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Infant feeding

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

BITING!!!!

11 replies

2point4pets · 04/12/2009 11:50

My 10 month old DD is biting me - we were still managing a good BF mornings and evenings despite me being back at work full time. I have tried to stay calm, not react etc, but she is nibbling and full on chomping my nipple. I have noticed her doing the same with bottle teats and dummiys too. This has been going on about a week now.
Is this her syaing she has had enough of breastfeeding? I really hope not, but I can't take too much more biting - I feel scared when she is feeding now in case she pulls off mid feed and nips.
I am having to pump off my milk, which is really frustrating. I imagined feeding her until at least a year, but not like this...
Help! Any advice please!?

OP posts:
drivinmecrazy · 04/12/2009 11:52

No advice but I had this with DD2, I persevered for a while but gave up. Really hope some one can help because I really felt sad giving up at 10 months but didn't know of mumsnet 4 years ago. I can relate to the fear of each feed.

HeadFairy · 04/12/2009 12:01

ds did this at about this age, it's really horrible. Luckily for us, it only lasted a couple of weeks, but during that time I was the same as you, really tense during a feed which I'm sure affected my supply. I did start to recognise the signs so I made sure I reacted before he could bite, I'd firmly take him off momentarily.

DS had teeth from 5 months, so I'm not sure it was necessarily teething related, but it could be in your case. Try giving some teething gel or powders a few minutes before a feed.

It needn't stop you feeding, from what I've read (mostly on here) on the subject, it's usually just a phase for a couple of weeks. Eventually ds just stopped and we carried on bfing for another four months.

ShepherdsWashedTheirLocks · 04/12/2009 12:07

I had this with both of mine. I gently held their noses - they opened their mouths almost immediately. And then I quite firmly said no. They quickly got the message!

HeadFairy · 04/12/2009 12:10

DS always used to slip down the nipple a bit (ie not have so much in his mouth) just as he was about to bite, so I used to use that reduced suction to slide him quickly off. I like the nose holding trick though.

StealthPolarBear · 04/12/2009 12:15

ds did this, always as teething, when they came through he was fine
Now dd who is 10 weeks has started and i have no idea why or what to do

leeloo1 · 04/12/2009 12:26

Yes, I had this with DS, although at about 11 months I think (and also posted on here when I was sobbing in despair and bleeding from him constantly grating his teeth as he finished feeding - the scabs never completely healed cos he kept re-opening them with his teeth - nice!). With him it was teething related and lasted a about a month, or just over maybe - although most of that time I was just putting up with it.

I was really worried he was self-weaning, but apparently it is v common and DS now 14 months and happily feeding and never bites at all, even if pulling off and on cos stuff happening round him.

Advice from BF counsellor was that it can just be habit/comfort so to shout 'no' quite loudly as this shocks them into thinking about what they're doing and makes them stop. I tried this but not sure it helped.

What did help for me was changing the position of the feed for a couple of weeks so (rather than holding him across me I did a rugby hold under 1 arm) which made him latch differently and he bit much less - maybe cos less familiar? Also if he did bite then it was in a new area so far less painful! Also, sticking a finger into his mouth when I thought he was finishing feeding, to ease him off - although I usually misjudged this so had a wahhing baby.

What I did find was that if I got him off painlessly then he'd often ask to feed again immediately, latch on and then pull off with clenched teeth straight away - he obviously missed biting at the end of a feed!

Also heard that rubbing bonjela on 5 mins before a feed can ease their gums so they're less likely to want to bite.

Good luck with it though, I was in such misery thinking it was the end of my BFing DS and that I'd be left with horrible memories of BFing but now its all lovely again!

leeloo1 · 04/12/2009 12:29

Oh, also if your nipples are sore then rubbing EBM on them is the best way for them to heal!

Purplebuns · 04/12/2009 13:06

Hi, my HV told me take dd off and put her down somewhere safe, so that if she bit she knew that she would be taken off.

Also try and switch to a dummy/bottle teat that is less like a nipple, like the silicone type ones are, I have heard this can help.

I also strongly doubt that your Dd wants to stop Bf, probably just teething and a little bit nipple confused.

I use Lansinoh for sore nipples, EBM works well, but this leaves a nice coating, which can be lovely if you are finding your bras rub.etc

I hope this helps

missjackson · 04/12/2009 15:43

Someone told me that when they bite, you should pull them in towards you rather than away, which of course is your instinct. This means they have to let go in order to breathe. Worth a try? Hope it helps

2point4pets · 04/12/2009 19:03

Thanks for all the ideas, it is just what I needed (along with my large glass of wine that I am currently nursing along with my painful nipples!)
Going to try the holding-nose, and then move on the the loud 'NO' if the first option doesn't work. I suppose I could try nipple shields too come to think of it if worse comes to worse.
I shall try to ride it out for one more week...
Cheers, everyone, thanks again.

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 04/12/2009 19:38

Pushing them into the breast also works. It's not nice, but it does work.

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