on the old hread)

Have you got your prob sorted out dan?

Hi daisy - sadly, no I am not gushing milk! I think ds just has a v v unfortunate latch, hence the horrendously cracked nipples I suffered with initially. He's not biting at the mo, but he does have a tendency to bring his gums together and suck my nipple between them, it's excrutiating. Am keeping everything crossed tis a phase and will pass when his mouth gets bigger 9he's aslow grower too, bnut that's another story).

How is your little one?

Have you checked for a tight labial frenulum as well? DS has one and it means he never gets that little pursed duck mouth that yo see in classic latch pictures, as he can't get his top lip turned out. We had horrendous problems initially with me getting several bouts of mastitis and blocked ducts as he wasn't feeding efficiently.

It did get better though. now, at 21 weeks, he is a pro!!

Have you seen a BFC or specialist about the short tongue (surely that's another name for a degree of tongue tie?). I would think that if it is interfering with BFing it would need to be dealt with? and it sounds like it might be making things difficult for you in other areas as well, ie is his slwo growth because he isn't feeding efficiently?

There is a list of hospitals where tongue ties are snipped on the baby friendly website; I'll dig it out for you. It might be worth a phone call to one of the specialist centres for advice, if you haven't done so already

DS does that pursing thing and stretches my nipple out......I am dreading him getting teeth as a result!

Here's the list

Thanks daisy - will be following this up, as I just think all is not entirely as it should be, even though ds has gained 5/6 oz per week for the last three weeks (took him 6 weeks to get back to birth weight). He is still scraping his bottom gum on my breast, wehich is just about tolerable now, but will not be when he has teeth.

Congrats on keeping up bf. You are a real trooper by the sound of it!