Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Infant feeding

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

Flip

Original poster

Nipples and Teeth?

13 replies

KEAWYED · 11/08/2009 20:35

I've really enjoyed BF DS3 and would like to continue to do so.

I had finished BF DS1 and DS2 before they got teeth.

He's only 13 weeks old so hopefully got a bit longer, how much harder is it with teeth? TBH it scares me that he will bite my nipple off.

Need advice really on how to do it so I am prepared. Thanks

OP posts:

BigTeuchLittleTeuch · 11/08/2009 20:39

I fed DS1 for a while after his bottom teeth came in. I was aware of the new teeth, especially as he was tongue-tied so I don't think the tongue came over the teeth as well as it should. However, once he adjusted his latch to accommodate the new teeth it was fine...

...until he started teething the next set, then he started to bite down on me (I guess because his gums were sore), got a great reaction and started doing it for fun

He did this a couple of times, then when he drew blood it was all over. I was ready to stop, he was 9mths.

BigTeuchLittleTeuch · 11/08/2009 20:40

oh, should mention though...

I have lots of friends who have gotten through the teeth and biting phase and carried on!

LeonieSoSleepy · 11/08/2009 20:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster

KEAWYED · 11/08/2009 20:41

It's the clamping down that scares me.

He does it now with just gums and moves his head around. I swear my nipples stretch about 5 inches.

OP posts:

whomovedmychocolate · 11/08/2009 20:41

Right. Get your index finger, stick it in your mouth, now suck it. Do you feel teeth on your finger. Nope. Well that's how breastfeeding with teeth is. They may nip a few times when they first get teeth, especially if they get their mum to yell in a cool way the first time.

I'm tandem feeding and both my monsters have teeth and it's absolutely no problem.

whomovedmychocolate · 11/08/2009 20:42

If he is clamping down and moving his head you haven't got him on quite right Make sure his head and body are in a straight line, cuts down on the turning head bit quite a lot.

Original poster

KEAWYED · 11/08/2009 20:45

He gets bored, he's a proper wriggler.

My eldest was 10 months before he got teeth and the middle one was 4 months.

I'll give it a go

OP posts:

iwantitnow · 11/08/2009 21:19

You howl in pain, they get really alarmed, they stop doing it. Fed DD until she was 23 months old so went through all the teething. Sometimes you get this grating feeling on your nipples as the teeth come through (TMI?) but it goes again. DS getting his first teeth and he is not yet 5 months.

whomovedmychocolate · 11/08/2009 22:19

I howled in pain, DD laughed

Then poked me in the eye for good measure

DS hasn't bitten me at all yet!

gingerbunny · 11/08/2009 22:33

I finished feeding ds1 at a year, we feed throughout him getting all his teeth he would bite me occasionally but nothing to bad. It's the shock more than anything . When he started getting his back teeth he was a little horror and after drawing blood on several occasions, we stopped.
Ds2 is teething now and he occasionally has a little nip too. I do the same with him as I did with Ds1. I firmly say no, no biting and take him off the breast. I leave him off for a couple of minutes before starting again. He is beginning to get the message.
While they are feeding, if they are on properly you won't even feel the teeth.
good luck.

deepdarkwood · 11/08/2009 22:36

ds (bf to one year) bit me once - I squealed - never did it again
dd (bf to 9 months) tried nipping a few times (she's less bothered about upsetting me ), but removing her firmly each time did the trick pretty soon.
Never a problem for me

BertieBotts · 12/08/2009 16:32

DS is 10 months and has 2 teeth on the bottom and 4 on the top.

My advice is know in the back of your mind that you can use nipple shields if absolutely necessary, and make sure you have a tube of Lansinoh and of baby teething gel and know where they are. If there is any soreness after feeding (I find DS' latch is a bit funny when the teeth first appear and it can cause grazes on the skin) you should apply Lansinoh - it doesn't really hurt much though, honestly. And the Lansinoh is pretty much instant relief and will heal them up before the next feed.

If he does bite I usually say "Ouch! No biting!" loudly - I don't think he knows he's being told off but it does distract him and then I give him something else to bite on like a dummy, ricecake, teething ring, etc. (He doesn't have a dummy any more but does chew them!) If he is persistently biting the teething gel just before a feed seems to help.

I find if he does bite, it's not as painful as I thought it would be and that is even when he is grinning at me remember they are just exploring at this age and he is not biting you to be malicious!

hairymelons · 12/08/2009 20:35

I've been through a couple of biting phases with my son, now 13mo. It's always to do with teething so treating that with gel/ calpol/ cold teething ring etc. before a feed helps. He too would giggle if I yelped so I would just say "No biting, it hurts mummy" and put him down on the floor.

This worked the 1st time but the 2nd time he was crawling so would just wander off and play! I kept a teething ring in my hand, watched out for when he was about to bite (unlatched & gave me big, cheesy grin!)then said "No biting mummy, bite this instead" and he seemed to understand.

It's very rare he tries to bite now but I'm well prepared if he does. I would recommend discouraging the chewing from whenever you think he'll understand- I used to let DS chew on me a lot and once his teeth came I wished I hadn't.

My MIL tried to tell me that a biting baby wants to stop bfing. Utter bollocks, it's usually a very short lived phase.

Flip